Protective effects of Urtica dioica seed extract in aflatoxicosis: histopathological and biochemical findings.

PubMed

Uyar, A; Yener, Z; Dogan, A

2016-04-01

The ameliorative potential and antioxidant capacity of an extract of Urtica dioica seeds (UDS) was investigated using histopathological changes in liver and kidney, measuring serum marker enzymes, antioxidant defence systems and lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde (MDA)) content in various tissues of broilers exposed to aflatoxin (AF). A total of 32 broilers were divided randomly into 4 groups: control, UDS extract-treated, AF-treated and AF+UDS extract-treated. Broilers in control and UDS extract-treated groups were fed on a diet without AF. The AF-treated group and AF+UDS extract-treated groups were treated with an estimated 1 mg total AF/kg feed. The AF+UDS extract groups received in addition 30 ml UDS extract/kg diet for 21 d. The AF-treated group had significantly decreased body weight gain when compared to the other groups. Biochemical analysis showed a small increase in the concentrations of serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, gamma glutamyl transpeptidase and lactate dehydrogenase in the AF-treated group compared to that of the control group, whereas concentrations of these enzymes were decreased in the AF+UDS group compared to that of the AF-treated group. Administration of supplementary UDS extract helped restore the AF-induced increase in MDA and reduced the antioxidant system towards normality, particularly in the liver, brain, kidney and heart. Hepatorenal protection by UDS extracts was further supported by the almost normal histology in AF+UDS extract-treated group as compared to the degenerative changes in the AF-treated broilers. It was concluded that UDS extract has a protective hepatorenal effect in broilers affected by aflatoxicosis, probably acting by promoting the antioxidative defence systems.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in children with leukemia: a single institution experience with respect to donors.

PubMed

Baek, Hee Jo; Kook, Hoon; Han, Dong Kyun; Hwang, Tai Ju

2011-12-01

Aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of transplantation by donor source and to help select the best alternative donor in children with leukemia. Donor sources included matched related donor (MRD, n = 35), allele-matched unrelated donor (M-UD, n = 10) or -mismatched (MM)-UD (n = 13) or unrelated umbilical cord blood (UCB, n = 11). UCB group had a significantly higher incidence of grade II-IV acute graft versus host disease (MRD, 11.8%; M-UD, 30.0%; MM-UD, 15.4%, UCB, 54.4%, P = 0.004) but there was no difference in incidence of chronic graft versus host disease between 4 groups. The 5-yr leukemia-free survival (LFS) was 76.7%, 60.0%, 69.2%, and 45.5%, respectively (P = 0.128). MRD group showed higher LFS rate than UCB group (P = 0.022). However, LFS of M-UD and MM-UD together (65.2%) was not different from that of MRD group (76.7%, P = 0.325), or from that of UCB (45.5%, P = 0.190). The relapse incidence at 5 yr was 17.1%, 20.0%, 15.4%, and 0%, respectively (P = 0.460). The 100-day treatment-related mortality was 2.9%, 20.0%, 7.7%, and 36.4%, respectively (P = 0.011). Despite the limitations of small number of patients, unrelated donor transplants including even allele-mismatched ones, seem to be as effective in children with leukemia lacking suitable relative donors. Also, UCB transplant may serve as another possible option in urgent transplants.

Characteristics and outcomes of men who fail to leak on intubated urodynamics prior to artificial urinary sphincter placement.

PubMed

Weissbart, Steven J; Coutinho, Karl; Chughtai, Bilal; Sandhu, Jaspreet S

2014-12-01

To report the characteristics and anti-incontinence outcomes of men who fail to demonstrate incontinence on intubated urodynamics (UDS). From 2005 to 2013, the records of men who underwent UDS prior to artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) were reviewed. The histories, UDS, endoscopies, and anti-incontinence outcomes of men who failed to demonstrate incontinence on intubated UDS were recorded. In our UDS protocol, the urodynamic urethral catheter was removed and the UDS was repeated to elicit incontinence without the urethral catheter. The valsalva leak point pressure (VLPP) was obtained via the rectal catheter in these men. All men were status post radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer. Nineteen percent (32) of the study population (169) had non-demonstrable incontinence on intubated UDS. Mean age at the time of UDS was 62 (range 48-81). All patients demonstrated incontinence on UDS upon removal of the urethral catheter. Their mean VLPP was 79.3 (SD 36.7). Fifty-six percent (18) of these men had an anastomotic stricture (AS) and 37.5% (12) had a history of radiotherapy treatment, of which six also had an AS. Mean pads per day at the time of UDS was 4.6 (SD 2.9). At a mean follow up of 40.7 months (SD 24.7) from AUS placement, mean pads per day was 0.87 (SD 1.2). Men who fail to demonstrate incontinence on intubated UDS have a high rate of AS and history of radiotherapy treatment, which is a known cause for urethra fibrosis and scarring. Regardless, these men can achieve excellent anti-incontinence outcomes.

Effects of Nigella sativa L. and Urtica dioica L. on selected mineral status and hematological values in CCl4-treated rats.

PubMed

Meral, Ismail; Kanter, Mehmet

2003-01-01

This study was designed to investigate the effects of Nigella sativa L. (NS), known as black seed, or/and Urtica dioica L. (UD), known as stinging nettle root, treatments on serum Na, K, Cl, and Ca levels and some hematological values of CCl4-treated rats. Sixty healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 250-300 g, were randomly allotted into 1 of 4 experimental groups: A (CCl4-only treated), B (CCl4+UD treated), C (CCl4+NS treated), and D (CCl4+UD+NS treated), each containing 15 animals. All groups received CCl4 (0.8 mL/kg of body weight, subcutaneously, twice a week for 90 d starting d 1). In addition, B, C, and D groups also received the daily ip injection of 0.2 mL/kg NS and/or 2 mL/kg UD oils for 45 d starting d 46. Group A, on the other hand, received only 2 mL/kg normal saline solution for 45 d starting d 46. Blood samples for the biochemical analysis were taken by cardiac puncture from five randomly chosen rats in each treatment group at the beginning, d 45, and d 90 of the experiment. The CCl4 treatment for 45 d significantly (p<0.05) increased the serum K and Ca and decreased (p<0.05) the red blood cell count (RBC), white blood cell count (WBC), packed cell volume (PCV), and Hb levels without changing (p>0.05) the serum Na and Cl levels. NS or UD treatments (alone or combination) for 45 d starting d 46 significantly (p<0.05) decreased the elevated serum K and Ca levels and also increased (p<0.05) the reduced RBC, WBC, PCV, and Hb levels. It is concluded that NS and/or UD treatments might ameliorate the CCl4-induced disturbances of anemia, some minerals, and body's defense mechanism in CCl4-treated rats.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: ALMA submm galaxies multi-wavelength data (Simpson+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simpson, J. M.; Smail, I.; Swinbank, A. M.; Ivison, R. J.; Dunlop, J. S.; Geach, J. E.; Almaini, O.; Arumugam, V.; Bremer, M. N.; Chen, C.-C.; Conselice, C.; Coppin, K. E. K.; Farrah, D.; Ibar, E.; Hartley, W. G.; Ma, C. J.; Michalowski, M. J.; Scott, D.; Spaans, M.; Thomson, A. P.; van der Werf, P. P.

2017-11-01

In previous work, we presented the source catalog, number counts, and far-infrared morphologies of the 52 SMGs that were detected in 30 ALMA maps (see Simpson+ 2015ApJ...799...81S, 2015ApJ...807..128S). The UKIDSS observations of the ~0.8deg2 UDS comprise four Wide-Field Camera (WFCAM) pointings in the J-, H-, and K-bands. In this paper, we use the images and catalogs released as part of the UKIDSS data release 8 (DR8). The DR8 release contains data taken between 2005 and 2010, and the final J-, H-, and K-band mosaics have a median 5σ depth (2" apertures) of J=24.9, H=24.2, and K=24.6, respectively. Deep observations of the UDS have also been taken in the U-band with Megacam at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) and in the B, V, R, i', and z' bands with Suprime-cam at the Subaru telescope. Furthermore, deep Spitzer data, obtained as part of the SpUDS program (PI: J. Dunlop) provides imaging reaching a 5σ depth of m3.6=24.2 and m4.5=24.0 at 3.6um and 4.5um, respectively. The UDS field was observed at 250, 350, and 500um with the Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver (SPIRE) onboard the Herschel Space Observatory as part of the Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey (HerMES). The UDS field was observed by the VLA at 1.4GHz as part of the project UDS20 (V. Arumugam et al. 2017, in preparation). A total of 14 pointings were used to mosaic an area of ~1.3deg2 centered on the UDS field. (2 data files).

Female Urethral Diverticulum: Presentation, Diagnosis, and Predictors of Outcomes After Surgery

PubMed Central

El-Nashar, Sherif A.; Singh, Ruchira; Bacon, Melissa M.; Kim-Fine, Shunaha; Occhino, John A.; Gebhart, John B.; Klingele, Christopher J.

2017-01-01

Introduction and Hypothesis To report on clinical presentation, diagnosis, and outcomes after treatment of female urethral diverticulum (UD). Methods Using a record linkage system, women with a new diagnosis of UD at Mayo Clinic from January 1, 1980, through December 31, 2011, were identified. The presenting symptoms, clinical characteristics, diagnosis, and management of women presenting with UD were recorded. Outcomes after surgery were assessed using survival analysis. All statistical analyses were 2-sided and P values less than 0.05 were considered significant. Statistical analysis was done using SAS version 9.2 and JMP version 9.0 (SAS Institute Inc.). Results A total of 164 cases were identified. Median age at diagnosis was 46 years (range, 21–83). The most common presenting symptom was recurrent urinary tract infection (98, 59.8%), followed by urinary incontinence (81, 49.4%), dysuria (62, 37.8%), dyspareunia (37, 22.6%), and hematuria (15, 9.1%). Examination revealed vaginal mass in 55 (33.5%) of the women. A significant trend was noted toward an increase in use of both magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography (P < 0.001) along with a progressive decrease in use of urethrogram (P < 0.001) for diagnosis of UD over the years. Among 114 women who underwent surgical treatment for UD, 14(12.3%) women presented with recurrent UD and the 5-year recurrence rate after surgery for UD was 23.4% (95% confidence interval, 13.9–37.0) and a reoperation rate of 17.0% (95% confidence interval, 8.8–30.2) at 5 years. Conclusions Female UD is a rare and unique condition. Clinical presentation is usually nonspecific, and magnetic resonance imaging is commonly used for confirming the diagnosis. Recurrence is not uncommon, and repeat surgical intervention might be needed. PMID:27636213

Urtica dioica leaves modulates muscarinic cholinergic system in the hippocampus of streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.

PubMed

Patel, Sita Sharan; Parashar, Arun; Udayabanu, Malairaman

2015-06-01

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder and has been associated with cognitive dysfunction. In our earlier study, chronic Urtica dioica (UD) treatment significantly ameliorated diabetes induced associative and spatial memory deficit in mice. The present study was designed to explore the effect of UD leaves extract on muscarinic cholinergic system, which has long been known to be involved in cognition. Streptozotocin (STZ) (50 mg/kg, i.p., consecutively for 5 days) was used to induce diabetes followed by treatment with UD extract (50 mg/kg, oral) or rosiglitazone (5 mg/kg, oral) for 8 weeks. STZ-induced diabetic mice showed significant reduction in hippocampal muscarinic acetylcholine receptor-1 and choline acetyltransferase expressions. Chronic diabetes significantly up-regulated the protein expression of acetylcholinesterase associated with oxidative stress in hippocampus. Besides, STZ-induced diabetic mice showed hypolocomotion with up-regulation of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor-4 expression in striatum. Chronic UD treatment significantly attenuated the cholinergic dysfunction and oxidative stress in the hippocampus of diabetic mice. UD had no effect on locomotor activity and muscarinic acetylcholine receptor-4 expression in striatum. In conclusion, UD leaves extract has potential to reverse diabetes mediated alteration in muscarinic cholinergic system in hippocampus and thereby improve memory functions.

Performance indicators for the efficiency analysis of urban drainage systems.

PubMed

Artina, S; Becciu, G; Maglionico, M; Paoletti, A; Sanfilippo, U

2005-01-01

Performance indicators implemented in a decision support system (DSS) for the technical, managerial and economic evaluation of urban drainage systems (UDS), called MOMA FD, are presented. Several kinds of information are collected and processed by MOMA FD to evaluate both present situation and future scenarios of development and enhancement. Particular interest is focused on the evaluation of the environmental impact, which is considered a very relevant factor in the decision making process to identify the priorities for UDS improvements.

A numerical comparison of discrete Kalman filtering algorithms: An orbit determination case study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thornton, C. L.; Bierman, G. J.

1976-01-01

The numerical stability and accuracy of various Kalman filter algorithms are thoroughly studied. Numerical results and conclusions are based on a realistic planetary approach orbit determination study. The case study results of this report highlight the numerical instability of the conventional and stabilized Kalman algorithms. Numerical errors associated with these algorithms can be so large as to obscure important mismodeling effects and thus give misleading estimates of filter accuracy. The positive result of this study is that the Bierman-Thornton U-D covariance factorization algorithm is computationally efficient, with CPU costs that differ negligibly from the conventional Kalman costs. In addition, accuracy of the U-D filter using single-precision arithmetic consistently matches the double-precision reference results. Numerical stability of the U-D filter is further demonstrated by its insensitivity of variations in the a priori statistics.

Trends in urodynamics in U.S. female medicare beneficiaries, 2000-2010.

PubMed

Reynolds, W Stuart; Ni, Shenghua; Kaufman, Melissa R; Penson, David F; Dmochowski, Roger R

2015-06-01

To document variations and temporal trends in the use of urodynamics (UDS) in female U.S. Medicare beneficiaries. Using a 5% sample of U.S. Medicare utilization records, we identified female beneficiaries who had undergone UDS studies between 2000 and 2010 by the presence of Common Procedural Terminology codes for cystometrogram in claims from the Carrier file. We abstracted data for each patient on age, race, residence, ICD9 diagnoses, dates of service, and provider specialty. We calculated rates per 100,000 beneficiaries with data available from the enrollment files (i.e., Denominator files) and reported the numbers and rates per 100,000 by year. During this period, 1.4 million female U.S. Medicare beneficiaries underwent UDS, of which 6% were videourodynamics. Seventy four percent of UDS were associated with a diagnosis of any urinary incontinence, with 50% specific for stress incontinence. The annual rates of UDS increased by 29%, from 422 in 2000 to 543 in 2010 per 100,000. Similar increases were seen across age groups, geographic regions and racial/ethnic groups. The rate of UDS performed by gynecologists increased by 144% over the study period, while that of urologists decreased by 3%. In 2010, gynecologists performed 35% and urologists 58% of all UDS. The use of UDS in the female Medicare program increased substantially between 2000 and 2010, with some variation across demographics and marked variation across provider specialty. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Epidemiology and risk factors of uninvestigated dyspepsia, irritable bowel syndrome, and gastroesophageal reflux disease among students of Damascus University, Syria.

PubMed

Al Saadi, Tareq; Idris, Amr; Turk, Tarek; Alkhatib, Mahmoud

2016-12-01

Uninvestigated dyspepsia (UD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are common disorders universally. Many studies have assessed their epidemiological characteristics around the world. However, such information is not known for Syria. We aim to estimate the epidemiologic characteristics and possible risk factors for UD, IBS, and GERD among students at Damascus University, Damascus, Syria. A cross-sectional study was conducted in July-September 2015 at a campus of Damascus University. A total of 320 students were randomly asked to complete the survey. We used ROME III criteria to define UD and IBS, and Montreal definition for GERD. In total, 302 valid participants were included in the analysis. Prevalence for UD, IBS, and GERD was 25%, 17%, and 16%, respectively. Symptom overlap was present in 46 students (15%), with UD+IBS in 28 (9.3%), UD+GERD in 26 (8.6%), and IBS+GERD in 14 (4.6%) students. Eleven (3.6%) students had symptoms of UD+IBS+GERD. Each of these overlaps occurred more frequently than expected by chance. Significant risk factors included cigarettes smoking, waterpipe consumption, and body mass index <18.5kg/m 2 for UD; female gender and three cups of coffee/d for IBS; and two cups of tea and one to five cigarettes/d for GERD. Risk factors for these disorders remain poorly characterized and need further investigations. Copyright © 2016 Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Universal Design Approach to Government Service Delivery: The Case of ChileAtiende.

PubMed

Sandoval, Leonardo

2016-01-01

A common challenge for government administrations that aim to improve the delivery of information and services to citizens is to go beyond a government-centred approach. By focusing on citizens and the needs of a wide range of citizens, Universal Design (UD) can help to increase the effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction of government services. This paper examines the case of an internationally recognised Chilean government service delivery programme inspired by UD principles known as ChileAtiende ("ChileService"). A brief account of its creation and current status is provided.

Risks of repeated visits for uninvestigated dyspepsia in three community hospitals of Khon Kaen, Thailand.

PubMed

Premgamone, Amorn; Maskasem, Srinoi; Thamrongwarangoon, Apisit; Ussavaphark, Wichai

2010-03-01

Uninvestigated dyspepsia (UD) is common and only 26.4% of these are peptic ulcer disease, while 50% are non-ulcer dyspepsia. A recent study found that nephrolithiasis with urinary tract infection may have the dyspeptic symptoms. The authors searched for any associations between repeated UD and pyuria, hematuria and other factors. A case-control study was performed. It consisted of 489 patients with repeated UD who had visited community hospitals for at least two times per year and 489 controls sampled from the data of the subjects, free of dyspeptic symptoms, from the multi-stage random survey for subjective health complaints in the same province. Multivariate logistic regression models were used for case-control comparisons. By logistic regression analysis, UD was significantly associated with problems caused by purine-rich foods (PRFs), chronic fatigue, flank paresthesia, hematuria, myofascial pain, and pyuria. The respective adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence interval (CI) were: 6.67 (4.58, 9.68), 5.06 (3.46, 7.40), 3.98 (2.41, 6.60), 2.97 (2.01, 4.38), 1.91 (1.32, 2.76) and 1.58 (1.01, 2.45). The variables of age (> 48), sex, dysuria, poly-arthralgia, headache and back pain were not significantly associated with UD. The foods that aggravated UD were bamboo shoots, fermented rice noodles, beef alcohol and insects. The rate of pyuria and hematuria was significantly increased with the number of visits within a year [p-value (Chi-square for trend), 0.015 and 0.032]. These findings indicate that pyuria, hematuria, and purine-rich foods were associated with repeated hospital visits for dyspepsia.

N-Band Observations of Henize 2-10: Unveiling the Dusty Engine of a Starburst Galaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vacca, William D.; Johnson, Kelsey E.; Conti, Peter S.

2002-02-01

As part of an ongoing program to better understand the early stages of massive star cluster evolution and the physical conditions for their formation, we have obtained J, H, K', and N (10.8 μm) images of the nuclear region of the starburst galaxy He 2-10. The N-band images were obtained with the Gemini North Telescope. In only 10 minutes of on-source integration time with Gemini, we were able to detect four of the five enshrouded clusters, or ``ultradense H II regions'' (UD H II regions) recently discovered in radio maps. None of these sources appears in either the optical Hubble Space Telescope images or the near-infrared (J, H, and K') images. These sources make up about 60% of the total N-band flux from He 2-10 and, we suspect, a similar fraction of the total far-infrared flux measured by IRAS. The inferred spectra of the UD H II regions are strikingly similar to those of Galactic ultracompact H II regions. We have modeled the radio and IR spectra of these UD H II regions under the assumption that they are ``scaled-up'' Galactic ultracompact H II regions. From this model, the bolometric luminosity of the brightest cluster alone is estimated to be ~2×109 Lsolar. The total mass of the dust and gas in this UD H II region is Mshell~107 Msolar. We have also used the observed spectra to place constraints on the masses and ages of the stellar clusters enshrouded within the UD H II regions. For the brightest UD H II region, we find that the stellar mass must be Mcluster>~2.5×106 Msolar, and the age must be <~4.8×106 yr, with the most probable age being <~3.6×106 yr. If we assume that the region is pressure confined and enforce the requirement that the star formation efficiency must be less than ~90%, we find that the age of this stellar cluster must lie within a very narrow range, 4×105<τ<5×106 yr. All the clusters within the UD H II regions in He 2-10 are estimated to have ages less than about 5×106 yr and masses greater than about 5×105 Msolar. We find that the logarithmic ratio of the radio to far-infrared flux densities, q, for the UD H II regions in He 2-10 is ~4 q~2.6 for both He 2-10 as a whole and NGC 5253, another nearby starburst known to host UD H II regions. These values of q are significantly larger than the average q=2.35 found for normal galaxies but are comparable to the values of q found for ultraluminous infrared galaxies. We suggest that large q values for starburst galaxies may indicate that a significant fraction of the far-infrared flux may arise from thermal dust emission from UD H II regions. Finally, the possibility that all the far-infrared flux from He 2-10 and other starburst galaxies may be produced by regions completely obscured at wavelengths as long as K' suggests that the well-known correlation between ultraviolet continuum slope and infrared-to-ultraviolet flux ratio in starbursts cannot be due entirely to reprocessing of ultraviolet radiation by dust in a foreground screen geometry. In fact, the dust that reddens the ultraviolet continuum slope must be largely decoupled from the dust that produces the large infrared fluxes in some starbursts. Based on observations obtained at the Gemini Observatory, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation on behalf of the Gemini partnership: the National Science Foundation (US), the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (UK), the National Research Council (Canada), CONICYT (Chile), the Australian Research Council (Australia), CNPq (Brazil), and CONICET (Argentina).

QoS for Real Time Applications over Next Generation Data Networks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ivancic, William; Atiquzzaman, Mohammed; Bai, Haowei; Su, Hongjun; Chitri, Jyotsna; Ahamed, Faruque

2001-01-01

Viewgraphs on Qualtity of Service (QOS) for real time applications over next generation data networks are presented. The progress to date include: Task 1: QoS in Integrated Services over DiffServ networks (UD); Task 2: Interconnecting ATN with the next generation Internet (UD); Task 3: QoS in DiffServ over ATM (UD); Task 4: Improving Explicit Congestion Notification with the Mark-Front Strategy (OSU); Task 5: Multiplexing VBR over VBR (OSU); and Task 6: Achieving QoS for TCP traffic in Satellite Networks with Differentiated Services (OSU).

Patterns and predictors of conversion to bipolar disorder in 91 587 individuals diagnosed with unipolar depression.

PubMed

Musliner, K L; Østergaard, S D

2018-05-01

Conversion from unipolar depression (UD) to bipolar disorder (BD) is a clinically important event that should lead to treatment modifications. Unfortunately, recognition of this transition is often delayed. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify predictors of diagnostic conversion from UD to BD. Historical prospective cohort study based on 91 587 individuals diagnosed with UD in Danish hospital psychiatry between 1995 and 2016. The association between a series of potential predictors and the conversion from UD to BD during follow-up (702 710 person-years) was estimated by means of Cox regression with death as competing risk. During follow-up, 3910 individuals with UD developed BD. The cumulative incidence of conversion was slightly higher in females (8.7%, 95% CI: 8.2-9.3) compared to males (7.7%, 95% CI: 7.0-8.4). The strongest predictor of conversion from UD to BD was parental history of BD (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 2.60, 95% CI: 2.20-3.07)). Other predictors included psychotic depression at the index UD episode (aHR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.48-2.02), a prior/concomitant non-affective psychosis (aHR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.51-1.99), and in-patient treatment at the index episode (aHR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.63-1.91). Diagnostic conversion from UD to BD is predicted by severe depression requiring in-patient treatment, psychotic symptomatology, and parental history of BD. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Surgical treatment of an acquired posterior urethral diverticulum with cystoscopy assisted robotic technique.

PubMed

Guneri, Cagri; Kirac, Mustafa; Biri, Hasan

2017-03-01

A 42-year-old man with a history of recurrent urethral stenosis, recurrent urinary tract infection and macroscopic hematuria has referred to our clinic. He underwent several internal urethrotomies and currently using clean intermittent self-catheterization. During the internal urethrotomy, we noted a large posterior urethral diverticulum (UD) between verumontanum and bladder neck. His obstructive symptoms were resolved after the catheter removal. But perineal discomfort, urgency and dysuria were prolonged about 3-4 weeks. Urinalysis and urine culture confirmed recurrent urinary tract infections. Due to this conditions and symptoms, we planned a surgical approach which was planned as transperitoneal robotic-assisted laparoscopic approach. This technique is still applied for the diverticulectomy of the bladder. In addition to this we utilized the cystoscopy equipments for assistance. During this process, cystoscope was placed in the UD to help the identification of UD from adjacent tissues like seminal vesicles by its movement and translumination. Operating time was 185 min. On the post-operative third day he was discharged. Foley catheter was removed after 2 weeks. Urination was quite satisfactory. His perineal discomfort was resolved. The pathology report confirmed epidermoid (tailgut) cyst of the prostate. Urethrogram showed no radiologic signs of UD after 4 weeks. Irritative and obstructive symptoms were completely resolved after 3 months. No urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction or retrograde ejaculation was noted. While posterior UD is an extremely rare situation, surgical treatment of posterior UD remains uncertain. To our knowledge, no above-mentioned cystoscopy assisted robotic technique for the treatment was described in the literature.

The study and realization of BDS un-differenced network-RTK based on raw observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tu, Rui; Zhang, Pengfei; Zhang, Rui; Lu, Cuixian; Liu, Jinhai; Lu, Xiaochun

2017-06-01

A BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) Un-Differenced (UD) Network Real Time Kinematic (URTK) positioning algorithm, which is based on raw observations, is developed in this study. Given an integer ambiguity datum, the UD integer ambiguity can be recovered from Double-Differenced (DD) integer ambiguities, thus the UD observation corrections can be calculated and interpolated for the rover station to achieve the fast positioning. As this URTK model uses raw observations instead of the ionospheric-free combinations, it is applicable for both dual- and single-frequency users to realize the URTK service. The algorithm was validated with the experimental BDS data collected at four regional stations from day of year 080 to 083 in 2016. The achieved results confirmed the high efficiency of the proposed URTK for providing the rover users a rapid and precise positioning service compared to the standard NRTK. In our test, the BDS URTK can provide a positioning service with cm level accuracy, i.e., 1 cm in the horizontal components, and 2-3 cm in the vertical component. Within the regional network, the mean convergence time for the users to fix the UD ambiguities is 2.7 s for the dual-frequency observations and of 6.3 s for the single-frequency observations after the DD ambiguity resolution. Furthermore, due to the feature of realizing URTK technology under the UD processing mode, it is possible to integrate the global Precise Point Positioning (PPP) and the local NRTK into a seamless positioning service.

Bacteriuria and urinary tract infection after female urodynamic studies: risk factors and microbiological analysis.

PubMed

Nóbrega, Mônica Martins; Auge, Antonio Pedro Flores; de Toledo, Luis Gustavo Morato; da Silva Carramão, Sílvia; Frade, Armando Brites; Salles, Mauro José Costa

2015-10-01

This study was conducted to determine risk factors for infectious complications after urodynamic study (UDS) in women, which can assist clinicians in identifying high-risk subjects who would benefit from antibiotic prophylaxis before UDS. In this prospective cohort study, we studied 232 women who underwent UDS at Santa Casa de São Paulo School of Medical Sciences between June 2013 and June 2014. Women ranging in age from 26 to 84 years who had urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, or voiding dysfunction were required to collect urine samples at 7 days before, on the day of, and 3-5 days after UDS. Urine cultures with >100,000 CFU/mL were considered positive. Risk factors associated with bacteriuria and urinary tract infection (UTI) after UDS were evaluated using multivariate analysis with multiple logistic regression. Two hundred thirty-two out of 257 women were subjected to further analysis. The incidence of bacteriuria, transient bacteriuria, and UTI after UDS was 11.6%, 7.3%, and 4.3%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, hypothyroidism (P = .04), body mass index (BMI) >30 (P = .025), and advanced pelvic organ prolapse (P = .021) were associated with a significantly increased risk of bacteriuria; however, only BMI >30 (P = .02) was associated with an increased risk for UTI. The rate of infectious complications after UDS was low, and advanced pelvic organ prolapse and hypothyroidism increased the risk for bacteriuria. However, only BMI >30 was associated with bacteriuria and UTI after UDS. Copyright © 2015 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Roles of Polyuria and Hyperglycemia on Bladder Dysfunction in Diabetes

PubMed Central

Xiao, Nan; Wang, Zhiping; Huang, Yexiang; Daneshgari, Firouz; Liu, Guiming

2014-01-01

Purpose Diabetes mellitus (DM) causes diabetic bladder dysfunction (DBD). We aimed to identify the pathogenic roles of polyuria and hyperglycemia on DBD in rats. Materials and Methods Seventy-two female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided: age-matched controls (control), sham urinary diversion (sham), urinary diversion (UD), streptozotocin-induced diabetes after sham UD (DM), streptozotocin-induced diabetes after UD (UD+DM), and 5% sucrose-induced diuresis after sham UD (DIU). UD was performed by ureterovaginostomy 10d before DM induction. Animals were evaluated 20 wks after DM or diuresis induction. We measured 24-hr drinking and voiding volumes and cystometry (CMG). Bladders were harvested for quantification of smooth muscle, urothelium, and collagen. We measured nitrotyrosine and manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) in bladder. Results Diabetes and diuresis caused increases in drinking volume, voiding volume and bladder weight. Bladder weights decreased in the UD and UD+DM groups. Intercontractile intervals, voided volume, and compliance increased in the DIU and DM groups, decreased in the UD, and further decreased in the UD+DM group. The total cross-sectional tissue, smooth muscle and urothelium areas increased in the DIU and DM groups, and decreased in the UD and UD+DM groups. As percentages of total tissue area, collagen decreased in the DIU and DM groups, and increased in the UD and UD+DM groups, and smooth muscle and urothelium decreased in the UD and UD+DM groups. Nitrotyrosine and MnSOD increased in DM and UD+DM rats. Conclusions Polyuria induced bladder hypertrophy, while hyperglycemia induced substantial oxidative stress in the bladder, which may play a pathogenic role in late stage DBD. PMID:22999997

The Relationship Analysis between Motorcycle Emission and Road Facilities under Heterogeneous Traffic Situation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramli, M. I.; Hanami, Z. A.; Aly, S. H.; Pasra, M.; Hustim, M.

2018-04-01

Motor vehicles have long been a source of pollution in many major cities in the world, including Indonesia. The increasing of the motor vehicle on the road leads to the rising of air pollution that exhausted by the vehicles as consequently. This research is intended to analyze the relationship between motorcycle emission and road facilities for each kind of road facilities in four different arterial road types. This study is quantitative research in which data collection is done directly in 4 types of road such as 2/1 UD, 4/1 UD, 4/2 D, and 6/2 UD in Makassar using motorcycle the Gas Analyzer Portable Measurement System and GPS emission test for speed tracking. The results are the emission tend to increase in road facilities where JS3TB (unsignalized junction) has the highest amount of CO and CO2 emission compared to other types.

Vasorelaxing Activity of Ulmus davidiana Ethanol Extracts in Rats: Activation of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase

PubMed Central

Cho, Eun Jung; Park, Myoung Soo; Kim, Sahng Seop; Kang, Gun; Choi, Sunga; Lee, Yoo Rhan; Chang, Seok Jong; Lee, Kwon Ho; Lee, Sang Do; Park, Jin Bong

2011-01-01

Ulmus davidiana var. japonica Rehder (Urticales: Ulmaceae) (UD) is a tree widespread in northeast Asia. It is traditionally used for anticancer and anti-inflammatory therapy. The present study investigated the effect of an ethanol extract of UD on vascular tension and its underlying mechanism in rats. The dried root bark of UD was ground and extracted with 80% ethanol. The prepared UD extract was used in further analysis. The effect of UD on the cell viability, vasoreactivity and hemodynamics were investigated using propidium iodide staining in cultured cells, isometric tension recording and blood pressure analysis, respectively. Low dose of UD (10~100µg/ml) did not affect endothelial cell viability, but high dose of UD reduced cell viability. UD induced vasorelaxation in the range of 0.1~10µg/ml with an ED50 value of 2µg/ml. UD-induced vasorelaxation was completely abolished by removal of the endothelium or by pre-treatment with L-NAME, an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase. UD inhibited calcium influx induced by phenylephrine and high K+ and also completely abolished the effect of L-NAME. Intravenous injection of UD extracts (10~100 mg/kg) decreased arterial and ventricular pressure in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, UD extracts reduced the ventricular contractility (+dP/dt) in anesthetized rats. However, UD-induced hypotensive actions were minimized in L-NAME-treated rats. Taken together, out results showed that UD induced vasorelaxation and has antihypertensive properties, which may be due the activation of nitric oxide synthase in endothelium. PMID:22359471

[Description of unused drugs collected in pharmacies in the Puy-de-Dôme region in France].

PubMed

Marchiset-Ferlay, N; Gerbaud, L; Sauvant, M P; Jaffeux, P; Manhes, G; Leblanc, N; Coste, F; Andriollo, O

2001-12-01

An unused drug (UD) is defined as a drug which is purchased, after prescription or not, but which is not taken. Public health campaigns in France have requested people to return these drugs to their pharmacy. To data, few data have been available concerning the quantity of collected UD and their potential re-use. A study was performed in the pharmacies of the Puy-de-Dôme region in France to describe the UD circuit. A random sample of 1 out of 5 pharmacies in the Puy-de-Dôme region (France) were defined by single level stratified sampling from the list of all pharmacies operating in the region. An exhaustive record of all UD people brought back to these pharmacies was made in 1998 during three 1-week periods. The following data were recorded for each UD: the name of the drug, the pharmaceutical industry code (CIP), the price, the rate of social Security refunding, the mention of "free specimen" on the package, the inscription on the list of poisonous substances and on the list of essential drugs defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), the registration on the list of drugs reserved for hospital use, the packaging notice (opened or not), the therapeutic class, and the formulation. 10,254 US (717kg) were collected during the study period. The therapeutic classes of the UD were similar to those of drugs purchased in France. According to the selling price, these UD had an economic value of 405,845FF (i.e. 3.6% of Social Security refundings paid in the Puy-de-Dôme region during this same period). Only 20% of the UD were potentially reusable for humanitarian purposes. Their estimated economic value was 87,456FF (i.e. 0.78% of the annual Puy-de-Dôme Social Security refunding). Moreover, 43.4% of the reusable drugs were on the WHO list of essential drugs. Although the volume of collected UD is high, use by humanitarian associations is on the decline because of the cost of collection and low economic yield. Furthermore, UD must be collected in a systematic manner to preserve the environment and prevent domestic accidents.

Intracellular formation of ”undisruptable” dimers of inducible nitric oxide synthase

PubMed Central

Kolodziejski, Pawel J.; Rashid, Mohammad B.; Eissa, N. Tony

2003-01-01

Overproduction of nitric oxide (NO) by inducible NO synthase (iNOS) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of many diseases. iNOS is active only as a homodimer. Dimerization of iNOS represents a potentially critical target for therapeutic intervention. In this study, we show that intracellular iNOS forms dimers that are ”undisruptable” by boiling, denaturants, or reducing agents. Undisruptable (UD) dimers are clearly distinguishable from the easily dissociated dimers formed by iNOS in vitro. UD dimers do not form in Escherichia coli-expressed iNOS and could not be assembled in vitro, which suggests that an in vivo cellular process is required for their formation. iNOS UD dimers are not affected by intracellular depletion of H4B. However, the mutation of Cys-115 (critical for zinc binding) greatly affects the formation of UD dimers. This study reveals insight into the mechanisms of in vivo iNOS dimer formation. UD dimers represent a class of iNOS dimers that had not been suspected. This unanticipated finding revises our understanding of the mechanisms of iNOS dimerization and lays the groundwork for future studies aimed at modulating iNOS activity in vivo. PMID:14614131

Intracellular formation of "undisruptable" dimers of inducible nitric oxide synthase.

PubMed

Kolodziejski, Pawel J; Rashid, Mohammad B; Eissa, N Tony

2003-11-25

Overproduction of nitric oxide (NO) by inducible NO synthase (iNOS) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of many diseases. iNOS is active only as a homodimer. Dimerization of iNOS represents a potentially critical target for therapeutic intervention. In this study, we show that intracellular iNOS forms dimers that are "undisruptable" by boiling, denaturants, or reducing agents. Undisruptable (UD) dimers are clearly distinguishable from the easily dissociated dimers formed by iNOS in vitro. UD dimers do not form in Escherichia coli-expressed iNOS and could not be assembled in vitro, which suggests that an in vivo cellular process is required for their formation. iNOS UD dimers are not affected by intracellular depletion of H4B. However, the mutation of Cys-115 (critical for zinc binding) greatly affects the formation of UD dimers. This study reveals insight into the mechanisms of in vivo iNOS dimer formation. UD dimers represent a class of iNOS dimers that had not been suspected. This unanticipated finding revises our understanding of the mechanisms of iNOS dimerization and lays the groundwork for future studies aimed at modulating iNOS activity in vivo.

Effects of Stinging Nettle (Urtica Dioica L.,) on Antioxidant Enzyme Activities in Rat Model of Mammary Gland Cancer

PubMed Central

Telo, Selda; Halifeoglu, Ihsan; Ozercan, Ibrahim Hanifi

2017-01-01

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.,) is a medicinal herb commonly used by humans. The role of reactive oxygen metabolites on cancer etiology is known. There are some studies about the antioxidant effects of Urtica Dioica (UD) on therapy of some cancer types. This study aimed to investigate the effects of UD on antioxidant enzyme activities and mammary gland cancer induced by in rats-N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (NMU) carcinogenesis. Rats were divided into four groups: a untreated group (Group 1), a NMU group (Group 2) given 50 mg/kg NMU by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection, a NMU group (Group 3) treated with UD, a control group (Group 4) fed with 50g/kg UD. After 5.5 months, rats were decapitated, and mammary tissue and blood samples were obtained. There was a significant (p<0.05, p<0.01, respectively) increase in plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) levels of group 2 compared with group 1 and 4. The superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity of the erythrocytes was decreased in group 3 than the other groups (p<0.0001). The erythrocyte catalase (CAT) activity was significantly increased in group 4 compared with group 2 and 3 (p<0.05, p<0.01, respectively). The number of animals with palpable tumors was 6 (46.15%) in group 2, and 2 (13.3%) in group 3 at the end of the 22nd week. Although group 3 had lower palpable tumor number than group 2, the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.096). The results showed that UD constituents may have effects on lipid peroxidation and some antioxidant enzyme activities, and may slow the formation of mammary tumor. PMID:29844787

VizieR Online Data Catalog: S2CLS: multiwavelength counterparts to SMGs (Chen+, 2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, C.-C.; Smail, I.; Ivison, R. J.; Arumugam, V.; Almaini, O.; Conselice, C. J.; Geach, J. E.; Hartley, W. G.; Ma, C.-J.; Mortlock, A.; Simpson, C.; Simpson, J. M.; Swinbank, A. M.; Aretxaga, I.; Blain, A.; Chapman, S. C.; Dunlop, J. S.; Farrah, D.; Halpern, M.; Michalowski, M. J.; van der Werf, P.; Wilkinson, A.; Zavala, J. A.

2016-05-01

The SCUBA-2 data at 850um in the UDS field were taken as part of the SCUBA-2 Cosmology Legacy Survey (S2CLS). The full data reduction steps are described fully in J. E. Geach et al. (2016, in preparation). In total we detect 1088 submillimeter sources at >=3.5σ within the region where rms noise is <=1.3mJy/beam. We define a main sample of 716 submillimeter sources that have >=4.0σ, for which we expect a false detection rate of ~1% based on simulations and source extractions on negative signals. We also define a supplementary sample of 372 submillimeter sources that are detected at 3.5-4.0σ and have a false detection rate of ~10%. In this paper, we provide counterpart candidates for both main and supplementary samples; however, the scientific analyses were performed on the main sample. We have carried out ALMA follow-up observations at 870um on 30 of the brighter SCUBA-2 sources in a Cycle 1 project 2012.1.00090.S (Simpson et al. 2015ApJ...807..128S, 2015ApJ...799...81S). The K-band-based multiwavelength photometry adopted in this paper is based on the UDS data release 8 (DR8) of the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS; Lawrence et al. 2007, see II/319). The VLA radio observations at 1.4GHz (20cm) were carried out by the project UDS20 (V. Arumugam et al. 2016, in preparation), which comprises a mosaic of 14 pointings covering a total area of ~1.3deg2 centered on the UDS. The ~1 square degree UDS field contains a rich set of ancillary data (see section 2 for further details). (2 data files).

Utilization Probability Map for Migrating Bald Eagles in Northeastern North America: A Tool for Siting Wind Energy Facilities and Other Flight Hazards

PubMed Central

Mojica, Elizabeth K.; Watts, Bryan D.; Turrin, Courtney L.

2016-01-01

Collisions with anthropogenic structures are a significant and well documented source of mortality for avian species worldwide. The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is known to be vulnerable to collision with wind turbines and federal wind energy guidelines include an eagle risk assessment for new projects. To address the need for risk assessment, in this study, we 1) identified areas of northeastern North America utilized by migrating bald eagles, and 2) compared these with high wind-potential areas to identify potential risk of bald eagle collision with wind turbines. We captured and marked 17 resident and migrant bald eagles in the northern Chesapeake Bay between August 2007 and May 2009. We produced utilization distribution (UD) surfaces for 132 individual migration tracks using a dynamic Brownian bridge movement model and combined these to create a population wide UD surface with a 1 km cell size. We found eagle migration movements were concentrated within two main corridors along the Appalachian Mountains and the Atlantic Coast. Of the 3,123 wind turbines ≥100 m in height in the study area, 38% were located in UD 20, and 31% in UD 40. In the United States portion of the study area, commercially viable wind power classes overlapped with only 2% of the UD category 20 (i.e., the areas of highest use by migrating eagles) and 4% of UD category 40. This is encouraging because it suggests that wind energy development can still occur in the study area at sites that are most viable from a wind power perspective and are unlikely to cause significant mortality of migrating eagles. In siting new turbines, wind energy developers should avoid the high-use migration corridors (UD categories 20 & 40) and focus new wind energy projects on lower-risk areas (UD categories 60–100). PMID:27336482

Utilization Probability Map for Migrating Bald Eagles in Northeastern North America: A Tool for Siting Wind Energy Facilities and Other Flight Hazards.

PubMed

Mojica, Elizabeth K; Watts, Bryan D; Turrin, Courtney L

2016-01-01

Collisions with anthropogenic structures are a significant and well documented source of mortality for avian species worldwide. The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is known to be vulnerable to collision with wind turbines and federal wind energy guidelines include an eagle risk assessment for new projects. To address the need for risk assessment, in this study, we 1) identified areas of northeastern North America utilized by migrating bald eagles, and 2) compared these with high wind-potential areas to identify potential risk of bald eagle collision with wind turbines. We captured and marked 17 resident and migrant bald eagles in the northern Chesapeake Bay between August 2007 and May 2009. We produced utilization distribution (UD) surfaces for 132 individual migration tracks using a dynamic Brownian bridge movement model and combined these to create a population wide UD surface with a 1 km cell size. We found eagle migration movements were concentrated within two main corridors along the Appalachian Mountains and the Atlantic Coast. Of the 3,123 wind turbines ≥100 m in height in the study area, 38% were located in UD 20, and 31% in UD 40. In the United States portion of the study area, commercially viable wind power classes overlapped with only 2% of the UD category 20 (i.e., the areas of highest use by migrating eagles) and 4% of UD category 40. This is encouraging because it suggests that wind energy development can still occur in the study area at sites that are most viable from a wind power perspective and are unlikely to cause significant mortality of migrating eagles. In siting new turbines, wind energy developers should avoid the high-use migration corridors (UD categories 20 & 40) and focus new wind energy projects on lower-risk areas (UD categories 60-100).

Less graft-versus-host disease after rabbit antithymocyte globulin conditioning in unrelated bone marrow transplantation for leukemia and myelodysplasia: comparison with matched related bone marrow transplantation.

PubMed

Atta, Elias Hallack; de Oliveira, Danielli Cristina Muniz; Bouzas, Luis Fernando; Nucci, Márcio; Abdelhay, Eliana

2014-01-01

One of the major drawbacks for unrelated donor (UD) bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Despite results from randomized trials, antithymocyte globulin (ATG) is not routinely included for GVHD prophylaxis in UD BMT by many centers. One of ways to demonstrate the usefulness of rabbit ATG in UD BMT is to evaluate how its results approximate to those observed in matched related (MRD) BMT. Therefore, we compared the outcomes between UD BMT with rabbit ATG (Thymoglobulin) for GVHD prophylaxis (n = 25) and MRD BMT (n = 91) for leukemia and myelodysplasia. All but one patient received a myeloablative conditioning regimen. Grades II-IV acute GVHD were similar (39.5% vs. 36%, p = 0.83); however, MRD BMT recipients developed more moderate-severe chronic GVHD (36.5% vs. 8.6%, p = 0.01) and GVHD-related deaths (32.5% vs. 5.6%, p = 0.04). UD BMT independently protected against chronic GVHD (hazard ratio 0.23, p = 0.04). The 6-month transplant-related mortality, 1-year relapse incidence, and 5-year survival rates were similar between patients with non-advanced disease in the MRD and UD BMT groups, 13.8% vs. 16.6% (p = 0.50), 20.8% vs. 16.6% (p = 0.37), and 57% vs. 50% (p = 0.67), respectively. Stable full donor chimerism was equally achieved (71.3% vs. 71.4%, p = 1). Incorporation of rabbit ATG in UD BMT promotes less GVHD, without jeopardizing chimerism evolution, and may attain similar survival outcomes as MRD BMT for leukemia and myelodysplasia especially in patients without advanced disease.

Bioinformatics Analysis and Characterization of Highly Efficient Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA)-Degrading Enzymes from the Novel PVA Degrader Stenotrophomonas rhizophila QL-P4.

PubMed

Wei, Yahong; Fu, Jing; Wu, Jianying; Jia, Xinmiao; Zhou, Yunheng; Li, Cuidan; Dong, Mengxing; Wang, Shanshan; Zhang, Ju; Chen, Fei

2018-01-01

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is used widely in industry, and associated environmental pollution is a serious problem. Herein, we report a novel, efficient PVA degrader, Stenotrophomonas rhizophila QL-P4, isolated from fallen leaves from a virgin forest in the Qinling Mountains. The complete genome was obtained using single-molecule real-time (SMRT) technology and corrected using Illumina sequencing. Bioinformatics analysis revealed eight PVA/vinyl alcohol oligomer (OVA)-degrading genes. Of these, seven genes were predicted to be involved in the classic intracellular PVA/OVA degradation pathway, and one (BAY15_3292) was identified as a novel PVA oxidase. Five PVA/OVA-degrading enzymes were purified and characterized. One of these, BAY15_1712, a PVA dehydrogenase (PVADH), displayed high catalytic efficiency toward PVA and OVA substrate. All reported PVADHs only have PVA-degrading ability. Most importantly, we discovered a novel PVA oxidase (BAY15_3292) that exhibited higher PVA-degrading efficiency than the reported PVADHs. Further investigation indicated that BAY15_3292 plays a crucial role in PVA degradation in S. rhizophila QL-P4. Knocking out BAY15_3292 resulted in a significant decline in PVA-degrading activity in S. rhizophila QL-P4. Interestingly, we found that BAY15_3292 possesses exocrine activity, which distinguishes it from classic PVADHs. Transparent circle experiments further proved that BAY15_3292 greatly affects extracellular PVA degradation in S. rhizophila QL-P4. The exocrine characteristics of BAY15_3292 facilitate its potential application to PVA bioremediation. In addition, we report three new efficient secondary alcohol dehydrogenases (SADHs) with OVA-degrading ability in S. rhizophila QL-P4; in contrast, only one OVA-degrading SADH was reported previously. IMPORTANCE With the widespread application of PVA in industry, PVA-related environmental pollution is an increasingly serious issue. Because PVA is difficult to degrade, it accumulates in aquatic environments and causes chronic toxicity to aquatic organisms. Biodegradation of PVA, as an economical and environment-friendly method, has attracted much interest. To date, effective and applicable PVA-degrading bacteria/enzymes have not been reported. Herein, we report a new efficient PVA degrader ( S. rhizophila QL-P4) that has five PVA/OVA-degrading enzymes with high catalytic efficiency, among which BAY15_1712 is the only reported PVADH with both PVA- and OVA-degrading abilities. Importantly, we discovered a novel PVA oxidase (BAY15_3292) that is not only more efficient than other reported PVA-degrading PVADHs but also has exocrine activity. Overall, our findings provide new insight into PVA-degrading pathways in microorganisms and suggest S. rhizophila QL-P4 and its enzymes have the potential for application to PVA bioremediation to reduce or eliminate PVA-related environmental pollution. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Evaluation of in-vitro Antioxidant Properties of Hydroalcoholic Solution Extracts Urtica dioica L., Malva neglecta Wallr. and Their Mixture.

PubMed

Güder, Aytaç; Korkmaz, Halil

2012-01-01

The study was aimed at evaluating the antioxidant activity of hydroalcoholic solution extracts of Urtica dioica L. (UD), Malva neglecta Wallr. (MN) plants and their mixture. In this study, flower (UDF), root (UDR), seed (UDS) and leaf (UDL) parts of UD and flower (MNF) and leaf (MNL) parts of MN were used. The antioxidant properties of hydroalcoholic extracts and their mixture were evaluated using different antioxidant tests such as total antioxidant activity, reducing power, superoxide anion radical scavenging, hydrogen peroxide scavenging, free radical scavenging, and metal chelating activity for comparison. In addition, total phenolic compounds in the extracts of both plants were determined as catechin equivalent. The various antioxidant activities were compared to natural and synthetic standard antioxidants such as BHA, BHT and α-tocopherol. According to FTC method, the both extracts exhibited strong total antioxidant activity. At the concentration of 100 μg/mL, Hydroalcoholic extracts of UDS, UDR, UDF, UDL, MNF, MNL, and UD-MN showed 81.7%, 79.8%, 78.3%, 76.4%, 77.3%, 74.1%, and 80.7%, respectively. Comparable, 100 μg/mL of standard antioxidants BHA, BHT and α-tocopherol exhibited 66.2%, 70.6%, and 50.1% inhibition on peroxidation of linoleic acid emulsion, respectively. In addition, UD-MN showed strong superoxide anion radical scavenging activity comparable with UDR, UDF, UDL, MNF, and MNL. Based on the findings, plants mixture was commonly found to have synergistically higher antioxidant activity.

Evaluation of in-vitro Antioxidant Properties of Hydroalcoholic Solution Extracts Urtica dioica L., Malva neglecta Wallr. and Their Mixture

PubMed Central

Güder, Aytaç; Korkmaz, Halil

2012-01-01

The study was aimed at evaluating the antioxidant activity of hydroalcoholic solution extracts of Urtica dioica L. (UD), Malva neglecta Wallr. (MN) plants and their mixture. In this study, flower (UDF), root (UDR), seed (UDS) and leaf (UDL) parts of UD and flower (MNF) and leaf (MNL) parts of MN were used. The antioxidant properties of hydroalcoholic extracts and their mixture were evaluated using different antioxidant tests such as total antioxidant activity, reducing power, superoxide anion radical scavenging, hydrogen peroxide scavenging, free radical scavenging, and metal chelating activity for comparison. In addition, total phenolic compounds in the extracts of both plants were determined as catechin equivalent. The various antioxidant activities were compared to natural and synthetic standard antioxidants such as BHA, BHT and α-tocopherol. According to FTC method, the both extracts exhibited strong total antioxidant activity. At the concentration of 100 μg/mL, Hydroalcoholic extracts of UDS, UDR, UDF, UDL, MNF, MNL, and UD-MN showed 81.7%, 79.8%, 78.3%, 76.4%, 77.3%, 74.1%, and 80.7%, respectively. Comparable, 100 μg/mL of standard antioxidants BHA, BHT and α-tocopherol exhibited 66.2%, 70.6%, and 50.1% inhibition on peroxidation of linoleic acid emulsion, respectively. In addition, UD-MN showed strong superoxide anion radical scavenging activity comparable with UDR, UDF, UDL, MNF, and MNL. Based on the findings, plants mixture was commonly found to have synergistically higher antioxidant activity. PMID:24250519

Subnuclear localization, rates and effectiveness of UVC-induced unscheduled DNA synthesis visualized by fluorescence widefield, confocal and super-resolution microscopy.

PubMed

Pierzyńska-Mach, Agnieszka; Szczurek, Aleksander; Cella Zanacchi, Francesca; Pennacchietti, Francesca; Drukała, Justyna; Diaspro, Alberto; Cremer, Christoph; Darzynkiewicz, Zbigniew; Dobrucki, Jurek W

2016-01-01

Unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) is the final stage of the process of repair of DNA lesions induced by UVC. We detected UDS using a DNA precursor, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU). Using wide-field, confocal and super-resolution fluorescence microscopy and normal human fibroblasts, derived from healthy subjects, we demonstrate that the sub-nuclear pattern of UDS detected via incorporation of EdU is different from that when BrdU is used as DNA precursor. EdU incorporation occurs evenly throughout chromatin, as opposed to just a few small and large repair foci detected by BrdU. We attribute this difference to the fact that BrdU antibody is of much larger size than EdU, and its accessibility to the incorporated precursor requires the presence of denatured sections of DNA. It appears that under the standard conditions of immunocytochemical detection of BrdU only fragments of DNA of various length are being denatured. We argue that, compared with BrdU, the UDS pattern visualized by EdU constitutes a more faithful representation of sub-nuclear distribution of the final stage of nucleotide excision repair induced by UVC. Using the optimized integrated EdU detection procedure we also measured the relative amount of the DNA precursor incorporated by cells during UDS following exposure to various doses of UVC. Also described is the high degree of heterogeneity in terms of the UVC-induced EdU incorporation per cell, presumably reflecting various DNA repair efficiencies or differences in the level of endogenous dT competing with EdU within a population of normal human fibroblasts.

Subnuclear localization, rates and effectiveness of UVC-induced unscheduled DNA synthesis visualized by fluorescence widefield, confocal and super-resolution microscopy

PubMed Central

Pierzyńska-Mach, Agnieszka; Szczurek, Aleksander; Cella Zanacchi, Francesca; Pennacchietti, Francesca; Drukała, Justyna; Diaspro, Alberto; Cremer, Christoph; Darzynkiewicz, Zbigniew; Dobrucki, Jurek W.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) is the final stage of the process of repair of DNA lesions induced by UVC. We detected UDS using a DNA precursor, 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU). Using wide-field, confocal and super-resolution fluorescence microscopy and normal human fibroblasts, derived from healthy subjects, we demonstrate that the sub-nuclear pattern of UDS detected via incorporation of EdU is different from that when BrdU is used as DNA precursor. EdU incorporation occurs evenly throughout chromatin, as opposed to just a few small and large repair foci detected by BrdU. We attribute this difference to the fact that BrdU antibody is of much larger size than EdU, and its accessibility to the incorporated precursor requires the presence of denatured sections of DNA. It appears that under the standard conditions of immunocytochemical detection of BrdU only fragments of DNA of various length are being denatured. We argue that, compared with BrdU, the UDS pattern visualized by EdU constitutes a more faithful representation of sub-nuclear distribution of the final stage of nucleotide excision repair induced by UVC. Using the optimized integrated EdU detection procedure we also measured the relative amount of the DNA precursor incorporated by cells during UDS following exposure to various doses of UVC. Also described is the high degree of heterogeneity in terms of the UVC-induced EdU incorporation per cell, presumably reflecting various DNA repair efficiencies or differences in the level of endogenous dT competing with EdU within a population of normal human fibroblasts. PMID:27097376

The Development of Laminated Armor

DTIC Science & Technology

1948-09-27

U.S. Army Ramie Sea Island Mills, Inc. Ramie-Rayon Sea Island Mills, Ilc. Inconel Fabric (006R260R13) Metal Tex Co. -4- Inconel Fabric (00R21OMl6...Plies .02 U.D. Glass Mat 3111-44 4 Plies .02 IT.D. Glass Mat f 110 90 100 1 Ply Nylon Dusk(13 Oz.) I Ply 00R260R13 2-l/4# Inconel 2 Puiem Nylon Duck(13 Oz...13 Oz.) 1 Ply O07R210M16 2-1/4# Inconel 2 Pl•es Nylon Duck(13 Oz.) I Ply 007R210MI( ?-1/4# Inconel 1 Ply Nylon Duck(13 Oz.) 4 Plies .02 U.D. Mlass Mat

Degradation of atenolol via heterogeneous activation of persulfate by using BiOCl@Fe3O4 catalyst under simulated solar light irradiation.

PubMed

Shi, Yahong; Chen, Hongche; Wu, Yanlin; Dong, Wenbo

2018-01-01

Efficient oxidative degradation of pharmaceutical pollutants in aquatic environments is of great importance. This study used magnetic BiOCl@Fe 3 O 4 catalyst to activate persulfate (PS) under simulated solar light irradiation. This degradation system was evaluated using atenolol (ATL) as target pollutant. Four reactive species were identified in the sunlight/BiOCl@Fe 3 O 4 /PS system. The decreasing order of the contribution of each reactive species on ATL degradation was as follows: h +  ≈ HO ·  > O 2 ·-  > SO 4 ·- . pH significantly influenced ATL degradation, and an acidic condition favored the reaction. High degradation efficiencies were obtained at pH 2.3-5.5. ATL degradation rate increased with increased catalyst and PS contents. Moreover, ATL mineralization was higher in the sunlight/BiOCl@Fe 3 O 4 /PS system than in the sunlight/BiOCl@Fe 3 O 4 or sunlight/PS system. Nine possible intermediate products were identified through LC-MS analysis, and a degradation pathway for ATL was proposed. The BiOCl@Fe 3 O 4 nanomagnetic composite catalyst was synthesized in this work. This catalyst was easily separated and recovered from a treated solution by using a magnet, and it demonstrated a high catalytic activity. Increased amount of the BiOCl@Fe 3 O 4 catalyst obviously accelerated the efficiency of ATL degradation, and the reusability of the catalyst allowed the addition of a large dosage of BiOCl@Fe 3 O 4 to improve the degradation efficiency.

Flood forecasting within urban drainage systems using NARX neural network.

PubMed

Abou Rjeily, Yves; Abbas, Oras; Sadek, Marwan; Shahrour, Isam; Hage Chehade, Fadi

2017-11-01

Urbanization activity and climate change increase the runoff volumes, and consequently the surcharge of the urban drainage systems (UDS). In addition, age and structural failures of these utilities limit their capacities, and thus generate hydraulic operation shortages, leading to flooding events. The large increase in floods within urban areas requires rapid actions from the UDS operators. The proactivity in taking the appropriate actions is a key element in applying efficient management and flood mitigation. Therefore, this work focuses on developing a flooding forecast system (FFS), able to alert in advance the UDS managers for possible flooding. For a forecasted storm event, a quick estimation of the water depth variation within critical manholes allows a reliable evaluation of the flood risk. The Nonlinear Auto Regressive with eXogenous inputs (NARX) neural network was chosen to develop the FFS as due to its calculation nature it is capable of relating water depth variation in manholes to rainfall intensities. The campus of the University of Lille is used as an experimental site to test and evaluate the FFS proposed in this paper.

Photocatalytic Degradation of 4-Nitrophenol by C, N-TiO2: Degradation Efficiency vs. Embryonic Toxicity of the Resulting Compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osin, Oluwatomiwa A.; Yu, Tianyu; Cai, Xiaoming; Jiang, Yue; Peng, Guotao; Cheng, Xiaomei; Li, Ruibin; Qin, Yao; Lin, Sijie

2018-06-01

The photocatalytic activity of TiO2 based photocatalysts can be improved by structural modification and elemental doping. In this study, through rational design, one type of carbon and nitrogen co-doped TiO2 (C, N-TiO2) photocatalyst with mesoporous structure was synthesized with improved photocatalytic activity in degrading 4-nitrophenol under simulated sunlight irradiation. The photocatalytic degradation efficiency of the C, N-TiO2 was much higher than the anatase TiO2 (A-TiO2) based on absorbance and HPLC analyses. Moreover, using zebrafish embryos, we showed that the intermediate degradation compounds generated by photocatalytic degradation of 4-nitrophenol had higher toxicity than the parent compound. A repeated degradation process was necessary to render complete degradation and non-toxicity to the zebrafish embryos. Our results demonstrated the importance of evaluating the photocatalytic degradation efficiency in conjunction with the toxicity assessment of the degradation compounds.

Photocatalytic Degradation of 4-Nitrophenol by C, N-TiO2: Degradation Efficiency vs. Embryonic Toxicity of the Resulting Compounds.

PubMed

Osin, Oluwatomiwa A; Yu, Tianyu; Cai, Xiaoming; Jiang, Yue; Peng, Guotao; Cheng, Xiaomei; Li, Ruibin; Qin, Yao; Lin, Sijie

2018-01-01

The photocatalytic activity of TiO 2 based photocatalysts can be improved by structural modification and elemental doping. In this study, through rational design, one type of carbon and nitrogen co-doped TiO 2 (C, N-TiO 2 ) photocatalyst with mesoporous structure was synthesized with improved photocatalytic activity in degrading 4-nitrophenol under simulated sunlight irradiation. The photocatalytic degradation efficiency of the C, N-TiO 2 was much higher than the anatase TiO 2 (A-TiO 2 ) based on absorbance and HPLC analyses. Moreover, using zebrafish embryos, we showed that the intermediate degradation compounds generated by photocatalytic degradation of 4-nitrophenol had higher toxicity than the parent compound. A repeated degradation process was necessary to render complete degradation and non-toxicity to the zebrafish embryos. Our results demonstrated the importance of evaluating the photocatalytic degradation efficiency in conjunction with the toxicity assessment of the degradation compounds.

[Microwave assisted UV electrodeless discharge lamp photochemical degradation of 4-chlorophenol in aquatic solutions].

PubMed

Ai, Zhi-hui; Jiang, Jun-qing; Yang, Peng; Zhou, Tao; Lu, Xiao-hua

2004-07-01

A microwave assisted UV electrodeless discharge lamp system (MW/UV) was used for photo-degradation of 4CP simulated wastewater. In order to evaluate the degradation efficiency of 4CP, UV spectrophotometry and ion chromatography were used for determination of 4CP and Cl- respectively. The degradation rate in MW/UV system was higher than that in the UV system within 120min, which were 52.40% and 21.56% respectively. The degradation efficiency was improved by increasing pH value of the solution, aerating O2 gas, enhancing light intensity, or adding H2O2 oxidant. The degradation of 4CP under MW/UV accords with the first order kinetics equation.

Evaluating greater sage-grouse seasonal space use relative to leks: Implications for surface use designations in sagebrush ecosystems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Casazza, Michael L.; Coates, Peter S.

2013-01-01

The development of anthropogenic structures, especially those related to energy resources, in sagebrush ecosystems is an important concern among developers, conservationists, and land managers in relation to greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter, sage-grouse) populations. Sage-grouse are dependent on sagebrush ecosystems to meet their seasonal life-phase requirements, and research indicates that anthropogenic structures can adversely affect sage-grouse populations. Land management agencies have attempted to reduce the negative effects of anthropogenic development by assigning surface use (SU) designations, such as no surface occupancy, to areas around leks (breeding grounds). However, rationale for the size of these areas is often challenged. To help inform this issue, we used a spatial analysis of sage-grouse utilization distributions (UDs) to quantify seasonal (spring, summer and fall, winter) sage-grouse space use in relation to leks. We sampled UDs from 193 sage-grouse (11,878 telemetry locations) across 4 subpopulations within the Bi-State Distinct Population Segment (DPS, bordering California and Nevada) during 2003–2009. We quantified the volume of each UD (vUD) within a range of areas that varied in size and were centered on leks, up to a distance of 30 km from leks. We also quantified the percentage of nests within those areas. We then estimated the diminishing gains of vUD as area increased and produced continuous response curves that allow for flexibility in land management decisions. We found nearly 90% of the total vUD (all seasons combined) was contained within 5 km of leks, and we identified variation in vUD for a given distance related to season and migratory status. Five kilometers also represented the 95th percentile of the distribution of nesting distances. Because diminishing gains of vUD was not substantial until distances exceeded 8 km, managers should consider the theoretical optimal distances for SU designation between 5.0 km and 7.5 km, depending on migratory status. Although these results represent space use for sage-grouse within the Bi-State DPS, our results likely have broad relevance to other areas with similar landscape characteristics and patterns of space use.

Experimental setup for Single Event Effects at the São Paulo 8UD Pelletron Accelerator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aguiar, V. A. P.; Added, N.; Medina, N. H.; Macchione, E. L. A.; Tabacniks, M. H.; Aguirre, F. R.; Silveira, M. A. G.; Santos, R. B. B.; Seixas, L. E.

2014-08-01

In this work we present an experimental setup mounted in one of the beam lines at the São Paulo 8UD Pelletron Accelerator in order to study Single Event Effects in electronic devices. The basic idea is to use elastic scattering collisions to achieve a low-flux with a high-uniformity ion beam to irradiate several devices. 12C, 16O, 28Si, 35Cl and 63Cu beams were used to test the experimental setup. In this system it is possible to use efficiently LET values of 17 MeV/mg/cm2 for an external beam arrangement and up to 32 MeV/mg/cm2 for in-vacuum irradiation.

Influence of Fibre Architecture on Impact Damage Tolerance in 3D Woven Composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potluri, P.; Hogg, P.; Arshad, M.; Jetavat, D.; Jamshidi, P.

2012-10-01

3D woven composites, due to the presence of through-thickness fibre-bridging, have the potential to improve damage tolerance and at the same time to reduce the manufacturing costs. However, ability to withstand damage depends on weave topology as well as geometry of individual tows. There is an extensive literature on damage tolerance of 2D prepreg laminates but limited work is reported on the damage tolerance of 3D weaves. In view of the recent interest in 3D woven composites from aerospace as well as non-aerospace sectors, this paper aims to provide an understanding of the impact damage resistance as well as damage tolerance of 3D woven composites. Four different 3D woven architectures, orthogonal, angle interlocked, layer-to-layer and modified layer-to-layer structures, have been produced under identical weaving conditions. Two additional structures, Unidirectional (UD) cross-ply and 2D plain weave, have been developed for comparison with 3D weaves. All the four 3D woven laminates have similar order of magnitude of damage area and damage width, but significantly lower than UD and 2D woven laminates. Damage Resistance, calculated as impact energy per unit damage area, has been shown to be significantly higher for 3D woven laminates. Rate of change of CAI strength with impact energy appears to be similar for all four 3D woven laminates as well as UD laminate; 2D woven laminate has higher rate of degradation with respect to impact energy. Undamaged compression strength has been shown to be a function of average tow waviness angle. Additionally, 3D weaves exhibit a critical damage size; below this size there is no appreciable reduction in compression strength. 3D woven laminates have also exhibited a degree of plasticity during compression whereas UD laminates fail instantly. The experimental work reported in this paper forms a foundation for systematic development of computational models for 3D woven architectures for damage tolerance.

Association between Hair-Induced Oronasal Inflammation and Ulcerative Dermatitis in C57BL/6 Mice

PubMed Central

Duarte-Vogel, Sandra M; Lawson, Gregory W

2011-01-01

Ulcerative dermatitis (UD) is a genetically linked syndrome that affects the neck, torso, and facial regions of C57BL/6 mice and strains with C57BL/6 background. In this study, 96 mice with skin ulcerations in 3 different regions of the body and 40 control animals without ulcerated lesions were evaluated histologically for the presence of hair-induced inflammation in the oronasal cavity. We found that 73.5% (100 of 136) of the mice had hair-induced periodontitis, glossitis, or rhinitis regardless of the presence or absence of UD. Of those mice with UD, 93.9% had hair-induced oronasal inflammation. The mandibular incisors were the most commonly affected site (64.6%), followed by the maxillary molars (20.8%), maxillary incisors (16.7%), tongue (16.7%), nasal cavity (10.4%), and mandibular molars (7.3%). In addition, oronasal hair-induced inflammation occurred in 25% (10 of 40) of the control mice. Here we show a significant association between UD and hair-induced inflammatory lesions of the oronasal cavities. PMID:21819677

Co-Metabolic Degradation of β-Cypermethrin and 3-Phenoxybenzoic Acid by Co-Culture of Bacillus licheniformis B-1 and Aspergillus oryzae M-4.

PubMed

Zhao, Jiayuan; Chi, Yuanlong; Xu, Yingchao; Jia, Dongying; Yao, Kai

2016-01-01

The degradation efficiency of organic contaminants and their associated metabolites by co-culture of microbes is mainly limited by toxic intermediates from co-metabolic degradation. In this study, we investigated the degradation of β-cypermethrin (β-CY) and 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) by co-culture of Bacillus licheniformis B-1 and Aspergillus oryzae M-4, as well as the influences of β-CY and 3-PBA metabolites on their degradation and the growth of strains B-1 and M-4. Our results indicated that 100 mg/L β-CY was degraded by 78.85%, and 3-PBA concentration was 0.05 mg/L after 72 h. Compared with using only strain B-1, the half-life (t1/2) of β-CY by using the two strains together was shortened from 84.53 h to 38.54 h, and the yield coefficient of 3-PBA was decreased from 0.846 to 0.001. At 100 mg/L of 3-PBA and gallic acid, β-CY and 3-PBA degradation were only 17.68% and 40.45%, respectively. As the toxic intermediate derived from co-metabolic degradation of β-CY by strain B-1, 3-PBA was efficiently degraded by strain M-4, and gallic acid, as the toxic intermediate from co-metabolic degradation of 3-PBA by strain M-4, was efficiently degraded by strain B-1. These results provided a promising approach for efficient biodegradation of β-CY and 3-PBA.

Reduced dose cyclophosphamide, fludarabine and antithymocyte globulin for sibling and unrelated transplant of children with severe and very severe aplastic anemia.

PubMed

Chung, Nack-Gyun; Lee, Jae Wook; Jang, Pil-Sang; Jeong, Dae-Chul; Cho, Bin; Kim, Hack-Ki

2013-06-01

We evaluated the results of a novel conditioning regimen of reduced dose cyclophosphamide (Cy, 25 mg/kg for four days), fludarabine (Flu, 30 mg/m(2) for four days), and rabbit ATG (2.5 mg/kg for three days) for allogeneic transplant of children with SAA, implemented since January 2009. Overall, 23 patients were treated with this regimen (16 male, seven female), including 10 diagnosed with VSAA. Donors included eight-MSD and 15 UD (five-matched UD, and 10 mismatched UD). All patients showed neutrophil and platelet engraftment. Cumulative incidence of acute (grade 2 or above) and chronic GVHD was 26.1% and 8.7%, respectively. Estimated two-yr FFS and OS for the entire cohort was 90.3 ± 6.5%. Rates of TRM and graft failure were 5.3% and 4.3%, respectively. No difference in OS was found according to disease severity (SAA vs. VSAA, p = 0.184), or according to donor type (MSD vs. UD, p = 0.699). Excellent outcomes of patients with VSAA underscore the efficacy of allogeneic transplant as a means of expediting hematopoietic recovery. Improved survival of UD transplant reaffirms its role as a valid therapeutic alternative in the absence of MSD. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: CANDELS multiwavelength catalog (Galametz+, 2013)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galametz, A.; Grazian, A.; Fontana, A.; Ferguson, H. C.; Ashby, M. L. N.; Barro, G.; Castellano, M.; Dahlen, T.; Donley, J. L.; Faber, S. M.; Grogin, N.; Guo, Y.; Huang, K.-H.; Kocevski, D. D.; Koekemoer, A. M.; Lee, K.-S.; McGrath, E. J.; Peth, M.; Willner, S. P.; Almaini, O.; Cooper, M.; Cooray, A.; Conselice, C. J.; Dickinson, M.; Dunlop, J. S.; Fazio, G. G.; Foucaud, S.; Gardner, J. P.; Giavalisco, M.; Hathi, N. P.; Hartley, W. G.; Koo, D. C.; Lai, K.; de Mello, D. F.; McLure, R. J.; Lucas, R. A.; Paris, D.; Pentericci, L.; Santini, P.; Simpson, C.; Sommariva, V.; Targett, T.; Weiner, B. J.; Wuyts, S.; CANDELS Team

2013-06-01

The present multiwavelength catalog is based on public data in the CANDELS UDS field (J2000 position: 02:17:37.5-05:12:00) located within the original UDS field. It includes: * CANDELS HST/ACS (F606W, F814W) and HST/WFC3 (F125W, F160W); Grogin et al. 2011ApJS..197...35G, Koekemoer et al. 2011ApJS..197...36K. * CFHT U-band (UKIDSS; Almaini et al. in prep.), * SUBARU B, V, Rc, i', z' (SXDS; Furusawa et al. 2008, Cat. J/ApJS/176/1) * VLT/HAWK-I Y and Ks bands (HUGS; Fontana et al. in prep.) * UKIRT/WFCam J, H, K (UKIDSS DR8; Almaini et al. in prep.) * Spitzer/IRAC SEDS 3.6 and 4.5um (SEDS; Ashby et al. 2013ApJ...769...80A) * Spitzer/IRAC SpUDS 5.8, 8.0um (PI: J. Dunlop). The catalog is F160W-selected and contains 35932 sources over an area of 201.7 square arcmin and includes radio and X-ray detected sources and spectroscopic redshifts available for 210 sources. The full official CANDELS UDS catalog (which contains some extra columns including additional SExtractor parameters derived from the F160W image) can be found on the CANDELS website at: http://candels.ucolick.org/data_access/UDS.html (1 data file).

Effects of process variables and kinetics on the degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenol using advanced reduction processes (ARP).

PubMed

Yu, Xingyue; Cabooter, Deirdre; Dewil, Raf

2018-05-24

This study aims at investigating the efficiency and kinetics of 2,4-DCP degradation via advanced reduction processes (ARP). Using UV light as activation method, the highest degradation efficiency of 2,4-DCP was obtained when using sulphite as a reducing agent. The highest degradation efficiency was observed under alkaline conditions (pH = 10.0), for high sulphite dosage and UV intensity, and low 2,4-DCP concentration. For all process conditions, first-order reaction rate kinetics were applicable. A quadratic polynomial equation fitted by a Box-Behnken Design was used as a statistical model and proved to be precise and reliable in describing the significance of the different process variables. The analysis of variance demonstrated that the experimental results were in good agreement with the predicted model (R 2  = 0.9343), and solution pH, sulphite dose and UV intensity were found to be key process variables in the sulphite/UV ARP. Consequently, the present study provides a promising approach for the efficient degradation of 2,4-DCP with fast degradation kinetics. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tannin-based flax fibre reinforced composites for structural applications in vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, J.; Abhyankar, H.; Nassiopoulos, E.; Njuguna, J.

2012-09-01

Innovation is often driven by changes in government policies regulating the industries, especially true in case of the automotive. Except weight savings, the strict EU regulation of 95% recyclable material-made vehicles drives the manufactures and scientists to seek new 'green materials' for structural applications. With handing at two major drawbacks (production cost and safety), ECHOSHELL is supported by EU to develop and optimise structural solutions for superlight electric vehicles by using bio-composites made of high-performance natural fibres and resins, providing enhanced strength and bio-degradability characteristics. Flax reinforced tannin-based composite is selected as one of the candidates and were firstly investigated with different fabric lay-up angles (non-woven flax mat, UD, [0, 90°]4 and [0, +45°, 90°, -45°]2) through authors' work. Some of the obtained results, such as tensile properties and SEM micrographs were shown in this conference paper. The UD flax reinforced composite exhibits the best tensile performance, with tensile strength and modulus of 150 MPa and 9.6 MPa, respectively. It was observed that during tension the oriented-fabric composites showed some delamination process, which are expected to be eliminated through surface treatment (alkali treatment etc.) and nanotechnology, such as the use of nano-fibrils. Failure mechanism of the tested samples were identified through SEM results, indicating that the combination of fibre pull-out, fibre breakage and brittle resins failure mainly contribute to the fracture failure of composites.

Distinguishing between Unipolar Depression and Bipolar Depression: Current and Future Clinical and Neuroimaging Perspectives

PubMed Central

de Almeida, Jorge Renner Cardoso; Phillips, Mary Louise

2012-01-01

Differentiating bipolar disorder (BD) from recurrent unipolar depression (UD) is a major clinical challenge. Main reasons for this include the higher prevalence of depressive relative to hypo/manic symptoms during the course of BD illness and the high prevalence of subthreshold manic symptoms in both BD and UD depression. Identifying objective markers of BD might help improve accuracy in differentiating between BD and UD depression, to ultimately optimize clinical and functional outcome for all depressed individuals. Yet, only eight neuroimaging studies to date directly compared UD and BD depressed individuals. Findings from these studies suggest more widespread abnormalities in white matter connectivity and white matter hyperintensities in BD than UD depression, habenula volume reductions in BD but not UD depression, and differential patterns of functional abnormalities in emotion regulation and attentional control neural circuitry in the two depression types. These findings suggest different pathophysiologic processes, especially in emotion regulation, reward and attentional control neural circuitry in BD versus UD depression. This review thereby serves as a “call to action” to highlight the pressing need for more neuroimaging studies, using larger samples sizes, comparing BD and UD depressed individuals. These future studies should also include dimensional approaches, studies of at risk individuals, and more novel neuroimaging approaches, such as, connectivity analysis and machine learning. Ultimately, these approaches might provide biomarkers to identify individuals at future risk for BD versus UD, and biological targets for more personalized treatment and new treatment developments for BD and UD depression. PMID:22784485

Universal design in diabetes care: an idea whose time has come.

PubMed

Williams, Ann S

2009-01-01

The purpose of this article is to introduce diabetes educators to the emerging concept of universal design (UD): the design of products, environments, and services to be used by persons with a wide range of abilities, without needing adaptation or specialized design. Drawing from the use of the term universal design in a variety of types of writing, this article covers the definition of UD, the contrast of average-person design with UD, principles of UD, and implications for diabetes self-management education (DSME). Implications for DSME are (1) diabetes consumer medical devices (such as blood glucose meters and insulin pumps) can be designed using UD principles, with a goal of successful use by the largest number of persons possible, and (2) diabetes educators can use UD principles in the design of diabetes education programs to reach the largest number of learners possible without the need for special accommodations. Adoption of UD principles by designers of diabetes medical devices could benefit persons with disabilities, increase the potential market for the manufacturer, and have unexpected benefits for people of average abilities. Adoption of UD principles for DSME programs would not require a paradigm change because diabetes educators already do many activities that could contribute to UD of an education program. By replacing average-person design of DSME programs with UD, diabetes educators can promote full participation in DSME for individuals with the wide range of abilities normally present in target populations without the need for added adaptations or specialized design.

[Strategies in surgical treatment of ulcers at present time].

PubMed

Saenko, V F; Polinkevich, B S; Dibrova, Iu A; Pustovit, A A

2003-03-01

Modern state of a problem concerning the ulcer disease (UD) of stomach and duodenum conservative and operative treatment was suggested. Possibilities and perspectives of medicinal therapy were evaluated critically. Indications for surgical treatment of UD were substantiated. Method of choice in duodenal UD is performance of organ preserving intervention, in gastric UD--piloro--and antrumpreserving resection.

Differentiating between bipolar and unipolar depression in functional and structural MRI studies.

PubMed

Han, Kyu-Man; De Berardis, Domenico; Fornaro, Michele; Kim, Yong-Ku

2018-03-28

Distinguishing depression in bipolar disorder (BD) from unipolar depression (UD) solely based on clinical clues is difficult, which has led to the exploration of promising neural markers in neuroimaging measures for discriminating between BD depression and UD. In this article, we review structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies that directly compare UD and BD depression based on neuroimaging modalities including functional MRI studies on regional brain activation or functional connectivity, structural MRI on gray or white matter morphology, and pattern classification analyses using a machine learning approach. Numerous studies have reported distinct functional and structural alterations in emotion- or reward-processing neural circuits between BD depression and UD. Different activation patterns in neural networks including the amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), prefrontal cortex (PFC), and striatum during emotion-, reward-, or cognition-related tasks have been reported between BD and UD. A stronger functional connectivity pattern in BD was pronounced in default mode and in frontoparietal networks and brain regions including the PFC, ACC, parietal and temporal regions, and thalamus compared to UD. Gray matter volume differences in the ACC, hippocampus, amygdala, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) have been reported between BD and UD, along with a thinner DLPFC in BD compared to UD. BD showed reduced integrity in the anterior part of the corpus callosum and posterior cingulum compared to UD. Several studies performed pattern classification analysis using structural and functional MRI data to distinguish between UD and BD depression using a supervised machine learning approach, which yielded a moderate level of accuracy in classification. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Distinguishing between unipolar depression and bipolar depression: current and future clinical and neuroimaging perspectives.

PubMed

Cardoso de Almeida, Jorge Renner; Phillips, Mary Louise

2013-01-15

Differentiating bipolar disorder (BD) from recurrent unipolar depression (UD) is a major clinical challenge. Main reasons for this include the higher prevalence of depressive relative to hypo/manic symptoms during the course of BD illness and the high prevalence of subthreshold manic symptoms in both BD and UD depression. Identifying objective markers of BD might help improve accuracy in differentiating between BD and UD depression, to ultimately optimize clinical and functional outcome for all depressed individuals. Yet, only eight neuroimaging studies to date have directly compared UD and BD depressed individuals. Findings from these studies suggest more widespread abnormalities in white matter connectivity and white matter hyperintensities in BD than UD depression, habenula volume reductions in BD but not UD depression, and differential patterns of functional abnormalities in emotion regulation and attentional control neural circuitry in the two depression types. These findings suggest different pathophysiologic processes, especially in emotion regulation, reward, and attentional control neural circuitry in BD versus UD depression. This review thereby serves as a call to action to highlight the pressing need for more neuroimaging studies, using larger samples sizes, comparing BD and UD depressed individuals. These future studies should also include dimensional approaches, studies of at-risk individuals, and more novel neuroimaging approaches, such as connectivity analysis and machine learning. Ultimately, these approaches might provide biomarkers to identify individuals at future risk for BD versus UD and biological targets for more personalized treatment and new treatment developments for BD and UD depression. Copyright © 2013 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Progression of Ulcerative Dermatitis Lesions in C57BL/6Crl Mice and the Development of a Scoring System for Dermatitis Lesions

PubMed Central

Hampton, Anna L; Hish, Gerald A; Aslam, Muhammad N; Rothman, Edward D; Bergin, Ingrid L; Patterson, Kathleen A; Naik, Madhav; Paruchuri, Tejaswi; Varani, James; Rush, Howard G

2012-01-01

Ulcerative dermatitis (UD) is a common, spontaneous condition in mice with a C57BL/6 background. Although initial lesions may be mild, UD is a progressive disease that often results in ulcerations or debilitating fibrotic contractures. In addition, lesions typically are unresponsive to treatment. Euthanasia is often warranted in severe cases, thereby affecting study outcomes through the loss of research subjects. Because the clinical assessment of UD can be subjective, a quantitative scoring method and documentation of the likely time-frame of progression may be helpful in predicting when animals that develop dermatitis should be removed from a study. Such a system may also be helpful in quantitatively assessing success of various treatment strategies and be valuable to clinical laboratory animal veterinarians. In this 1.5-y, prospective cohort study, we followed 200 mice to monitor the development and course of UD. Mice were examined every 2 wk. A clinical sign (alopecia, pruritus, or peripheral lymphadenopathy) was not identified that predicted development of UD lesions in the subsequent 2-wk period. Once UD developed, pruritus, the character of the lesion (single or multiple crust, coalescing crust, erosion, or ulceration), and the size of the lesion were the only parameters that changed (increased) over the course of the disease. Pruritus was a factor in the rapid progression of UD lesions. We used these findings to develop a quantitative scoring system for the severity of UD. This enhanced understanding of the progression of UD and the quantitative scoring system will enhance the monitoring of UD. PMID:23312087

Going with the flow: quality-of-life outcomes of cancer survivors with urinary diversion.

PubMed

Gemmill, Robin; Sun, Virginia; Ferrell, Betty; Krouse, Robert S; Grant, Marcia

2010-01-01

The purpose of this descriptive study was to describe health-related quality of life (HRQOL) concerns among cancer patients with continent urinary diversion (UD) and incontinent UD. Study participants were accrued from members of the California United Ostomy Association and 2 cancer centers in Southern California. The City of Hope HRQOL-Ostomy Questionnaire (COHHRQOL-O) is a modified HRQOL measurement tool based on the original work done over a number of years by Grant and colleagues. The COHHRQOL-O was mailed to 2,890 individuals. Of the 1,600 returns, there were 307 responses from patients with UD, indicating that they had a UD and a diagnosis that clearly indicated cancer. The majority of respondents were diagnosed with bladder cancer, and the average time since surgery was 9.5 years. While most patients reported being sexually active prior to UD, less than 27% resumed sexual activity after surgery. More than 75% of patients also reported difficulty in adjusting to their UD, with the majority reporting difficulty with urine leakage. Those who were incontinent reported a range of bothersome issues, such as skin problems around the UD, difficulties in managing UD care, fear of recurrence, financial worries, family distress, and uncertainty about the future. The results of this study add to our understanding of how patients adjust to a UD and what problems and issues can occur, even years after the initial surgery. Mastering UD care is best done under the guidance of a WOC nurse, and access to WOC nurse is essential when problems occur.

bb̅ud̅ four-quark systems in the Born-Oppenheimer approximation: prospects and challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peters, Antje; Bicudo, Pedro; Wagner, Marc

2018-03-01

We summarize previous work on b̅b̅ud four-quark systems in the Born-Oppenheimer approximation and discuss first steps towards an extension to the theoretically more challenging bb̅ud̅ system. Strategies to identify a possibly existing bb̅ud̅ bound state are discussed and first numerical results are presented.

Measurements of eight early-type stars angular diameters using VEGA/CHARA interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Challouf, M.; Nardetto, N.; Mourard, D.; Aroui, H.; Delaa, O.

2014-12-01

The surface brightness color (SBC) relation is an important tool to derive the distance of extragalatic eclipsing binaries. We determined the uniform disc angular diameter of the eight following early-type stars using VEGA/CHARA interferometric observations: θ_{UD}[δ Cyg] = 0.766 ± 0.047 mas, θ_{UD}[γ Lyr] = 0.742& ± 0.010 mas, θ_{UD}[γ Ori] = 0.701 ± 0.005 mas, θ_{UD}[ζ Peg] = 0.539 ± 0.009 mas, θ_{UD}[λ Aql] = 0.529 ± 0.003 mas, θ_{UD}[ζ Per] = 0.531 ± 0.007 mas, θ_{UD}[ι Her] = 0.304 ± 0.010 mas and θ_{UD}[8 Cyg] = 0.229 ± 0.011 mas (by extending V-K range from -0.76 to 0.02) with typical precision of about 1.5%. By combining these data with previous angular diameter determinations available in the literature, Challouf et al. (2014) provide for the very first time a SBC relation for early-type stars (-1≤V-K≤0) with a precision of about 0.16 magnitude or 7% in term of angular diameter (when using this SBC relation to derive the angular diameter of early-type stars).

Ulcerative Dermatitis in C57BL/6 Mice Exhibits an Oxidative Stress Response Consistent with Normal Wound Healing

PubMed Central

Williams, Lisa K; Csaki, Lauren S; Cantor, Rita M; Reue, Karen; Lawson, Greg W

2012-01-01

Ulcerative dermatitis (UD) is a common syndrome of unknown etiology that results in profound morbidity in C57BL/6 mice and lines on a C57BL/6 background. The lesions are due to severe pruritus-induced self-trauma, progressing from superficial excoriations to deep ulcerations. UD may be behavioral in origin, with ulcerative lesions resulting from self-mutilating behavior in response to unresolved inflammation or compulsion. Alternatively, abnormal oxidative damage may be a mechanism underlying UD. To evaluate whether UD behaves similarly to normal wounds, consistent with a secondary self-inflicted lesion, or is a distinct disorder with abnormal wound response, we evaluated expression levels of genes representing various arms of the oxidative stress response pathway UD-affected and unwounded C57BL/6J mice. No evidence indicated that UD wounds have a defect in the oxidative stress response. Our findings are consistent with an understanding of C57BL/6 UD lesions as typical rather than atypical wounds. PMID:22776048

Gas-liquid hybrid discharge-induced degradation of diuron in aqueous solution.

PubMed

Feng, Jingwei; Zheng, Zheng; Luan, Jingfei; Li, Kunquan; Wang, Lianhong; Feng, Jianfang

2009-05-30

Degradation of diuron in aqueous solution by gas-liquid hybrid discharge was investigated for the first time. The effect of output power intensity, pH value, Fe(2+) concentration, Cu(2+) concentration, initial conductivity and air flow rate on the degradation efficiency of diuron was examined. The results showed that the degradation efficiency of diuron increased with increasing output power intensity and increased with decreasing pH values. In the presence of Fe(2+), the degradation efficiency of diuron increased with increasing Fe(2+) concentration. The degradation efficiency of diuron was decreased during the first 4 min and increased during the last 10 min with adding of Cu(2+). Decreasing the initial conductivity and increasing the air flow rate were favorable for the degradation of diuron. Degradation of diuron by gas-liquid hybrid discharge fitted first-order kinetics. The pH value of the solution decreased during the reaction process. Total organic carbon removal rate increased in the presence of Fe(2+) or Cu(2+). The generated Cl(-1), NH(4)(+), NO(3)(-), oxalic acid, acetic acid and formic acid during the degradation process were also detected. Based on the detected Cl(-1) and other intermediates, a possible degradation pathway of diuron was proposed.

Evaluation of buspirone for relapse-prevention in adults with cocaine dependence: An efficacy trial conducted in the real world

PubMed Central

Winhusen, Theresa; Brady, Kathleen T.; Stitzer, Maxine; Woody, George; Lindblad, Robert; Kropp, Frankie; Brigham, Gregory; Liu, David; Sparenborg, Steven; Sharma, Gaurav; VanVeldhuisen, Paul; Adinoff, Bryon; Somoza, Eugene

2012-01-01

Cocaine dependence is a significant public health problem for which there are currently no FDA-approved medications. Hence, identifying candidate compounds and employing an efficient evaluation process is crucial. This paper describes key design decisions made for a National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Clinical Trials Network (CTN) study that uses a novel two-stage process to evaluate buspirone (60 mg/day) for cocaine-relapse prevention. The study includes pilot (N=60) and full-scale (estimated N=264) trials. Both trials will be randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled and both will enroll treatment-seeking cocaine-dependent participants engaged in inpatient/residential treatment and scheduled for outpatient treatment post-discharge. All participants will receive contingency management in which incentives are given for medication adherence as evaluated by the Medication Events Monitoring System (MEMS). The primary outcome measure is maximum days of continuous cocaine abstinence, as assessed by twice-weekly urine drug screens (UDS) and self-report, during the 15-week outpatient treatment phase. Drug-abuse outcomes include cocaine use as assessed by UDS and self-report of cocaine use, other substance use as assessed by UDS and self-report of substance use (i.e., alcohol and/or illicit drugs), cocaine bingeing, HIV risk behavior, quality of life, functioning, and substance-abuse treatment attendance. Unique aspects of the study include conducting an efficacy trial in community treatment programs, a two-stage process to efficiently evaluate buspirone, and an evaluation of mediators by which buspirone might exert a beneficial effect on relapse prevention. PMID:22613054

Evaluation of buspirone for relapse-prevention in adults with cocaine dependence: an efficacy trial conducted in the real world.

PubMed

Winhusen, Theresa; Brady, Kathleen T; Stitzer, Maxine; Woody, George; Lindblad, Robert; Kropp, Frankie; Brigham, Gregory; Liu, David; Sparenborg, Steven; Sharma, Gaurav; Vanveldhuisen, Paul; Adinoff, Bryon; Somoza, Eugene

2012-09-01

Cocaine dependence is a significant public health problem for which there are currently no FDA-approved medications. Hence, identifying candidate compounds and employing an efficient evaluation process is crucial. This paper describes key design decisions made for a National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Clinical Trials Network (CTN) study that uses a novel two-stage process to evaluate buspirone (60 mg/day) for cocaine-relapse prevention. The study includes pilot (N=60) and full-scale (estimated N=264) trials. Both trials will be randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled and both will enroll treatment-seeking cocaine-dependent participants engaged in inpatient/residential treatment and scheduled for outpatient treatment post-discharge. All participants will receive contingency management in which incentives are given for medication adherence as evaluated by the Medication Events Monitoring System (MEMS). The primary outcome measure is maximum days of continuous cocaine abstinence, as assessed by twice-weekly urine drug screens (UDS) and self-report, during the 15-week outpatient treatment phase. Drug-abuse outcomes include cocaine use as assessed by UDS and self-report of cocaine use, other substance use as assessed by UDS and self-report of substance use (i.e., alcohol and/or illicit drugs), cocaine bingeing, HIV risk behavior, quality of life, functioning, and substance abuse treatment attendance. Unique aspects of the study include conducting an efficacy trial in community treatment programs, a two-stage process to efficiently evaluate buspirone, and an evaluation of mediators by which buspirone might exert a beneficial effect on relapse prevention. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sexual risk behaviours associated with unlicensed driving among young adults in Miami's electronic dance music nightclub scene.

PubMed

Buttram, Mance E; Kurtz, Steven P; Paul, Roddia J

2017-11-01

Literature indicates that unlicensed driving (UD) offenders report substance use risk behaviours, yet data related to sexual risk behaviours is unknown. This study examined sexual and other risk behaviours among young adults in Miami, Florida, comparing UD and non-UD offenders (n=498). Compared with others, UD offenders were more likely to report group sex history, being high for sex half the time or more, purchasing sex and sexually transmissible infection history. Results suggest that locating sexual risk reduction interventions inside of the justice system would benefit UD offenders.

Protective effect of Urtica dioica L. on renal ischemia/reperfusion injury in rat.

PubMed

Sayhan, Mustafa Burak; Kanter, Mehmet; Oguz, Serhat; Erboga, Mustafa

2012-12-01

Renal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury may occur after renal transplantation, thoracoabdominal aortic surgery, and renal artery interventions. This study was designed to investigate the effect of Urtica dioica L. (UD), in I/R induced renal injury. A total of 32 male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: control, UD alone, I/R and I/R + UD; each group contain 8 animals. A rat model of renal I/R injury was induced by 45-min occlusion of the bilateral renal pedicles and 24-h reperfusion. In the UD group, 3 days before I/R, UD (2 ml/kg/day intraperitoneal) was administered by gastric gavage. All animals were sacrificed at the end of reperfusion and kidney tissues samples were obtained for histopathological investigation in all groups. To date, no more histopathological changes on intestinal I/R injury in rats by UD treatment have been reported. Renal I/R caused severe histopathological injury including tubular damage, atrophy dilatation, loss of brush border and hydropic epithelial cell degenerations, renal corpuscle atrophy, glomerular shrinkage, markedly focal mononuclear cell infiltrations in the kidney. UD treatment significantly attenuated the severity of intestinal I/R injury and significantly lowered tubulointerstitial damage score than the I/R group. The number of PCNA and TUNEL positive cells in the control and UD alone groups was negligible. When kidney sections were PCNA and TUNEL stained, there was a clear increase in the number of positive cells in the I/R group rats in the renal cortical tissues. However, there is a significant reduction in the activity of PCNA and TUNEL in kidney tissue of renal injury induced by renal I/R with UD therapy. Our results suggest that administration of UD attenuates renal I/R injury. These results suggest that UD treatment has a protective effect against renal damage induced by renal I/R. This protective effect is possibly due to its ability to inhibit I/R induced renal damage, apoptosis and cell proliferation.

Mechanisms underlying the antihypertensive properties of Urtica dioica.

PubMed

Qayyum, Rahila; Qamar, Hafiz Misbah-Ud-Din; Khan, Shamim; Salma, Umme; Khan, Taous; Shah, Abdul Jabbar

2016-09-01

Urtica dioica has traditionally been used in the management of cardiovascular disorders especially hypertension. The aim of this study was to explore pharmacological base of its use in hypertension. Crude methanolic extract of U. dioica (Ud.Cr) and its fractions (Ud.EtAc, Ud.nHex, Ud.Chl and Ud.Aq) were tested in vivo on normotensive and hypertensive rats under anesthesia for blood pressure lowering effect. In-vitro experiments on rat and rabbit aortae were employed to probe the vasorelaxation mechanism(s). The responses were measured using pressure and force transducers connected to PowerLab Data Acquisition System. Ud.Cr and fractions were found more effective antihypertensive in hypertensive rats than normotensive with remarkable potency exhibited by the ethyl acetate fraction. The effect was same in the presence of atropine. In isolated rat aortic rings, Ud.Cr and all its fractions exhibited L-NAME sensitive endothelium-dependent vasodilator effect and also inhibit K(+) (80 mM)-induced pre-contractions. In isolated rabbit thoracic aortic rings Ud.Cr and its fractions induced relaxation with more potency against K(+) (80 mM) than phenylephrine (1 µM) like verapamil, showing Ud.EtAc fraction the most potent one. Pre-incubation of aortic rings with Ud.Cr and its fractions exhibited Ca(2+) channel blocking activity comparable with verapamil by shifting Ca(2+) concentration response curves to the right. Ud.Cr and its fractions also ablated the intracellular Ca(2+) release by suppressing PE peak formation in Ca(2+) free medium. When tested on basal tension, the crude extract and all fractions were devoid of any vasoconstrictor effect. These data indicate that crude methanolic extract and its fractions possess antihypertensive effect. Identification of NO-mediated vasorelaxation and calcium channel blocking effects explain the antihypertensive potential of U. dioica and provide a potential pharmacological base to its medicinal use in the management of hypertension.

Healthcare system-wide implementation of opioid-safety guideline recommendations: the case of urine drug screening and opioid-patient suicide- and overdose-related events in the Veterans Health Administration.

PubMed

Brennan, Penny L; Del Re, Aaron C; Henderson, Patricia T; Trafton, Jodie A

2016-12-01

This study provides an example of how healthcare system-wide progress in implementation of opioid-therapy guideline recommendations can be longitudinally assessed and then related to subsequent opioid-prescribed patient health and safety outcomes. Using longitudinal linear mixed effects analyses, we determined that in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system (n = 141 facilities), over the 4-year interval from 2010 to 2013, a key opioid therapy guideline recommendation, urine drug screening (UDS), increased from 29 to 42 %, with an average within-facility increase rate of 4.5 % per year. Higher levels of UDS implementation from 2010 to 2013 were associated with lower risk of suicide and drug overdose events among VA opioid-prescribed patients in 2013, even after adjusting for patients' 2012 demographic characteristics and medical and mental health comorbidities. Findings suggest that VA clinicians and healthcare policymakers have been responsive to the 2010 VA/Department of Defense (DOD) UDS treatment guideline recommendation, resulting in improved patient safety for VA opioid-prescribed patients.

Ulcerative Dermatitis in C57BL/6NCrl Mice on a Low-Fat or High-Fat Diet With or Without a Mineralized Red-Algae Supplement

PubMed Central

Hampton, Anna L; Aslam, Muhammad N; Naik, Madhav K; Bergin, Ingrid L; Allen, Ron M; Craig, Ronald A; Kunkel, Steve L; Veerapaneni, Indiradevi; Paruchuri, Tejaswi; Patterson, Kathleen A; Rothman, Edward D; Hish, Gerald A; Varani, James; Rush, Howard G

2015-01-01

Ulcerative dermatitis (UD) is a spontaneous idiopathic disease that often affects C57BL/6 mice or mice on a C57BL/6 background. UD is characterized by intense pruritus and lesion formation, most commonly on the head or dorsal thorax. Self-trauma likely contributes to wound severity and delayed wound healing. Histologically, changes are nonspecific, consisting of ulceration with neutrophilic and mastocytic infiltration and epithelial hyperplasia and hyperkeratosis. Diet appears to have a profound effect on the development and progression of UD lesions. We investigated the incidence and severity of UD in C57BL/6NCrl mice on a high-fat western-style diet (HFWD) compared with a standard rodent chow. In addition, we examined the protective effects of dietary supplementation with a multimineral-rich product derived from marine red algae on UD in these 2 diet groups. HFWD-fed mice had an increased incidence of UD. In addition, mice on a HFWD had significantly more severe clinical and histologic lesions. Dietary mineral supplementation in mice on a HFWD decreased the histologic severity of lesions and reduced the incidence of UD in female mice in both diets. In conclusion, a high-fat western-style diet may potentiate UD in C57BL/6NCrl mice. Insufficient mineral supply and mineral imbalance may contribute to disease development. Mineral supplementation may be beneficial in the treatment of UD. PMID:26424246

Bioresorbable screws reinforced with phosphate glass fibre: manufacturing and mechanical property characterisation.

PubMed

Felfel, R M; Ahmed, I; Parsons, A J; Rudd, C D

2013-01-01

Use of bioresorbable screws could eliminate disadvantages associated with metals such as removal operations, corrosion, MRI interference and stress shielding. Mechanical properties of bioresorbable polymers alone are insufficient for load bearing applications application as screws. Thus, reinforcement is necessary to try and match or surpass the mechanical properties of cortical bone. Phosphate based glass fibres were used to reinforce polylactic acid (PLA) in order to produce unidirectionally aligned (UD) and unidirectionally plus randomly distributed (UD/RM) composite screws (P40 UD and P40 UD/RM). The maximum flexural and push-out properties for the composite screws (P40 UD and P40 UD/RM) increased by almost 100% in comparison with the PLA screws. While the pull-out strength and stiffness of the headless composite screws were ∼80% (strength) and ∼130% (stiffness) higher than for PLA, those with heads exhibited properties lower than those for PLA alone as a result of failure at the heads. An increase in the maximum shear load and stiffness for the composite screws (∼30% and ∼40%) in comparison to the PLA screws was also seen. Maximum torque for the PLA screws was ∼1000 mN m, while that for the composite screws were slightly lower. The SEM micrographs for P40 UD and P40 UD/RM screws revealed small gaps around the fibres, which were suggested to be due to buckling of the UD fibres during the manufacturing process. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In vivo and in vitro evaluation of the effects of Urtica dioica and swimming activity on diabetic factors and pancreatic beta cells.

PubMed

Ranjbari, Abbas; Azarbayjani, Mohammad Ali; Yusof, Ashril; Halim Mokhtar, Abdul; Akbarzadeh, Samad; Ibrahim, Mohamed Yousif; Tarverdizadeh, Bahman; Farzadinia, Parviz; Hajiaghaee, Reza; Dehghan, Firouzeh

2016-03-15

Urtica dioica (UD) has been identified as a traditional herbal medicine. This study aimed to investigate the effect of UD extract and swimming activity on diabetic parameters through in vivo and in vitro experiments. Adult WKY male rats were randomly distributed in nine groups: intact control, diabetic control, diabetic + 625 mg/kg, 1.25 g/kg UD, diabetic + 100 mg/kg Metformin, diabetic + swimming, diabetic + swimming 625 mg/kg, 1.25 g/kg UD, and diabetic +100 mg/kg Metformin + swimming. The hearts of the animals were punctured, and blood samples were collected for biochemical analysis. The entire pancreas was exposed for histologic examination. The effect of UD on insulin secretion by RIN-5F cells in 6.25 or 12.5 mM glucose dose was examined. Glucose uptake by cultured L6 myotubes was determined. The serum glucose concentration decreased, the insulin resistance and insulin sensitivity significantly increased in treated groups. These changes were more pronounced in the group that received UD extract and swimming training. Regeneration and less beta cell damage of Langerhans islets were observed in the treated groups. UD treatment increased insulin secretion in the RIN-5F cells and glucose uptake in the L6 myotubes cells. Swimming exercises accompanied by consuming UD aqueous extracts effectively improved diabetic parameters, repaired pancreatic tissues in streptozotocin-induced diabetics in vivo, and increased glucose uptake or insulin in UD-treated cells in vitro.

Dependence of the Normalized Radar Cross Section of Water Waves on Bragg Wavelength-Wind Speed Sensitivity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Long, David G.; Collyer, R. Scott; Reed, Ryan; Arnold, David V.

1996-01-01

Measurements of the normalized radar cross section (sigma(sup o)) made by the YSCAT ultrawideband scatterometer during an extended deployment on the Canada Centre for Inland Waters(CCIW) Research Tower located at Lake Ontario are analyzed and compared with anemometer wind measurements to study the sensitivity of (sigma(sup o)) to the wind speed as a function of the Bragg wavelength. This paper concentrates on upwind and downwind azimuth angles in the wind speed range of 4.5-12 m/s. While YSCAT collected measurements of sigma(sup o) at a variety of frequencies and incidence angles, this paper focuses on frequencies of 2.0, 3.05, 5.30, 10.02, and 14.0 GHz and incidence angles within the Bragg regime, 30-50 deg. Adopting a power law model to describe the relationship between sigma(sup o) and wind speed, both wind speed exponents and upwind/downwind (u/d) ratios of sigma(sup o) are found using least squares linear regression. The analysis of the wind speed exponents and u/d ratios show that shorter Bragg wavelengths (Lambda less than 4 cm) are the most sensitive to wind speed and direction. Additionally, vertical polarization (V-pol) sigma(sup o) is shown to be more sensitive to wind speed than horizontal polarization (H-pol) sigma(sup o), while the H-pol u/d ratio is larger than the V-pol u/d ratio.

Protective effect of Urtica dioica on liver damage induced by biliary obstruction in rats.

PubMed

Oguz, Serhat; Kanter, Mehmet; Erboga, Mustafa; Ibis, Cem

2013-10-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible protective effects of Urtica dioica (UD) against liver damage in the common bile duct-ligated rats. A total of 24 male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into three groups, namely, control, bile duct ligation (BDL) and BDL + received UD groups, containing eight animals in each group. The rats in UD-treated groups were given UD oils (2 ml/kg) once a day intraperitoneally for 2 weeks starting 3 days prior to BDL operation. The change demonstrating the bile duct proliferation and fibrosis in expanded portal tracts includes the extension of proliferated bile ducts into the lobules; inflammatory cell infiltration into the widened portal areas were observed in BDL group. Treatment of BDL with UD attenuated alterations in liver histology. The α-smooth muscle actin, cytokeratin-positive ductular proliferation and the activity of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling in the BDL were observed to be reduced with the UD treatment. The data indicate that UD attenuates BDL-induced cholestatic liver injury, bile duct proliferation and fibrosis.

Physical Properties of Umbral Dots Observed in Sunspots: A Hinode Observation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yadav, Rahul; Mathew, Shibu K.

2018-04-01

Umbral dots (UDs) are small-scale bright features observed in the umbral part of sunspots and pores. It is well established that they are manifestations of magnetoconvection phenomena inside umbrae. We study the physical properties of UDs in different sunspots and their dependence on decay rate and filling factor. We have selected high-resolution, G-band continuum filtergrams of seven sunspots from Hinode to study their physical properties. We have also used Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) continuum images to estimate the decay rate of selected sunspots. An identification and tracking algorithm was developed to identify the UDs in time sequences. The statistical analysis of UDs exhibits an averaged maximum intensity and effective diameter of 0.26 I_{QS} and 270 km. Furthermore, the lifetime, horizontal speed, trajectory length, and displacement length (birth-death distance) of UDs are 8.19 minutes, 0.5 km s-1, 284 km, and 155 km, respectively. We also find a positive correlation between intensity-diameter, intensity-lifetime, and diameter-lifetime of UDs. However, UD properties do not show any significant relation with the decay rate or filling factor.

Degradation of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol and determination of bacterial community structure by micro-electrical stimulation with or without external organic carbon source.

PubMed

Xu, Hao; Tong, Na; Huang, Shaobin; Zhou, Shaofeng; Li, Shuang; Li, Jianjun; Zhang, Yongqing

2018-05-03

This study aimed to investigate the degradation efficiency of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol through a batch of potentiostatic experiments (0.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl). Efficiencies in the presence and absence of acetate and glucose were compared through open-circuit reference experiments. Significant differences in degradation efficiency were observed in six reactors. The highest and lowest degradation efficiencies were observed in the closed-circuit reactor fed with glucose and in the open-circuit reactor, respectively. This finding was due to the enhanced bacterial metabolism caused by the application of micro-electrical field and degradable organics as co-substrates. The different treatment efficiencies were also caused by the distinct bacterial communities. The composition of bacterial community was affected by adding different organics as co-substrates. At the phylum level, the most dominant bacteria in the reactor with the added acetate and glucose were Proteobacteria and Firmicutes, respectively. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of sludge digestion under aerobic and anaerobic conditions with a focus on the degradation of proteins at mesophilic temperature.

PubMed

Shao, Liming; Wang, Tianfeng; Li, Tianshui; Lü, Fan; He, Pinjing

2013-07-01

Aerobic and anaerobic digestion are popular methods for the treatment of waste activated sludge. However, the differences in degradation of sludge during aerobic and anaerobic digestion remain unclear. In this study, the sludge degradation during aerobic and anaerobic digestion was investigated at mesophilic temperature, focused on protein based on the degradation efficiency and degree of humification. The duration of aerobic and anaerobic digestion was about 90 days. The final degradation efficiency of volatile solid was 66.1 ± 1.6% and 66.4 ± 2.4% under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, respectively. The final degradation efficiency of protein was 67.5 ± 1.4% and 65.1 ± 2.6% under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, respectively. The degradation models of volatile solids were consistent with those of protein under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The solubility of protein under aerobic digestion was greater than that under anaerobic digestion. Moreover, the humification index of dissolved organic matter of aerobic digestion was greater than that during anaerobic digestion. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identifying and sequencing a Mycobacterium sp. strain F4 as a potential bioremediation agent for quinclorac.

PubMed

Li, Yingying; Chen, Wu; Wang, Yunsheng; Luo, Kun; Li, Yue; Bai, Lianyang; Luo, Feng

2017-01-01

Quinclorac is a widely used herbicide in rice filed. Unfortunately, quinclorac residues are phytotoxic to many crops/vegetables. The degradation of quinclorac in nature is very slow. On the other hand, degradation of quinclorac using bacteria can be an effective and efficient method to reduce its contamination. In this study, we isolated a quinclorac bioremediation bacterium strain F4 from quinclorac contaminated soils. Based on morphological characteristics and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, we identified strain F4 as Mycobacterium sp. We investigated the effects of temperature, pH, inoculation size and initial quinclorac concentration on growth and degrading efficiency of F4 and determined the optimal quinclorac degrading condition of F4. Under optimal degrading conditions, F4 degraded 97.38% of quinclorac from an initial concentration of 50 mg/L in seven days. Our indoor pot experiment demonstrated that the degradation products were non-phytotoxic to tobacco. After analyzing the quinclorac degradation products of F4, we proposed that F4 could employ two pathways to degrade quinclorac: one is through methylation, the other is through dechlorination. Furthermore, we reconstructed the whole genome of F4 through single molecular sequencing and de novo assembly. We identified 77 methyltransferases and eight dehalogenases in the F4 genome to support our hypothesized degradation path.

Identifying and sequencing a Mycobacterium sp. strain F4 as a potential bioremediation agent for quinclorac

PubMed Central

Li, Yingying; Chen, Wu; Wang, Yunsheng; Luo, Kun; Li, Yue; Bai, Lianyang

2017-01-01

Quinclorac is a widely used herbicide in rice filed. Unfortunately, quinclorac residues are phytotoxic to many crops/vegetables. The degradation of quinclorac in nature is very slow. On the other hand, degradation of quinclorac using bacteria can be an effective and efficient method to reduce its contamination. In this study, we isolated a quinclorac bioremediation bacterium strain F4 from quinclorac contaminated soils. Based on morphological characteristics and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, we identified strain F4 as Mycobacterium sp. We investigated the effects of temperature, pH, inoculation size and initial quinclorac concentration on growth and degrading efficiency of F4 and determined the optimal quinclorac degrading condition of F4. Under optimal degrading conditions, F4 degraded 97.38% of quinclorac from an initial concentration of 50 mg/L in seven days. Our indoor pot experiment demonstrated that the degradation products were non-phytotoxic to tobacco. After analyzing the quinclorac degradation products of F4, we proposed that F4 could employ two pathways to degrade quinclorac: one is through methylation, the other is through dechlorination. Furthermore, we reconstructed the whole genome of F4 through single molecular sequencing and de novo assembly. We identified 77 methyltransferases and eight dehalogenases in the F4 genome to support our hypothesized degradation path. PMID:28968436

GOING WITH THE FLOW: QUALITY OF LIFE OUTCOMES OF CANCER SURVIVORS WITH URINARY DIVERSION

PubMed Central

Gemmill, Robin; Sun, Virginia; Ferrell, Betty; Krouse, Robert S.; Grant, Marcia

2012-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this descriptive study is to describe health related quality of life (HRQOL) concerns among cancer patients with continent and incontinent urinary diversions (UD). Subjects and Settings Study participants were accrued from members of the California United Ostomy Association and two cancer centers in Southern California. Instruments The City of Hope HRQOL-Ostomy Questionnaire (COHHRQOL-O) is a modified HRQOL measurement tool based on the original work done over a number of years by Grant and colleagues. Methods The COHHRQOL-O was mailed to 2890 individuals. Of the 1600 returns there were 307 responses from patients with UD indicating they had a UD and a diagnosis that clearly indicated cancer. Results The majority of respondents were diagnosed with bladder cancer and the average time since surgery was 9.5 years. While most patients reported being sexually active prior to UD less than 27% resumed sexual activity after surgery. Over 75% of patients also reported difficulty in adjusting to their UD with the majority reporting difficulty with urine leakage. Those who were incontinent reported a range of bothersome issues, such as skin problems around the UD, difficulties in managing UD care, fear of recurrence, financial worries, family distress, and uncertainty about the future. Conclusions The results of this study add to our understanding of how patients adjust to a UD and what problems and issues can occur, even years after the initial surgery. Mastering UD care is best done under guidance of a WOC nurse and access to WOC nurse is essential when problems occur. PMID:20075694

Advanced On-the-Job Training System: Transition Plan

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-05-01

992NP. The 992NP is connected to the UDS CSU/DSU 56K modem with standard telephone wire (four wire). The 56K modem is connected to the 56K communications...UDS CSU/DSU 56K modems . One 56K line from Brooks is connected to Building 428 and the other line is connected to Building 1101. Building 1101 acts as...the central communications node at Bergstrom AFB as illustrated in Figure A- 4. The 56K lines from Brooks are connected to the 56K modems which are in

Subsurface Biodegradation in a Fractured Basement Reservoir, Shropshire, UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parnell, John; Baba, Mas'ud; Bowden, Stephen; Muirhead, David

2017-04-01

Subsurface Biodegradation in a Fractured Basement Reservoir, Shropshire, UK. John Parnell, Mas'ud Baba, Stephen Bowden, David Muirhead Subsurface biodegradation in current oil reservoirs is well established, but there are few examples of fossil subsurface degradation. Biomarker compositions of viscous and solid oil residues ('bitumen') in fractured Precambrian and other basement rocks below the Carboniferous cover in Shropshire, UK, show that they are variably biodegraded. High levels of 25-norhopanes imply that degradation occurred in the subsurface. Lower levels of 25-norhopanes occur in active seepages. Liquid oil trapped in fluid inclusions in mineral veins in the fractured basement confirm that the oil was emplaced fresh before subsurface degradation. A Triassic age for the veins implies a 200 million year history of hydrocarbon migration in the basement rocks. The data record microbial colonization of a fractured basement reservoir, and add to evidence in modern basement aquifers for microbial activity in deep fracture systems. Buried basement highs may be especially favourable to colonization, through channelling fluid flow to shallow depths and relatively low temperatures

Use-value and importance of socio-cultural knowledge on Carapa procera trees in the Sudanian zone in Mali.

PubMed

Dembélé, Urbain; Lykke, Anne Mette; Koné, Yénizié; Témé, Bino; Kouyaté, Amadou Malé

2015-03-02

Carapa procera is a native oil tree species with multipurpose values traditionally exploited by the local population in Southern Mali. This study focused on the assessment of local knowledge about the use of Carapa procera. Semi-structured ethnobotanical questionnaires were conducted among the ethnic groups Senufo, Fulani and Bambara in two localities in the Sudanian zone in Mali. Use values among these ethnic groups and gender were evaluated. This study showed that Carapa procera is a species with multiple uses and high use values. According to the consensus value for plant parts (CPP), the nuts constituted 57% of exploited plant parts followed by bark and leaves (12%), wood and roots (7%), mistletoes (4%) and gum (1%). The use diversity (UD) values of Carapa procera showed a high proportion of cosmetic (UD = 0.49) and therapeutic (UD = 0.36) uses. The UD for therapeutic uses was higher for ethnic groups in Ziékorodougou than in Niankorobougou. In contrast, the UD for cosmetic uses was higher for ethnic groups in Niankorobougou than in Ziékorodougou. Comparative analysis between ethnic groups revealed that the highest UD for cosmetic uses (0.63) was observed in the Bambara ethnic group, whereas the highest UD for therapeutic uses (0.39) was obtained in the Senufo ethnic group. The UD showed that cosmetic uses were higher for women than for men in both locations. Men in Ziékorodougou had the highest level of knowledge regarding plant parts used, forms of use and the specific reasons for using Carapa procera. This study highlighted the sociocultural importance of Carapa procera. In the light of its multipurpose uses, the promotion and enhancement of Carapa procera can provide significant socio-economic benefits to local people. In this perspective, it is necessary to implement conservation strategies and sustainable management through domestication of the species.

Effect of tumor location on survival in urinary bladder adenocarcinoma: A population-based analysis.

PubMed

Dutta, Rahul; Abdelhalim, Ahmed; Martin, Jeremy W; Vernez, Simone L; Faltas, Bishoy; Lotan, Yair; Youssef, Ramy F

2016-12-01

To investigate the prognostic significance of tumor location on survival outcomes in patients with urinary bladder adenocarcinoma (BAC). We retrospectively analyzed cases of BAC with known tumor location from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database from 1973 to 2012. Data regarding patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and oncological and survival outcomes were collected. Patients were subgrouped according to tumor location into urachal/dome (dome and urachus [UD]), lateral wall (anterior, posterior, and lateral bladder walls [LW]), and base (trigone, ureteral orifices, and bladder neck [BL]). A total of 1,361 cases of BAC with known tumor location were identified. More UD tumors were low grade (grade I and II; 51%) than LW (33%) and BL (43%) tumors (P<0.0001). UD lesions were the most likely to have metastatic spread (23% vs. 17% for LW and 15% for BL) (P<0.0001). The 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) rates were 37.3% and 49.0%, respectively, for all BAC. Furthermore, the 5-year OS rates were 42.3%, 35.9%, and 28.4% for UD, LW, and BL lesions, respectively (P<0.0001), whereas the 5-year DSS rates were 50.2%, 51.7%, and 42.1% for UD, LW, and BL lesions, respectively (P = 0.0097). Multivariate Cox regression analysis controlling for tumor stage and grade demonstrated that both tumors of the LW (hazards ratio [HR] = 1.52 for OS and 1.30 for DSS) and BL (HR = 1.71 for OS and 1.57 for DSS) conferred a worse prognosis relative to those of the UD (P< 0.05). Tumor location of BAC is an independent prognostic factor for disease outcome. Our results suggest that the urachal and dome locations are associated with relatively favorable survival and oncological outcomes, whereas basal location confers poorer outcomes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of geochemical properties on degradation of trichloroethylene by stabilized zerovalent iron nanoparticle with Na-acrylic copolymer.

PubMed

Chen, Meng-yi; Su, Yuh-fan; Shih, Yang-hsin

2014-11-01

Stable nanoscale zero-valent iron (NZVI) particles have been developed to remediate chlorinated compounds. The degradation kinetics and efficiency of trichloroethylene (TCE) by a commercial stabilized NZVI with Na-acrylic copolymer (acNZVI) were investigated and compared with those by laboratory-synthesized NZVI and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-stabilized NZVI particles. Results show that the degradation of TCE by acNZVI was faster than that by NZVI and CMC-NZVI. Increase in temperature enhanced the degradation rate and efficiency of TCE with acNZVI. The activation energy of TCE degradation by acNZVI was estimated to be 23 kJ/mol. The degradation rate constants of TCE decreased from 0.064 to 0.026 min(-1) with decrease in initial pH from 9.03 to 4.23. Common groundwater anions including NO3(-), Cl(-), HCO3(-), and SO4(2-) inhibited slightly the degradation efficiencies of TCE by acNZVI. The Na-acrylic copolymer-stabilized NZVI, which exhibited high degradation kinetics and efficiency, could be a good remediation agent for chlorinated organic compounds. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Indirect radio-chemo-beta therapy: a targeted approach to increase biological efficiency of x-rays based on energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oktaria, Sianne; Corde, Stéphanie; Lerch, Michael L. F.; Konstantinov, Konstantin; Rosenfeld, Anatoly B.; Tehei, Moeava

2015-10-01

Despite the use of multimodal treatments incorporating surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, local control of gliomas remains a major challenge. The potential of a new treatment approach called indirect radio-chemo-beta therapy using the synergy created by combining methotrexate (MTX) with bromodeoxyuridine (BrUdR) under optimum energy x-ray irradiation is assessed. 9L rat gliosarcoma cells pre-treated with 0.01 μM MTX and/or 10 μM BrUdR were irradiated in vitro with 50 kVp, 125 kVp, 250 kVp, 6 MV and 10 MV x-rays. The cytotoxicity was assessed using clonogenic survival as the radiobiological endpoint. The photon energy with maximum effect was determined using radiation sensitization enhancement factors at 10% clonogenic survival (SER10%). The cell cycle distribution was investigated using flow cytometric analysis with propidium iodide staining. Incorporation of BrUdR in the DNA was detected by the fluorescence of labelled anti-BrUdR antibodies. The radiation sensitization enhancement exhibits energy dependence with a maximum of 2.3 at 125 kVp for the combined drug treated cells. At this energy, the shape of the clonogenic survival curve of the pharmacological agents treated cells changes substantially. This change is interpreted as an increased lethality of the local radiation environment and is attributed to supplemented inhibition of DNA repair. Radiation induced chemo-beta therapy was demonstrated in vitro by the targeted activation of combined pharmacological agents with optimized energy tuning of x-ray beams on 9 L cells. Our results show that this is a highly effective form of chemo-radiation therapy.

Effects of Urtica dioica on oxidative stress, proliferation and apoptosis after partial hepatectomy in rats.

PubMed

Oguz, Serhat; Kanter, Mehmet; Erboga, Mustafa; Toydemir, Toygar; Sayhan, Mustafa Burak; Onur, Hatice

2015-05-01

The present study was performed to investigate the effect of Urtica dioica (UD) on liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy (PH) in rats. A total of 24 male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into three groups: sham-operated, PH and PH + UD; each group contains eight animals. The rats in UD-treated groups were given UD oils (2 ml/kg/day) once a day orally for 7 days starting 3 days prior to hepatectomy operation. At day 7 after resection, liver samples were collected. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) were estimated in liver homogenates. Moreover, histopathological examination, mitotic index (MI), proliferating cell nuclear antigen labeling, proliferation index (PI), transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end-labeling assay, apoptotic index (AI) were evaluated at day 7 after hepatectomy. As a result, UD significantly increased MI and PI, significantly decreased AI and also attenuated hepatic vacuolar degeneration and sinusoidal congestion in PH rats. UD treatment significantly decreased the elevated tissue MDA level and increased the reduced SOD activity and GSH level in the tissues. These results suggest that UD pretreatment was beneficial for rat liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy. © The Author(s) 2013.

Immunological evaluation of captive green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) with ulcerative dermatitis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Muñoz, Fernando Alberto; Estrada-Parra, Sergio; Romero-Rojas, Andrés; Gonzalez-Ballesteros, Erik; Work, Thierry M.; Villaseñor-Gaona, Hector; Estrada-Garcia, Iris

2013-01-01

Ulcerative dermatitis (UD) is common in captive sea turtles and manifests as skin erosions and ulcers associated with gram-negative bacteria. This study compared clinically healthy and UD-affected captive turtles by evaluating hematology, histopathology, immunoglobulin levels, and delayed-type hypersensitivity assay. Turtles with UD had significantly lower weight, reduced delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses, and higher heterophil:lymphocyte ratios. This study is the first to assay DTH in green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and suggests that UD is associated with immunosuppression.

Multiscale Modeling of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) for Integrated Computational Materials Engineering Process

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

Gao, Jiaying; Liang, Biao; Zhang, Weizhao

In this work, a multiscale modeling framework for CFRP is introduced to study hierarchical structure of CFRP. Four distinct scales are defined: nanoscale, microscale, mesoscale, and macroscale. Information at lower scales can be passed to higher scale, which is beneficial for studying effect of constituents on macroscale part’s mechanical property. This bottom-up modeling approach enables better understanding of CFRP from finest details. Current study focuses on microscale and mesoscale. Representative volume element is used at microscale and mesoscale to model material’s properties. At microscale, unidirection CFRP (UD) RVE is used to study properties of UD. The UD RVE can bemore » modeled with different volumetric fraction to encounter non-uniform fiber distribution in CFRP part. Such consideration is important in modeling uncertainties at microscale level. Currently, we identified volumetric fraction as the only uncertainty parameters in UD RVE. To measure effective material properties of UD RVE, periodic boundary conditions (PBC) are applied to UD RVE to ensure convergence of obtained properties. Properties of UD is directly used at mesoscale woven RVE modeling, where each yarn is assumed to have same properties as UD. Within woven RVE, there can be many potential uncertainties parameters to consider for a physical modeling of CFRP. Currently, we will consider fiber misalignment within yarn and angle between wrap and weft yarns. PBC is applied to woven RVE to calculate its effective material properties. The effect of uncertainties are investigated quantitatively by Gaussian process. Preliminary results of UD and Woven study are analyzed for efficacy of the RVE modeling. This work is considered as the foundation for future multiscale modeling framework development for ICME project.« less

Urtica Dioica Distillate Regenerates Pancreatic Beta Cells in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats.

PubMed

Gohari, Ali; Noorafshan, Ali; Akmali, Masoumeh; Zamani-Garmsiri, Fahimeh; Seghatoleslam, Atefeh

2018-03-01

Urtica dioica is known as an anti-hyperglycemic plant. Urtica dioica distillate (UD) is a traditional Iranian drink, locally known as "aragh gazaneh". In spite of its widespread consumption in Iran, according to traditional Iranian medicine, there is no scientific report on the usefulness of UD for diabetic patients. This survey was designed to evaluate its protective effects for the recovery from diabetes by determining the serum insulin, blood glucose, volume of pancreatic islets, and the number and volume of β-cells in diabetic rats. A total of 48 Sprague-Dawley male rats (200-250 g) were randomly distributed into 6 groups (n=8), including non-diabetic plus distilled water (DW), non-diabetic plus UD, diabetic plus DW, diabetic plus UD, diabetic plus insulin, and diabetic plus glibenclamide. DW, UD, and glibenclamide were administered via intragastric gavage and insulin was injected subcutaneously. After four weeks of experiments, blood samples were collected for serum insulin and blood glucose assay. Pancreas was also evaluated using stereological method. The SPSS software was used for statistical analysis. Kruskal-Wallis, repeated measurements, and Mann-Whitney U test were applied for comparisons between the groups. The treatment of diabetic rats with UD reduced the blood glucose dramatically (P<0.001) and increased serum insulin levels significantly (P=0.03) in comparison to the diabetic plus DW rats. Treatment with UD did not affect the mean β-cell volumes in the diabetic rats when compared to the diabetic plus DW rats, but the islet volumes and β-cell numbers were significantly recovered. UD treatment in diabetic rats improves hyperglycemia by partially restoring plasma insulin levels. The data suggest that UD prevents islet atrophy and/or regenerate pancreatic β-cells.

Urtica Dioica Distillate Regenerates Pancreatic Beta Cells in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

PubMed Central

Gohari, Ali; Noorafshan, Ali; Akmali, Masoumeh; Zamani-Garmsiri, Fahimeh; Seghatoleslam, Atefeh

2018-01-01

Background Urtica dioica is known as an anti-hyperglycemic plant. Urtica dioica distillate (UD) is a traditional Iranian drink, locally known as “aragh gazaneh”. In spite of its widespread consumption in Iran, according to traditional Iranian medicine, there is no scientific report on the usefulness of UD for diabetic patients. This survey was designed to evaluate its protective effects for the recovery from diabetes by determining the serum insulin, blood glucose, volume of pancreatic islets, and the number and volume of β-cells in diabetic rats. Methods A total of 48 Sprague-Dawley male rats (200-250 g) were randomly distributed into 6 groups (n=8), including non-diabetic plus distilled water (DW), non-diabetic plus UD, diabetic plus DW, diabetic plus UD, diabetic plus insulin, and diabetic plus glibenclamide. DW, UD, and glibenclamide were administered via intragastric gavage and insulin was injected subcutaneously. After four weeks of experiments, blood samples were collected for serum insulin and blood glucose assay. Pancreas was also evaluated using stereological method. The SPSS software was used for statistical analysis. Kruskal-Wallis, repeated measurements, and Mann-Whitney U test were applied for comparisons between the groups. Results The treatment of diabetic rats with UD reduced the blood glucose dramatically (P<0.001) and increased serum insulin levels significantly (P=0.03) in comparison to the diabetic plus DW rats. Treatment with UD did not affect the mean β-cell volumes in the diabetic rats when compared to the diabetic plus DW rats, but the islet volumes and β-cell numbers were significantly recovered. Conclusion UD treatment in diabetic rats improves hyperglycemia by partially restoring plasma insulin levels. The data suggest that UD prevents islet atrophy and/or regenerate pancreatic β-cells. PMID:29749986

Toward a taxonomy of the unintentional discharge of firearms in law enforcement.

PubMed

O'Neill, John; O'Neill, Dawn A; Lewinski, William J

2017-03-01

An unintentional discharge (UD) is an activation of the trigger mechanism that results in an unplanned discharge that is outside of the firearm's prescribed use. UDs can result in injury or death, yet have been understudied in scientific literature. Pre-existing (1974-2015) UD reports (N = 137) from seven law enforcement agencies in the United States of America were analyzed by context, officer behavior, type of firearm, and injuries. Over 50% of UDs occurred in contexts with low threat potential while engaged in routine firearm tasks. The remaining UDs occurred in contexts with elevated to high threat potential during muscle co-activation, unfamiliar firearm tasks, contact with inanimate objects, and a medical condition. An antecedent-behavior-consequence (A-B-C) taxonomy as well as a standardized reporting form, based on the current findings and the existing literature, are offered as tools for identifying the conditions under which UDs may be likely to occur. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of thermally-aged carbon fiber/epoxy composites using acoustic emission, electrical resistance, contact angle and thermogram

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, J. M.; Shin, P. S.; Kim, J. H.; Park, H. S.; Baek, Y. M.; DeVries, K. L.

2018-03-01

Interfacial and mechanical properties of thermal aged carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites (CFRP) were evaluated using acoustic emission (AE), electrical resistance (ER), contact angle (CA) and thermogram measurements. Unidirectional (UD)-composites were aged at 200, 300, and 400 °C to produce different interfacial conditions. The interfacial degradation was identified by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy after different thermal aging. AE and ER of UD composites were measured along 0, 30, 60 and 90 °. Changes in wavespeed, with thermal aging, were calculated using wave travel time from AE source to AE sensor and the changes in ER were measured. For a thermogram evaluation, the composites were laid upon on a hotplate and the increase in the surface temperature was measured. Static contact angle were measured after different thermal aging and elapsed times to evaluate wettability. Interlaminar shear Strength (ILSS) and tensile strength at transverse direction tests were also performed to explore the effects of thermal aging on mechanical and interfacial properties. While thermal aging of CFRPs was found to affect all these properties, the changes were particularly evident at 400 °C.

Investigating the Relation between Sunspots and Umbral Dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yadav, Rahul; Louis, Rohan E.; Mathew, Shibu K.

2018-03-01

Umbral dots (UDs) are transient, bright features observed in the umbral region of a sunspot. We study the physical properties of UDs observed in sunspots of different sizes. The aim of our study is to relate the physical properties of UDs with the large-scale properties of sunspots. For this purpose, we analyze high-resolution G-band images of 42 sunspots observed by Hinode/SOT, located close to disk center. The images were corrected for instrumental stray light and restored with the modeled point-spread function. An automated multilevel tracking algorithm was employed to identify the UDs located in selected G-band images. Furthermore, we employed Solar Dynamics Observatory/HMI, limb-darkening-corrected, full-disk continuum images to estimate the sunspot phase and epoch for the selected sunspots. The number of UDs identified in different umbrae exhibits a linear relation to the umbral size. The observed filling factor ranges from 3% to 7% and increases with the mean umbral intensity. Moreover, the filling factor shows a decreasing trend with the umbral size. We also found that the observed mean and maximum intensities of UDs are correlated with the mean umbral intensity. However, we do not find any significant relationship between the mean (and maximum) intensity and effective diameter of UDs and the sunspot area, epoch, and decay rate. We suggest that this lack of relation could be due to either the distinct transition of spatial scales associated with overturning convection in the umbra or the shallow depth associated with UDs, or both.

Characteristics and heterogeneity of schizoaffective disorder compared with unipolar depression and schizophrenia - a systematic literature review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Rink, Lena; Pagel, Tobias; Franklin, Jeremy; Baethge, Christopher

2016-02-01

Comparisons of illness characteristics between patients with schizoaffective disorder (SAD) patients and unipolar depression (UD) are rare, even though UD is one of the most important differential diagnoses of SAD. Also, the variability of illness characteristics (heterogeneity) has not been compared. We compared illness characteristics and their heterogeneity among SAD, UD, and - as another important differential diagnosis - schizophrenia (S). In order to reduce sampling bias we systematically searched for studies simultaneously comparing samples of patients with SAD, UD, and S. Using random effects and Mantel-Haenszel models we estimated and compared demographic, illness course and psychopathology parameters, using pooled standard deviations as a measurement of heterogeneity. Out of 155 articles found by an earlier meta-analysis, 765 screened in Medline, 2738 screened in EMBASE, and 855 screened in PsycINFO we selected 24 studies, covering 3714 patients diagnosed according to RDC, DSM-III, DSM-IIIR, DSM-IV, or ICD-10. In almost all key characteristics, samples with schizoaffective disorders fell between unipolar depression and schizophrenia, with a tendency towards schizophrenia. On average, UD patients were significantly older at illness onset (33.0 years, SAD: 25.2, S: 23.4), more often women (59% vs. 57% vs. 39%) and more often married (53% vs. 39% vs. 27%). Their psychopathology was also less severe, as measured by BPRS, GAS, and HAMD. In demographic and clinical variables heterogeneity was roughly 5% larger in UD than in SAD, and samples of patients with schizophrenia had the lowest pooled heterogeneity. A similar picture emerged in a sensitivity analysis with coefficient of variation as the measurement of heterogeneity. Relative to bipolar disorder there are fewer studies including unipolar patients. No studies based on DSM-5 could be included. Regarding unipolar affective disorder this study confirms what we have shown for bipolar disorders in earlier studies: schizoaffective disorder falls between schizophrenia and affective disorders, and there are relevant quantitative differences in key illness characteristics, which supports the validity of the schizoaffective disorder concept. Contrary to our expectations heterogeneity is not larger in SAD than in UD and not substantially higher than in S. Lower reliability of the diagnosis of SAD therefore cannot be ascribed to higher variability of illness characteristics in SAD. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Construction of RGO/CdIn2S4/g-C3N4 ternary hybrid with enhanced photocatalytic activity for the degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Peng; Jiang, Deli; Ju, Lixin; Jing, Junjie; Chen, Min

2018-03-01

Although RGO shows great advantage in promoting charge separation and transfer of semiconductor, construction of an efficient RGO-incorporated photocatalyst is still challenging. Herein, RGO was employed to construct novel RGO/CdIn2S4/g-C3N4 (donated as RGO/CIS/CN) ternary photocatalyst by a facile hydrothermal method for the degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC). The RGO/CIS/CN ternary photocatalyst showed significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity towards the degradation of TC as compared to the binary CIS/CN, CIS/CN, and CN/RGO. The photoluminescence and photocurrent response results indicate that this enhanced photocatalytic activity can be mainly ascribed to the improved charge separation and transfer efficiency. Based on the radical trapping and electron spin resonance results, the superoxide radicals and holes are proposed to play an important role in the degradation of TC over RGO/CIS/CN ternary photocatalyst. This work paves new opportunities for the synthesis of RGO-incorporated ternary photocatalyst as an efficient photocatalyst for the degradation of organic contaminant.

Distinguishing bipolar II depression from unipolar major depressive disorder: Differences in heart rate variability.

PubMed

Chang, Hsin-An; Chang, Chuan-Chia; Kuo, Terry B J; Huang, San-Yuan

2015-01-01

Bipolar II (BPII) depression is commonly misdiagnosed as unipolar depression (UD); however, an objective and reliable tool to differentiate between these disorders is lacking. Whether cardiac autonomic function can be used as a biomarker to distinguish BPII from UD is unknown. We recruited 116 and 591 physically healthy patients with BPII depression and UD, respectively, and 421 healthy volunteers aged 20-65 years. Interviewer and self-reported measures of depression/anxiety severity were obtained. Cardiac autonomic function was evaluated by heart rate variability (HRV) and frequency-domain indices of HRV. Patients with BPII depression exhibited significantly lower mean R-R intervals, variance (total HRV), low frequency (LF)-HRV, and high frequency (HF)-HRV but higher LF/HF ratio compared to those with UD. The significant differences remained after adjusting for age. Compared to the controls, the patients with BPII depression showed cardiac sympathetic excitation with reciprocal vagal impairment, whereas the UD patients showed only vagal impairment. Depression severity independently contributed to decreased HRV and vagal tone in both the patients with BPII depression and UD, but increased sympathetic tone only in those with BPII depression. HRV may aid in the differential diagnosis of BPII depression and UD as an adjunct to diagnostic interviews.

Urtica dioica leaves modulates hippocampal smoothened-glioma associated oncogene-1 pathway and cognitive dysfunction in chronically stressed mice.

PubMed

Patel, Sita Sharan; Mahindroo, Neeraj; Udayabanu, Malairaman

2016-10-01

The present study was aimed to evaluate the effect of Urtica dioica (UD) extract against chronic unpredictable stress (CUS)-induced associative memory dysfunction and attempted to explore the possible mechanism. Male Swiss albino mice (25-30g) were divided into six groups, viz. group-I received 0.3% carboxymethyl cellulose and served as control (CTRL), group II was exposed to CUS (21days) and received vehicle (CUS), group III was subjected to CUS and received Hypericum perforatum extract (350mg/kg, p.o.) (CUS+HYP), group IV received Hypericum perforatum extract (350mg/kg, p.o.) (CTRL+HYP); group V was subjected to CUS and received UD extract (50mg/kg, p.o.) (CUS+UD), group VI received UD extract (50mg/kg, p.o.) (CTRL+UD). CUS significantly induced body weight loss (p<0.05) and associative memory impairment in step down task (p<0.05) as compared to control mice. CUS significantly downregulated Smo (p<0.05), Gli1 (p<0.01), cyclin D1 (p<0.05), BDNF (p<0.01), TrKB (p<0.01) and MAPK1 (p<0.01) mRNA expression in hippocampus as compared to control mice. CUS significantly increased the levels of TBARS (p<0.01) and nitric oxide (p<0.001), and decreased catalase (p<0.001) and total thiol (p<0.01) in plasma resulting in oxidative stress and inflammation. Chronic UD administration significantly reverted CUS mediated body weight loss (p<0.05) and cognitive impairment (p<0.05). UD administration significantly decreased the levels of TBARS (p<0.01) and nitric oxide (p<0.05), and increased the levels of catalase (p<0.01) and total thiol (p<0.05) in plasma. Chronic UD administration significantly upregulated hippocampal Smo (p<0.05), Gli1 (p<0.001), cyclin D1 (p<0.05), BDNF (p<0.05), TrKB (p<0.05) and MAPK1 (p<0.05) in stressed mice. Further, UD extract did not reverse cyclopamine induced downregulation of Gli1 and Ptch1 mRNA in hippocampal slices. UD modulated Smo-Gli1 pathway in the hippocampus as well as exerted anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. UD extract might prove to be effective for stress mediated neurological disorders. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Interannual SST Variability in the Japan/East Sea and Relationship with Environmental Variables

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-01-01

Soya Strait (SS), and Tartar Strait (TTS). (b) Regional geography. Interannual SST Variability in the Japan/East Sea 117 200 interruptions due to...caused by differential seasonal forcing. During the summer strong solar radiation penetrates into the entire Longitude(oE) La tit ud e( o N ) 50 50 100...1988.6 1988.8 1989 1989.2 1989.4 1989.6 1989.8 1990 1990.2 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 Time(year) Te m pe ra tu re (o C ) Longitude(oE) La tit ud e( o N ) (a) 5

Mid-Infrared Interferometric Monitoring of Evolved Stars: The Dust Shell Around the Mira Variable RR Aquilae at 13 Epochs

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

photometric and interferometric data. 15. SUBJECT TERMS 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT Same as Report (SAR) 18. NUMBER OF...λ = 2.2 μm, Δλ = 0.4 μm) angular size with the Infrared Optical Telescope Array ( IOTA ). The uniform disk diameter (UD) of θUD = 10.73 ± 0.66 mas at...with IOTA in the H-band, and classified RR Aql as a target with no detectable asymmetries. The IRAS flux at 12 μm is 332 Jy. The light curve in the V

Highly Effective Auger-Electron Therapy in an Orthotopic Glioblastoma Xenograft Model using Convection-Enhanced Delivery

PubMed Central

Thisgaard, Helge; Halle, Bo; Aaberg-Jessen, Charlotte; Olsen, Birgitte Brinkmann; Therkelsen, Anne Sofie Nautrup; Dam, Johan Hygum; Langkjær, Niels; Munthe, Sune; Någren, Kjell; Høilund-Carlsen, Poul Flemming; Kristensen, Bjarne Winther

2016-01-01

Glioblastoma, the most common and malignant primary brain tumor, always recurs after standard treatment. Therefore, promising new therapeutic approaches are needed. Short-range Auger-electron-emitters carry the ability of causing highly damaging radiation effects in cells. The aim of this study was to test the effect of [125I]5-Iodo-2'-deoxyuridine (125I-UdR, a radioactive Auger-electron-emitting thymidine analogue) Auger-therapy on immature glioblastoma spheroid cultures and orthotopic xenografted glioblastoma-bearing rats, the latter by means of convection-enhanced delivery (CED). Moreover, we aimed to determine if the therapeutic effect could be enhanced when combining 125I-UdR therapy with the currently used first-line chemotherapeutic agent temozolomide. 125I-UdR significantly decreased glioblastoma cell viability and migration in vitro and the cell viability was further decreased by co-treatment with methotrexate and/or temozolomide. Intratumoral CED of methotrexate and 125I-UdR with and without concomitant systemic temozolomide chemotherapy significantly reduced the tumor burden in orthotopically xenografted glioblastoma-bearing nude rats. Thus, 100% (8/8) of the animals survived the entire observation period of 180 days when subjected to the combined Auger-chemotherapy while 57% (4/7) survived after the Auger-therapy alone. No animals (0/8) treated with temozolomide alone survived longer than 50 days. Blood samples and post-mortem histology showed no signs of dose-limiting adverse effects. In conclusion, the multidrug approach consisting of CED of methotrexate and 125I-UdR with concomitant systemic temozolomide was safe and very effective leading to 100% survival in an orthotopic xenograft glioblastoma model. Therefore, this therapeutic strategy may be a promising option for future glioblastoma therapy. PMID:27924163

Highly Effective Auger-Electron Therapy in an Orthotopic Glioblastoma Xenograft Model using Convection-Enhanced Delivery.

PubMed

Thisgaard, Helge; Halle, Bo; Aaberg-Jessen, Charlotte; Olsen, Birgitte Brinkmann; Therkelsen, Anne Sofie Nautrup; Dam, Johan Hygum; Langkjær, Niels; Munthe, Sune; Någren, Kjell; Høilund-Carlsen, Poul Flemming; Kristensen, Bjarne Winther

2016-01-01

Glioblastoma, the most common and malignant primary brain tumor, always recurs after standard treatment. Therefore, promising new therapeutic approaches are needed. Short-range Auger-electron-emitters carry the ability of causing highly damaging radiation effects in cells. The aim of this study was to test the effect of [ 125 I]5-Iodo-2'-deoxyuridine ( 125 I-UdR, a radioactive Auger-electron-emitting thymidine analogue) Auger-therapy on immature glioblastoma spheroid cultures and orthotopic xenografted glioblastoma-bearing rats, the latter by means of convection-enhanced delivery (CED). Moreover, we aimed to determine if the therapeutic effect could be enhanced when combining 125 I-UdR therapy with the currently used first-line chemotherapeutic agent temozolomide. 125 I-UdR significantly decreased glioblastoma cell viability and migration in vitro and the cell viability was further decreased by co-treatment with methotrexate and/or temozolomide. Intratumoral CED of methotrexate and 125 I-UdR with and without concomitant systemic temozolomide chemotherapy significantly reduced the tumor burden in orthotopically xenografted glioblastoma-bearing nude rats. Thus, 100% (8/8) of the animals survived the entire observation period of 180 days when subjected to the combined Auger-chemotherapy while 57% (4/7) survived after the Auger-therapy alone. No animals (0/8) treated with temozolomide alone survived longer than 50 days. Blood samples and post-mortem histology showed no signs of dose-limiting adverse effects. In conclusion, the multidrug approach consisting of CED of methotrexate and 125 I-UdR with concomitant systemic temozolomide was safe and very effective leading to 100% survival in an orthotopic xenograft glioblastoma model. Therefore, this therapeutic strategy may be a promising option for future glioblastoma therapy.

Photo-Fenton Degradation of Organic Dyes Based on a Fe₃O₄ Nanospheres/Biomass Composite Loaded Column.

PubMed

Zheng, Kai; Zhang, Jubo; Wang, Yan; Gao, Longxue; Di, Mingyu; Yuan, Fang; Bao, Wenhui; Yang, Tao; Liang, Daxin

2018-06-01

In order to deal with pollution of organic dyes, magnetic Fe3O4 nanospheres (NPs) with an average diameter of 202 ± 0.5 nm were synthesized by a solvothermal method at 200 °C, and they can efficiently degrade organic dyes (methylene blue (MB), rhodamine B (RhB) and xylenol orange (XO)) aqueous solutions (20 mg/L) within 1 min. Based on this Fenton reagent, Fe3O4 NPs/biomass composite degradation column was made using sawdust as substrate, and it can efficiently degrade organic dyes continually. More importantly, the composite can be regenerated just by an ultrasonic treatment, and its degradation performance almost remains the same.

Solar light induced and TiO2 assisted degradation of textile dye reactive blue 4.

PubMed

Neppolian, B; Choi, H C; Sakthivel, S; Arabindoo, B; Murugesan, V

2002-03-01

Aqueous solutions of reactive blue 4 textile dye are totally mineralised when irradiated with TiO2 photocatalyst. A solution containing 4 x 10(-4) M dye was completely degraded in 24 h irradiation time. The intensity of the solar light was measured using Lux meter. The results showed that the dye molecules were completely degraded to CO2, SO4(2-), NO3-, NH4+ and H2O under solar irradiation. The addition of hydrogen peroxide and potassium persulphate influenced the photodegradation efficiency. The rapidity of photodegradation of dye intermediates were observed in the presence of hydrogen peroxide than in its absence. The auxiliary chemicals such as sodium carbonate and sodium chloride substantially affected the photodegradation efficiency. High performance liquid chromatography and chemical oxygen demand were used to study the mineralisation and degradation of the dye respectively. It is concluded that solar light induced degradation of textile dye in wastewater is a viable technique for wastewater treatment.

Mitochondrial dysfunction contribute to diabetic neurotoxicity induced by streptozocin in mice: protective effect of Urtica dioica and pioglitazone.

PubMed

Shokrzadeh, Mohammad; Mirshafa, Atefeh; Yekta Moghaddam, Niusha; Birjandian, Behnoosh; Shaki, Fatemeh

2018-04-18

Uncontrolled chronic hyperglycemia in diabetic patients could result in various complications, including neurotoxicity. Urtica dioica L. (UD) is known for its hypoglycemic and antioxidant effects. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of UD and pioglitazone (PIO) in reduction of neurotoxicity and oxidative stress in streptozocin-induced diabetic mice. Male mice were divided into seven groups: control, diabetic, dimethyl sulfoxide-treated control, PIO-treated, UD-treated, UD-PIO-treated, and vitamin E-treated. For induction of diabetes, streptozocin was injected in a single dose (65 mg/kg, i.p.). All treatments were performed for 5 weeks. Neurotoxicity was evaluated through hot plate and formalin test. Then, animals were killed, brain tissue was separated and the mitochondrial fraction was isolated with different centrifuge technique. Also, oxidative stress markers (reactive oxygen species, lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyl, glutathione) were measured in brain. Mitochondrial function was evaluated by MTT test in brain isolated mitochondria. Elevation of oxidative stress markers and mitochondrial damage were observed in diabetic mice compared to control group. Administration of PIO and UD ameliorated the oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage (p < 0.05) in diabetic mice. Also increase in pain score was shown in diabetic mice that treatment with UD and PIO diminished elevation of pain score in diabetic mice. Interestingly, simultaneous administration of PIO and UD showed synergism effect in attenuation of oxidative stress and hyperglycemia. UD showed a therapeutic potential for the attenuation of oxidative stress and diabetes-induced hyperglycemia that can be considered as co-treatment in treatment of diabetic neurotoxicity.

Unscheduled DNA synthesis in human hair follicles after in vitro exposure to 11 chemicals: comparison with unscheduled DNA synthesis in rat hepatocytes.

PubMed

van Erp, Y H; Koopmans, M J; Heirbaut, P R; van der Hoeven, J C; Weterings, P J

1992-06-01

A new method is described to investigate unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) in human tissue after exposure in vitro: the human hair follicle. A histological technique was applied to assess cytotoxicity and UDS in the same hair follicle cells. UDS induction was examined for 11 chemicals and the results were compared with literature findings for UDS in rat hepatocytes. Most chemicals inducing UDS in rat hepatocytes raised DNA repair at comparable concentrations in the hair follicle. However, 1 of 9 chemicals that gave a positive response in the rat hepatocyte UDS test, 2-acetylaminofluorene, failed to induce DNA repair in the hair follicle. Metabolizing potential of hair follicle cells was shown in experiments with indirectly acting compounds, i.e., benzo[a]pyrene, 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene and dimethylnitrosamine. The results support the conclusion that the test in its present state is valuable as a screening assay for the detection of unscheduled DNA synthesis. Moreover, the use of human tissues may result in a better extrapolation to man.

Trends in surgical management and pre-operative urodynamics in female medicare beneficiaries with mixed incontinence.

PubMed

Chughtai, Bilal; Hauser, Nicholas; Anger, Jennifer; Asfaw, Tirsit; Laor, Leanna; Mao, Jialin; Lee, Richard; Te, Alexis; Kaplan, Steven; Sedrakyan, Art

2017-02-01

We sought to examine the surgical trends and utilization of treatment for mixed urinary incontinence among female Medicare beneficiaries. Data was obtained from a 5% national random sample of outpatient and carrier claims from 2000 to 2011. Included were female patients 65 and older, diagnosed with mixed urinary incontinence, who underwent surgical treatment identified by Current Procedural Terminology, Fourth Edition (CPT-4) codes. Urodynamics (UDS) before initial and secondary procedure were also identified using CPT-4 codes. Procedural trends and utilization of UDS were analyzed. Utilization of UDS increased during the study period, from 38.4% to 74.0% prior to initial surgical intervention, and from 28.6% to 62.5% preceding re-intervention. Sling surgery (63.0%) and injectable bulking agents (28.0%) were the most common surgical treatments adopted, followed by sacral nerve stimulation (SNS) (4.8%) and Burch (4.0%) procedures. Re-intervention was performed in 4.0% of patients initially treated with sling procedures and 21.3% of patients treated with bulking agents, the majority of whom (51.7% and 76.3%, respectively) underwent injection of a bulking agent. Risk of re-intervention was not different among those who did or did not receive urodynamic tests prior to the initial procedure (8.5% vs. 9.3%) CONCLUSIONS: Sling and bulk agents are the most common treatment for MUI. Preoperative urodynamic testing was not related to risk of re-intervention following surgery for mixed urinary incontinence in this cohort. Neurourol. Urodynam. 36:422-425, 2017. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Practicing universal design to actual hand tool design process.

PubMed

Lin, Kai-Chieh; Wu, Chih-Fu

2015-09-01

UD evaluation principles are difficult to implement in product design. This study proposes a methodology for implementing UD in the design process through user participation. The original UD principles and user experience are used to develop the evaluation items. Difference of product types was considered. Factor analysis and Quantification theory type I were used to eliminate considered inappropriate evaluation items and to examine the relationship between evaluation items and product design factors. Product design specifications were established for verification. The results showed that converting user evaluation into crucial design verification factors by the generalized evaluation scale based on product attributes as well as the design factors applications in product design can improve users' UD evaluation. The design process of this study is expected to contribute to user-centered UD application. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

The cost of preoperative urodynamics: A secondary analysis of the ValUE trial.

PubMed

Norton, Peggy A; Nager, Charles W; Brubaker, Linda; Lemack, Gary E; Sirls, Larry T; Holley, Robert; Chai, Toby C; Kraus, Stephen R; Zyczynski, Halina; Smith, Bridget; Stoddard, Anne

2016-01-01

Urodynamic studies (UDS) are generally recommended prior to surgical treatment for stress urinary incontinence (SUI), despite insufficient evidence that it impacts treatment plans or outcomes in patients with uncomplicated SUI. This analysis aimed to calculate the cost incurred when UDS was performed as a supplement to a basic office evaluation and to extrapolate the potential savings of not doing UDS in this patient population on a national basis. This is a secondary analysis from the Value of Urodynamic Evaluation (ValUE) trial, a multicenter non-inferiority randomized trial to determine whether a basic office evaluation (OE) is non-inferior in terms of SUI surgery outcomes to office evaluation with addition of urodynamic studies (UDS). All participants underwent an OE; those patients who randomized to supplementary UDS underwent non-instrumented uroflowmetry, filling cystometry, and a pressure flow study. Costs associated with UDS were calculated using 2014 U.S. Medicare allowable fees. Models using various patient populations and payor mixes were created to obtain a range of potential costs of performing UDS in patients undergoing SUI surgery annually in the United States. Six hundred thirty women were randomized to OE or OE plus UDS. There was no difference in surgical outcomes between the two groups. The per patient cost of UDS varied from site to site, and included complex cystometrogram $314-$343 (CPT codes 51728-51729) plus complex uroflowmetry $16 (CPT code 51741). Extrapolating these costs for US women similar to our study population, 13-33 million US dollars could be saved annually by not performing preoperative urodynamics. For women with uncomplicated SUI and a confirmatory preoperative basic office evaluation, tens of millions of dollars US could be saved annually by not performing urodynamic testing. In the management of such women, eliminating this preoperative test has a major economic benefit. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Characteristics of the course of gastric and duodenal ulcer disease concurrent with duodenal insufficiency].

PubMed

Busygina, M S; Vakhrushev, Ya M

To comprehensively study the course of gastric ulcer disease (GUD) and duodenal ulcer disease (DUD) concurrent with chronic duodenal insufficiency (CDI). Ulcer disease (UD) was verified on the basis of the results of clinical and fibrogastroduodenoscopic examinations. The data of contrast duodenography and cavitary manometry were used to identify CDI. Gastroduodenal motor activity was investigated using the peripheral electrogastrograph EGG-4M. The results of pH measurements were employed to assess the state of gastric acid secretion and duodenal pH values. A comprehensive examination was made in 106 patients with UD concurrent with CDI (a study group) and 30 UD patients without CDI (a comparison group). Epigastric pain was noted in the patients with GUD in the study and comparison groups (91.5 and 84.6%, respectively), but the pain was mainly aching in the patients with concomitant CDI and more intense (77.8%) in those without this condition. In the study group, heartburn was more common in patients with GUD and DUD (75.3 and 71.4%, respectively) than in those with UD in the comparison group (28.5 and 37.5%, respectively). Helicobacter pylori tests were positive in 23.8% of the patients in the study group and in 57.2% in the comparison group. Electrogastrography indicated that the patients with GUD and CDI had bradygastria and hypokinesis on an empty stomach; the electrical activity was reduced after eating. In the comparison group, tachygastria and hyperkinesis were detected on an empty stomach; these postprandial indicators were elevated. H. pylori tests were positive in 34.7% of the patients with DUD and CDI and in 63.6% of those with DUD without CDI. The postprandial electrical activity increased in patients with DUD and decreased in the comparison group. The specific features of changes in gastric and duodenal pH values in GUD and DUD concurrent with CDI in comparison with the isolated course of UD. The immediate and long-term follow-ups show that GUD and DUD concurrent with CDI run a more persistent course; the time of ulcer healing increases and the periods of remission decrease.

Quantifying home range habitat requirements for bobcats (Lynx rufus) in Vermont, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Donovan, Therese; Freeman, Mark; Abouelezz, Hanem; Royar, Kim; Howard, Alan D.; Mickey, R.

2011-01-01

We demonstrate how home range and habitat use analysis can inform landscape-scale conservation planning for the bobcat, Lynx rufus, in Vermont USA. From 2005 to 2008, we outfitted fourteen bobcats with GPS collars that collected spatially explicit locations from individuals every 4 h for 3–4 months. Kernel home range techniques were used to estimate home range size and boundaries, and to quantify the utilization distribution (UD), which is a spatially explicit, topographic mapping of how different areas within the home range are used. We then used GIS methods to quantify both biotic (e.g. habitat types, stream density) and abiotic (e.g. slope) resources within each bobcat’s home range. Across bobcats, upper 20th UD percentiles (core areas) had 18% less agriculture, 42% less development, 26% more bobcat habitat (shrub, deciduous, coniferous forest, and wetland cover types), and 33% lower road density than lower UD percentiles (UD valleys). For each bobcat, we used Akaike’s Information Criterion (AIC) to evaluate and compare 24 alternative Resource Utilization Functions (hypotheses) that could explain the topology of the individual’s UD. A model-averaged population-level Resource Utilization Function suggested positive responses to shrub, deciduous, coniferous forest, and wetland cover types within 1 km of a location, and negative responses to roads and mixed forest cover types within 1 km of a location. Applying this model-averaged function to each pixel in the study area revealed habitat suitability for bobcats across the entire study area, with suitability scores ranging between −1.69 and 1.44, where higher values were assumed to represent higher quality habitat. The southern Champlain Valley, which contained ample wetland and shrub habitat, was a concentrated area of highly suitable habitat, while areas at higher elevation areas were less suitable. Female bobcat home ranges, on average, had an average habitat suitability score of near 0, indicating that home ranges consisted of both beneficial and detrimental habitat types. We discuss the application of habitat suitability mapping and home range requirements for bobcat conservation and landscape scale management.

Quantifying home range habitat requirements for bobcats (Lynx rufus) in Vermont, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Donovan, T.M.; Freeman, M.; Abouelezz, H.; Royar, Kim; Howard, A.; Mickey, R.

2011-01-01

We demonstrate how home range and habitat use analysis can inform landscape-scale conservation planning for the bobcat, Lynx rufus, in Vermont USA. From 2005 to 2008, we outfitted fourteen bobcats with GPS collars that collected spatially explicit locations from individuals every 4. h for 3-4. months. Kernel home range techniques were used to estimate home range size and boundaries, and to quantify the utilization distribution (UD), which is a spatially explicit, topographic mapping of how different areas within the home range are used. We then used GIS methods to quantify both biotic (e.g. habitat types, stream density) and abiotic (e.g. slope) resources within each bobcat's home range. Across bobcats, upper 20th UD percentiles (core areas) had 18% less agriculture, 42% less development, 26% more bobcat habitat (shrub, deciduous, coniferous forest, and wetland cover types), and 33% lower road density than lower UD percentiles (UD valleys). For each bobcat, we used Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) to evaluate and compare 24 alternative Resource Utilization Functions (hypotheses) that could explain the topology of the individual's UD. A model-averaged population-level Resource Utilization Function suggested positive responses to shrub, deciduous, coniferous forest, and wetland cover types within 1. km of a location, and negative responses to roads and mixed forest cover types within 1. km of a location. Applying this model-averaged function to each pixel in the study area revealed habitat suitability for bobcats across the entire study area, with suitability scores ranging between -1.69 and 1.44, where higher values were assumed to represent higher quality habitat. The southern Champlain Valley, which contained ample wetland and shrub habitat, was a concentrated area of highly suitable habitat, while areas at higher elevation areas were less suitable. Female bobcat home ranges, on average, had an average habitat suitability score of near 0, indicating that home ranges consisted of both beneficial and detrimental habitat types. We discuss the application of habitat suitability mapping and home range requirements for bobcat conservation and landscape scale management. ?? 2011.

Dose evaluation in criticality accidents using response of Panasonic TL personal dosemeters (UD-809/UD-802).

PubMed

Zeyrek, C T; Gündüz, H

2012-09-01

This study gives the results of dosimetry measurements carried out in the Silène reactor at Valduc (France) with neutron and photon personal thermoluminescence dosemeters (TLDs) in mixed neutron and gamma radiation fields, in the frame of the international accident dosimetry intercomparison programme in 2002. The intercomparison consisted of a series of three irradiation scenarios. The scenarios took place at the Valduc site (France) by using the Silène experimental reactor. For neutron and photon dosimetry, Panasonic model UD-809 and UD-802 personal TLDs were used together.

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

Rudisill, Tracy S.; Olson, L. C.; DiPrete, D. P.

Here, samples of undissolved solids (UDS) from the dissolution of North Anna reactor fuel were characterized to investigate the effects of using air or oxygen as the oxidant during tritium removal. The UDS composition data also support the development of a waste form for disposal. There was no discernible effect of the oxidant used during the tritium removal process or the size fraction on the UDS composition. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive (x-ray) spectroscopy were used to estimate the oxygen content of the UDS and it was found to be potentially significant, on the order of 30% bymore » mass and 80% by atom.« less

CTAB-assisted synthesis of monoclinic BiVO4 photocatalyst and its highly efficient degradation of organic dye under visible-light irradiation.

PubMed

Yin, Wenzong; Wang, Wenzhong; Zhou, Lin; Sun, Songmei; Zhang, Ling

2010-01-15

A highly efficient monoclinic BiVO(4) photocatalyst (C-BVO) was synthesized by an aqueous method with the assistance of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). The structure, morphology and photophysical properties of the C-BVO were characterized by XRD, FE-SEM and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, respectively. The photocatalytic efficiencies were evaluated by the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under visible-light irradiation, revealing that the degradation rate over the C-BVO was much higher than that over the reference BiVO(4) prepared by aqueous method and over the one prepared by solid-state reaction. The efficiency of de-ethylation and that of the cleavage of conjugated chromophore structure were investigated, respectively. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) values of the RhB were measured after the photocatalytic degradation over the C-BVO and demonstrated a 53% decrease in COD. The effects of CTAB on the synthesis of C-BVO were investigated, which revealed that CTAB not only changed the reaction process via the formation of BiOBr as an intermediate, but also facilitated the transition from BiOBr to BiVO(4). Comparison experiments were carried out and showed that the existence of impurity level makes significant contribution to the high photocatalytic efficiency of the C-BVO.

Effects of a triplex mixture of Peganum harmala, Rhus coriaria, and Urtica dioica aqueous extracts on metabolic and histological parameters in diabetic rats.

PubMed

Abedi Gaballu, Fereydoon; Abedi Gaballu, Yousef; Moazenzade Khyavy, Omid; Mardomi, Alireza; Ghahremanzadeh, Kazem; Shokouhi, Behrooz; Mamandy, Himan

2015-08-01

Several therapeutic effects such as antioxidant and blood glucose-lowering activities have been reported for Peganum harmala L (Zygophyllaceae) (PH) seeds, Rhus coriaria L (Anacardiaceae) (RC) fruits, and Urtica dioica L (Urticaceae) (UD) leaves. This study investigates the effects of a triplex mixture (1:1:1) of these medicinal plants on metabolic and histological parameters in diabetic rats. Aqueous extracts of PH, RC and UD were administered as either monotherapy or in combination at a final dose of 200 mg/kg to alloxan-induced diabetic rats by daily gavage. Biochemical parameters including blood glucose, liver function-related enzymes, lipid profile, and creatinine were estimated by spectrophotometric methods. Tissues from the liver and kidney stained with hematoxylin/eosin were histologically examined. The results obtained from the exposure groups were compared to either healthy or diabetic control groups. Compared with the diabetic control rats, all aqueous extracts (ED50 = 11.5 ± 2.57 mg/ml) led to significant decreases in the levels of ALP (1.39-2.23-fold, p < 0.05), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (1.79-3.26-fold, p < 0.05), and blood glucose (1.27-4.16-fold, p < 0.05). The serum concentrations of TG was decreased only by treatment with UD and triplex mixture (1.25- and 1.20-fold, respectively, p < 0.05). Among the studied parameters, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), LDL-C, TG, and creatinine recovered to healthy control levels after 4 weeks of treatment with the extract mixture. This study showed that PH, RC, and UD extracts, especially their combination, had significant antidiabetic, hypolipidemic, and liver and renal damage recovering effects.

Do Pattern-Focused Visuals Improve Skin Self-Examination Performance? Explicating the Visual Skill Acquisition Model

PubMed Central

JOHN, KEVIN K.; JENSEN, JAKOB D.; KING, ANDY J.; RATCLIFF, CHELSEA L.; GROSSMAN, DOUGLAS

2017-01-01

Skin self-examination (SSE) consists of routinely checking the body for atypical moles that might be cancerous. Identifying atypical moles is a visual task; thus, SSE training materials utilize pattern-focused visuals to cultivate this skill. Despite widespread use, researchers have yet to explicate how pattern-focused visuals cultivate visual skill. Using eye tracking to capture the visual scanpaths of a sample of laypersons (N = 92), the current study employed a 2 (pattern: ABCDE vs. ugly duckling sign [UDS]) × 2 (presentation: photorealistic images vs. illustrations) factorial design to assess whether and how pattern-focused visuals can increase layperson accuracy in identifying atypical moles. Overall, illustrations resulted in greater sensitivity, while photos resulted in greater specificity. The UDS × photorealistic condition showed greatest specificity. For those in the photo condition with high self-efficacy, UDS increased specificity directly. For those in the photo condition with self-efficacy levels at the mean or lower, there was a conditional indirect effect such that these individuals spent a larger amount of their viewing time observing the atypical moles, and time on target was positively related to specificity. Illustrations provided significant gains in specificity for those with low-to-moderate self-efficacy by increasing total fixation time on the atypical moles. Findings suggest that maximizing visual processing efficiency could enhance existing SSE training techniques. PMID:28759333

Stable Kalman filters for processing clock measurement data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clements, P. A.; Gibbs, B. P.; Vandergraft, J. S.

1989-01-01

Kalman filters have been used for some time to process clock measurement data. Due to instabilities in the standard Kalman filter algorithms, the results have been unreliable and difficult to obtain. During the past several years, stable forms of the Kalman filter have been developed, implemented, and used in many diverse applications. These algorithms, while algebraically equivalent to the standard Kalman filter, exhibit excellent numerical properties. Two of these stable algorithms, the Upper triangular-Diagonal (UD) filter and the Square Root Information Filter (SRIF), have been implemented to replace the standard Kalman filter used to process data from the Deep Space Network (DSN) hydrogen maser clocks. The data are time offsets between the clocks in the DSN, the timescale at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and two geographically intermediate clocks. The measurements are made by using the GPS navigation satellites in mutual view between clocks. The filter programs allow the user to easily modify the clock models, the GPS satellite dependent biases, and the random noise levels in order to compare different modeling assumptions. The results of this study show the usefulness of such software for processing clock data. The UD filter is indeed a stable, efficient, and flexible method for obtaining optimal estimates of clock offsets, offset rates, and drift rates. A brief overview of the UD filter is also given.

About the nature of design in universal design.

PubMed

Heylighen, Ann

2014-01-01

Studies suggest that the concept of universal design (UD) is not widely accepted and that some of its ideas are received rather sceptically. This article confronts the concept of UD with prevailing notions and practices of design. It examines how UD can be situated relative to design in general, and explores whether elements in the nature of design can help us explain this scepticism. The article confronts writings about how design is understood with the concept and ideas of UD. This confrontation is substantiated with examples from studies of design processes in architectural design practice. The confrontation highlights the ambiguity of how UD is framed and presented, ranging from an attitude over something utopian to a normative design domain. (1) Besides UD other attitudes are thinkable that address the diversity in human abilities and conditions. (2) The impossibility to really design for everyone may be inherent to design rather than characteristic of UD. (3) Even if UD as a normative design domain were a top priority, the question remains how to assess whether a design is universally usable given the nature of design (problems), and prevailing design practices. Implications for Rehabilitation Understanding disability as originating in the interaction between features of an individual's body and features of his/her environment, as universal design does, implies that rehabilitation specialists need to consider the context in which a person lives. Besides striving for independence, self-reliance and individualism, rehabilitation specialists may consider other attitudes to address the diversity in human abilities and conditions. Designers do not have direct access to the perspective of the people they design for. Assessing whether a design is universally accessible may benefit from expertise of rehabilitation specialists.

Evaluation of the Roche prototype 454 HIV-1 ultradeep sequencing drug resistance assay in a routine diagnostic laboratory.

PubMed

Garcia-Diaz, A; Guerrero-Ramos, A; McCormick, A L; Macartney, M; Conibear, T; Johnson, M A; Haque, T; Webster, D P

2013-10-01

Studies have shown that low-frequency resistance mutations can influence treatment outcome. However, the lack of a standardized high-throughput assay has precluded their detection in clinical settings. To evaluate the performance of the Roche prototype 454 UDS HIV-1 drug resistance assay (UDS assay) in a routine diagnostic laboratory. 50 plasma samples, previously characterized by population sequencing and that had shown ≥1 resistance associated mutation (RAM), were retrospectively tested by the UDS assay, including 18 B and 32 non-B subtypes; viral loads between 114-1,806,407 cp/ml; drug-naive (n=27) and drug-experienced (n=23) individuals. The UDS assay was successful for 37/50 (74%) samples. It detected all RAMs found by population sequencing at frequencies above 20%. In addition, 39 low-frequency RAMs were exclusively detected by the UDS assay at frequencies below 20% in both drug-naïve (19/26, 73%) and drug-experienced (9/18, 50%) individuals. UDS results would lead to changes from susceptible to resistant to efavirenz (EFV) in one drug-naive individual with suboptimal response to an EFV-containing regimen and from susceptible to resistance to lamivudine (3TC) in one drug naïve subject who subsequently failed a 3TC-containing regimen and in a treatment experienced subject who had failed a 3TC-containing regimen. The UDS assay performed well across a wide range of subtypes and viral loads; it showed perfect agreement with population sequencing for all RAMs analyzed. In addition, the UDS assay detected additional mutations at frequencies below 20% which correlate with patients' treatment history and had in some cases important prognostic implications. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Degradation of reactive orange 4 dye using hydrodynamic cavitation based hybrid techniques.

PubMed

Gore, Mohan M; Saharan, Virendra Kumar; Pinjari, Dipak V; Chavan, Prakash V; Pandit, Aniruddha B

2014-05-01

In the present work, degradation of reactive orange 4 dye (RO4) has been investigated using hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) and in combination with other AOP's. In the hybrid techniques, combination of hydrodynamic cavitation and other oxidizing agents such as H2O2 and ozone have been used to get the enhanced degradation efficiency through HC device. The hydrodynamic cavitation was first optimized in terms of different operating parameters such as operating inlet pressure, cavitation number and pH of the operating medium to get the maximum degradation of RO4. Following the optimization of HC parameters, the degradation of RO4 was carried out using the combination of HC with H2O2 and ozone. It has been found that the efficiency of the HC can be improved significantly by combining it with H2O2 and ozone. The mineralization rate of RO4 increases considerably with 14.67% mineralization taking place using HC alone increases to 31.90% by combining it with H2O2 and further increases to 76.25% through the combination of HC and ozone. The synergetic coefficient of greater than one for the hybrid processes of HC+H2O2 and HC+Ozone has suggested that the combination of HC with other oxidizing agents is better than the individual processes for the degradation of dye effluent containing RO4. The combination of HC with ozone proves to be the most energy efficient method for the degradation of RO4 as compared to HC alone and the hybrid process of HC and H2O2. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Urodynamic catheter moisture sensor: A novel device to improve leak point pressure detection.

PubMed

Marshall, Blake R; Arlen, Angela M; Kirsch, Andrew J

2016-06-01

High-quality urodynamic studies in patients with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction are important, as UDS may be the only reliable gauge of potential risk for upper tract deterioration and the optimal tool to guide lower urinary tract management. Reliance on direct visualization of leakage during typical UDS remains a potential source of error. Given the necessity of accurate leak point pressures, we developed a wireless leak detection sensor to eliminate the need for visual inspection during UDS. A mean decrease in detrusor leak point pressure of 3 cm/H2 0 and a mean 11% decrease in capacity at leakage was observed when employing the sensor compared to visual inspection in children undergoing two fillings during a single UDS session. Removing the visual inspection component of UDS may improve accuracy of pressure readings. Neurourol. Urodynam. 35:647-648, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Qualitative Description of Spatial Quality in Inclusive Architecture.

PubMed

Ryhl, Camilla; Kajita, Masashi; Sørensen, René

2016-01-01

Universal design (UD) has gained global significance and is in the process of institutionalisation in the Nordic Region. This is despite an urgent necessity for developing the theoretical basis and practical applicability of UD. Reflecting this need for furthering the comprehensive understanding of spatial implication of UD, this paper aims to contribute for articulating a means to assess the quality of UD in architecture. Drawing upon numerous cases from research conducted at the Danish Building Research Institute, the paper focuses on sensory aspects of spatial quality, and discusses as well as reflects an applied method for producing the qualitative description of selected buildings that embody UD through creative solutions. The qualitative description of collected examples appears to be effective in delineating sensory aspects of spatial experience; however the systematic development of assessment criteria is essential in order to support students and designers to make responsible decisions in shaping built environments that are accessible and inclusive but also enjoyable.

Influence of screw holes and gamma sterilization on properties of phosphate glass fiber-reinforced composite bone plates.

PubMed

Han, Na; Ahmed, Ifty; Parsons, Andrew J; Harper, Lee; Scotchford, Colin A; Scammell, Brigitte E; Rudd, Chris D

2013-05-01

Polymers prepared from polylactic acid (PLA) have found a multitude of uses as medical devices. For a material that degrades, the main advantage is that an implant would not necessitate a second surgical event for removal. In this study, fibers produced from a quaternary phosphate-based glass (PBG) in the system 50P2O5-40CaO-5Na2O-5Fe2O3 were used to reinforce PLA polymer. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of screw holes in a range of PBG-reinforced PLA composites with varying fiber layup and volume fraction. The flexural properties obtained showed that the strength and modulus values increased with increasing fiber volume fraction; from 96 MPa to 320 MPa for strength and between 4 GPa and 24 GPa for modulus. Furthermore, utilizing a larger number of thinner unidirectional (UD) fiber prepreg layers provided a significant increase in mechanical properties, which was attributed to enhanced wet out and thus better fiber dispersion during production. The effect of gamma sterilization via flexural tests showed no statistically significant difference between the sterilized and nonsterilized samples, with the exception of the modulus values for samples with screw holes. Degradation profiles revealed that samples with screw holes degraded faster than those without screw holes due to an increased surface area for the plates with screw holes in PBS up to 30 days. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis revealed fiber pullout before and after degradation. Compared with various fiber impregnation samples, with 25% volume fraction, 8 thinner unidirectional prepreg stacked samples had the shortest fiber pull-out lengths in comparison to the other samples investigated.

Isolation and lipid degradation profile of Raoultella planticola strain 232-2 capable of efficiently catabolizing edible oils under acidic conditions.

PubMed

Sugimori, Daisuke; Watanabe, Mika; Utsue, Tomohiro

2013-01-01

The lipids (fats and oils) degradation capabilities of soil microorganisms were investigated for possible application in treatment of lipids-contaminated wastewater. We isolated a strain of the bacterium Raoultella planticola strain 232-2 that is capable of efficiently catabolizing lipids under acidic conditions such as in grease traps in restaurants and food processing plants. The strain 232-2 efficiently catabolized a mixture (mixed lipids) of commercial vegetable oil, lard, and beef tallow (1:1:1, w/w/w) at 20-35 °C, pH 3-9, and 1,000-5,000 ppm lipid content. Highly effective degradation rate was observed at 35 °C and pH 4.0, and the 24-h degradation rate was 62.5 ± 10.5 % for 3,000 ppm mixed lipids. The 24-h degradation rate for 3,000 ppm commercial vegetable oil, lard, beef tallow, mixed lipids, and oleic acid was 71.8 %, 58.7 %, 56.1 %, 55.3 ± 8.5 %, and 91.9 % at pH 4 and 30 °C, respectively. R. planticola NBRC14939 (type strain) was also able to efficiently catabolize the lipids after repeated subculturing. The composition of the culture medium strongly influenced the degradation efficiency, with yeast extract supporting more complete dissimilation than BactoPeptone or beef extract. The acid tolerance of strain 232-2 is proposed to result from neutralization of the culture medium by urease-mediated decomposition of urea to NH(3). The rate of lipids degradation increased with the rates of neutralization and cell growth. Efficient lipids degradation using strain 232-2 has been achieved in the batch treatment of a restaurant wastewater.

Object/Shape Recognition Technology: An Assessment of the Feasibility of Implementation at Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-02-25

provide efficiency and effectively manufacture or inventory items. The industries that benefit from Cognex technology are automotive, food and beverage ...recognition tedmology, Tedmology Readiness Level, PAGES Cost Benefit Analysis, Tedmology Commercialization, Technology Transition 139 16. PRICE CODE 17...Technology Development & Transition Strategy Guidebook xvii UD Ultimate Disposal U.S. United States USAF United States Air Force xviii THIS

Assessment of irrigation performance: contribution to improve water management in a small catchment in the Brazilian savannas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodrigues, Lineu; Marioti, Juliana; Steenhuis, Tammo; Wallender, Wesley

2010-05-01

Irrigated agriculture is the major consumer of surface water in Brazil using over 70% of the total supply. Due to the growing competition for water among different sectors of the economy, sustainable water use can only be achieved by decreasing the portion of water used by the irrigated agriculture. Thus, in order to maintain yield, farmers need to irrigate more efficiently. There is little known on irrigation efficiency in Brazil. Therefore a study was carried out in the Buriti Vermelho basin to assess the irrigation performance of existing system. The experimental basin has a drainage area of 940 hectares and is located in the eastern part of the Federal District, in the Brazilian savanna region. Agriculture is the main activity. There is a dominance of red latosols. Several types of land use and crop cover are encountered in the basin. Conflicts among farmers for water are increasing. As water, in quality and quantity, is crucial to maintain the livelihood of the population in the basin, concern about risk of water lack due to climatic and land use change is in place. Once irrigation is the main water user in the basin, to increase water availability and reduce conflicts a water resource management plan has to be established. For this purpose, irrigation system performance has to be understood. The objective of this work was to assess the performance and the management of irrigation (small and big) that has been carried out by farmers in the Buriti Vermelho experimental watershed. A survey undertaken in 2007 was used to identify the irrigation systems in the basin. It was verified that irrigation is practiced by both small (area up to 6 hectare) and big farmers. Small farmers usually crop limes and vegetables and use micro-irrigation, drip, sprinkler, guns or furrow to irrigate them. Big farmers plant annual crops and use center pivot as irrigation system. In this first assessment 13 irrigation systems were evaluated: five conventional sprinklers, four drip systems, one microirrigation system and three center pivots schemes. Field evaluations used the method advocated by Keller and Bliesner and conducted during farmer scheduled irrigation. Soil samples were taken before irrigations to investigate adequacy of water applied. Since the irrigation water management and the uniformity of water distribution are the two major factors used to define the quality of irrigation, the following criteria for uniformity was used: i) Localized irrigations (distribution uniformity - UD) - excellent (90% < UD), acceptable (70% < UD < 90%), not acceptable (UD < 70); ii) Center pivots and conventional sprinkler irrigations (Christiansen coefficient - UC) - excellent (85% < UC), acceptable (85% < UC < 75%), not acceptable (UC < 75%). The water stored in the root zone after an irrigation event was compared with the real necessity. The results showed that: i) Localized irrigations - Three systems had UD < 70% and all systems presented deficit or excess of irrigation; ii) Conventional sprinkler system - Three system had UD smaller than 75% and all systems applied less water than the minimum necessary to keep an amount of water in the soil that don't cause plant stress; iii) Center pivot - In two system were observed UC < 75%. In one of the center pivots the depth applied was about 42% higher than the required and in the other two it was 39% and 47% lower. The study demonstrated the importance of adopting irrigation management criteria, in agricultural basins, once irrigation water becomes limiting and reduces basin water productivity.

Regional homogeneity of resting-state brain abnormalities in bipolar and unipolar depression.

PubMed

Liu, Chun-Hong; Ma, Xin; Wu, Xia; Zhang, Yu; Zhou, Fu-Chun; Li, Feng; Tie, Chang-Le; Dong, Jie; Wang, Yong-Jun; Yang, Zhi; Wang, Chuan-Yue

2013-03-05

Bipolar disorder patients experiencing a depressive episode (BD-dep) without an observed history of mania are often misdiagnosed and are consequently treated as having unipolar depression (UD), leading to inadequate treatment and poor outcomes. An essential solution to this problem is to identify objective biological markers that distinguish BD-dep and UD patients at an early stage. However, studies directly comparing the brain dysfunctions associated with BD-dep and UD are rare. More importantly, the specificity of the differences in brain activity between these mental disorders has not been examined. With whole-brain regional homogeneity analysis and region-of-interest (ROI) based receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, we aimed to compare the resting-state brain activity of BD-dep and UD patients. Furthermore, we examined the specific differences and whether these differences were attributed to the brain abnormality caused by BD-dep, UD, or both. Twenty-one bipolar and 21 unipolar depressed patients, as well as 26 healthy subjects matched for gender, age, and educational levels, participated in the study. We compared the differences in the regional homogeneity (ReHo) of the BD-dep and UD groups and further identified their pathophysiological abnormality. In the brain regions showing a difference between the BD-dep and UD groups, we further conducted receptive operation characteristic (ROC) analyses to confirm the effectiveness of the identified difference in classifying the patients. We observed ReHo differences between the BD-dep and UD groups in the right ventrolateral middle frontal gyrus, right dorsal anterior insular, right ventral anterior insular, right cerebellum posterior gyrus, right posterior cingulate cortex, right parahippocampal gyrus, and left cerebellum anterior gyrus. Further ROI comparisons and ROC analysis on these ROIs showed that the right parahippocampal gyrus reflected abnormality specific to the BD-dep group, while the right middle frontal gyrus, the right dorsal anterior insular, the right cerebellum posterior gyrus, and the right posterior cingulate cortex showed abnormality specific to the UD group. We found brain regions showing resting state ReHo differences and examined their sensitivity and specificity, suggesting a potential neuroimaging biomarker to distinguish between BD-dep and UD patients. We further clarified the pathophysiological abnormality of these regions for each of the two patient populations. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Temporal variation in groundwater quality in the Permian Basin of Texas, a region of increasing unconventional oil and gas development.

PubMed

Hildenbrand, Zacariah L; Carlton, Doug D; Fontenot, Brian E; Meik, Jesse M; Walton, Jayme L; Thacker, Jonathan B; Korlie, Stephanie; Shelor, C Phillip; Kadjo, Akinde F; Clark, Adelaide; Usenko, Sascha; Hamilton, Jason S; Mach, Phillip M; Verbeck, Guido F; Hudak, Paul; Schug, Kevin A

2016-08-15

The recent expansion of natural gas and oil extraction using unconventional oil and gas development (UD) practices such as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing has raised questions about the potential for environmental impacts. Prior research has focused on evaluations of air and water quality in particular regions without explicitly considering temporal variation; thus, little is known about the potential effects of UD activity on the environment over longer periods of time. Here, we present an assessment of private well water quality in an area of increasing UD activity over a period of 13months. We analyzed samples from 42 private water wells located in three contiguous counties on the Eastern Shelf of the Permian Basin in Texas. This area has experienced a rise in UD activity in the last few years, and we analyzed samples in four separate time points to assess variation in groundwater quality over time as UD activities increased. We monitored general water quality parameters as well as several compounds used in UD activities. We found that some constituents remained stable over time, but others experienced significant variation over the period of study. Notable findings include significant changes in total organic carbon and pH along with ephemeral detections of ethanol, bromide, and dichloromethane after the initial sampling phase. These data provide insight into the potentially transient nature of compounds associated with groundwater contamination in areas experiencing UD activity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In situ synthesis of g-C3N4/TiO2 heterojunction nanocomposites as a highly active photocatalyst for the degradation of Orange II under visible light irradiation.

PubMed

Ren, Bin; Wang, Tiecheng; Qu, Guangzhou; Deng, Fang; Liang, Dongli; Yang, Wenli; Liu, Meishan

2018-05-04

As a highly active photocatalyst, g-C 3 N 4 /TiO 2 heterojunction nanocomposites were in situ synthesized by simple ultrasonic mixing and calcination by using TiO 2 and melamine as precursors. The morphology and structure of the prepared photocatalysts were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activities of g-C 3 N 4 /TiO 2 nanocomposites to degrade Orange II (AO7) under visible light irradiation were evaluated. Results showed that the photocatalytic rate of the prepared g-C 3 N 4 /TiO 2 photocatalyst to degrade AO7 was about three times than that of pristine TiO 2 and g-C 3 N 4 . The g-C 3 N 4 /TiO 2 composite with a ratio of 1:4 had the highest degradation efficiency for AO7 solution. Its degradation efficiency under acidic conditions was significantly higher than that under alkaline conditions. The enhancement of photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the formation of heterojunctions between g-C 3 N 4 and TiO 2 , which leads to rapid charge transfer and the efficient separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. The recycling experiment indicated that the photocatalyst of g-C 3 N 4 /TiO 2 nanocomposites still maintained good photochemical stability and recyclability after five cycles; this finding was important for its practical applications. A series of free radical trapping experiments showed that •O 2 - played a crucial role in the degradation of AO7. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

Characterization of undissolved solids from the dissolution of North Anna reactor fuel

DOE PAGES

Rudisill, Tracy S.; Olson, L. C.; DiPrete, D. P.

2017-06-16

Here, samples of undissolved solids (UDS) from the dissolution of North Anna reactor fuel were characterized to investigate the effects of using air or oxygen as the oxidant during tritium removal. The UDS composition data also support the development of a waste form for disposal. There was no discernible effect of the oxidant used during the tritium removal process or the size fraction on the UDS composition. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive (x-ray) spectroscopy were used to estimate the oxygen content of the UDS and it was found to be potentially significant, on the order of 30% bymore » mass and 80% by atom.« less

Photocatalytic and Photoelectrochemically Degradation of Chlorsulfuron herbicide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Xu; Liu, Hongwei; Miao, Jinjie; Ma, Zhen

2017-12-01

Photocatalytic and photo electrochemical (PEC) degradation of chlorsulfuron herbicide were studied. Two novel PEC electrodes Ti/IrO2-Pt-WO3 (TIW) and Ti/IrO2-Pt-Ag3PO4 (TIA) were designed and some important factors were studied. Lower current density showed lower removal efficiency than higher conditions by electrochemical method. Furthermore, PEC showed higher degradation efficiency than the sum of individual EO and photocatalytic methode.

Magnetic multi-metal co-doped magnesium ferrite nanoparticles: An efficient visible light-assisted heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst synthesized from saprolite laterite ore.

PubMed

Diao, Yifei; Yan, Zhikai; Guo, Min; Wang, Xidong

2018-02-15

Magnetic nanoparticles of multi-metal co-doped magnesium ferrite (MgFe 2 O 4 ) were synthesized from saprolite laterite ore by a hydrothermal method, and firstly proposed as a heterogeneous photon-Fenton-like catalyst for degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB). The factors that influence the degradation reaction including pH value, the concentration of H 2 O 2 and the amount of catalyst, were systematically investigated. The doped MgFe 2 O 4 exhibited a degradation efficiency up to 96.8%, and the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC) removal efficiencies about 85.6% and 68.3%, respectively, under visible light illumination for 180min. The high activity is mainly attributed to the high specific surface area of the catalyst and the synergistic interaction between photo-catalytic oxidation and Fenton-like oxidation. Moreover, the catalyst also showed good stability and recycling performance for degrading RhB. After five consecutive degradation cycles, the activity decayed no more than 10%. Compared to other catalysts prepared from pure chemical agents, the multi-metal co-doped MgFe 2 O 4 is more competitive due to its high activity, good stability, ease of recollection, and especially the use of saprolite laterite ore as precursor. This work may provide a new avenue to synthesize efficient ferrite catalysts for degrading organic pollutants in wastewater by using natural minerals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Fe3O4/FeAl2O4 composite coating via plasma electrolytic oxidation on Q235 carbon steel for Fenton-like degradation of phenol.

PubMed

Wang, Jiankang; Yao, Zhongping; Yang, Min; Wang, Yajing; Xia, Qixing; Jiang, Zhaohua

2016-08-01

The Fe3O4/FeAl2O4 composite coatings were successfully fabricated on Q235 carbon steel by plasma electrolytic oxidation technique and used to degrade phenol by Fenton-like system. XRD, SEM, and XPS indicated that Fe3O4 and FeAl2O4 composite coating had a hierarchical porous structure. The effects of various parameters such as pH, phenol concentration, and H2O2 dosage on catalytic activity were investigated. The results indicated that with increasing of pH and phenol content, the phenol degradation efficiency was reduced significantly. However, the degradation rate was improved with the addition of H2O2, but dropped with further increasing of H2O2. Moreover, 100 % removal efficiency with 35 mg/L phenol was obtained within 60 min at 303 K and pH 4.0 with 6.0 mmol/L H2O2 on 6-cm(2) iron oxide coating. The degradation process consisted of induction period and rapid degradation period; both of them followed pseudo-first-order reaction. Hydroxyl radicals were the mainly oxidizing species during phenol degradation by using n-butanol as hydroxyl radical scavenger. Based on Fe leaching and the reaction kinetics, a possible phenol degradation mechanism was proposed. The catalyst exhibited excellent stability.

Efficient degradation of TCE in groundwater using Pd and electro-generated H2 and O2: a shift in pathway from hydrodechlorination to oxidation in the presence of ferrous ions.

PubMed

Yuan, Songhu; Mao, Xuhui; Alshawabkeh, Akram N

2012-03-20

Degradation of trichloroethylene (TCE) in simulated groundwater by Pd and electro-generated H(2) and O(2) is investigated in the absence and presence of Fe(II). In the absence of Fe(II), hydrodechlorination dominates TCE degradation, with accumulation of H(2)O(2) up to 17 mg/L. Under weak acidity, low concentrations of oxidizing •OH radicals are detected due to decomposition of H(2)O(2), slightly contributing to TCE degradation via oxidation. In the presence of Fe(II), the degradation efficiency of TCE at 396 μM improves to 94.9% within 80 min. The product distribution proves that the degradation pathway shifts from 79% hydrodechlorination in the absence of Fe(II) to 84% •OH oxidation in the presence of Fe(II). TCE degradation follows zeroth-order kinetics with rate constants increasing from 2.0 to 4.6 μM/min with increasing initial Fe(II) concentration from 0 to 27.3 mg/L at pH 4. A good correlation between TCE degradation rate constants and •OH generation rate constants confirms that •OH is the predominant reactive species for TCE oxidation. Presence of 10 mM Na(2)SO(4), NaCl, NaNO(3), NaHCO(3), K(2)SO(4), CaSO(4), and MgSO(4) does not significantly influence degradation, but sulfite and sulfide greatly enhance and slightly suppress degradation, respectively. A novel Pd-based electrochemical process is proposed for groundwater remediation.

Efficient Degradation of TCE in Groundwater Using Pd and Electro-generated H2 and O2: A Shift in Pathway from Hydrodechlorination to Oxidation in the Presence of Ferrous Ions

PubMed Central

Yuan, Songhu; Mao, Xuhui; Alshawabkeh, Akram N.

2012-01-01

Degradation of trichloroethylene (TCE) in simulated groundwater by Pd and electro-generated H2 and O2 is investigated in the absence and presence of Fe(II). In the absence of Fe(II), hydrodechlorination dominates TCE degradation, with accumulation of H2O2 up to 17 mg/L. Under weak acidity, low concentrations of oxidizing •OH radical are detected due to decomposition of H2O2, slightly contributing to TCE degradation via oxidation. In the presence of Fe(II), the degradation efficiency of TCE at 396 μM improves to 94.9% within 80 min. The product distribution proves that the degradation pathway shifts from 79% hydrodechlorination in the absence of Fe(II) to 84% •OH oxidation in the presence of Fe(II). TCE degradation follows zeroth-order kinetics with rate constants increasing from 2.0 to 4.6 μM/min with increasing initial Fe(II) concentration from 0 to 27.3 mg/L at pH 4. A good correlation between TCE degradation rate constants and •OH generation rate constants confirms that •OH is the predominant reactive species for TCE oxidation. Presence of 10 mM Na2SO4, NaCl, NaNO3, NaHCO3, K2SO4, CaSO4 and MgSO4 does not significantly influence degradation, but sulfite and sulfide greatly enhance and slightly suppresses degradation, respectively. A novel Pd-based electrochemical process is proposed for groundwater remediation. PMID:22315993

Fatigue Prediction Verification of Fiberglass Hulls

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-10-01

UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS( ES ) United States Naval Academy,Department of Naval Architecture & Ocean Engineering...Annapolis,MD,21402 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER 9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS( ES ) 10. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S ACRONYM(S) 11...the relatively low number of cycles-to-failure these speci- mens were more efficiently tested on the Satec 50UD ma- chine. The wet specimens were

Protective effects of Urtica dioica L. on experimental testicular ischaemia reperfusion injury in rats.

PubMed

Aktas, C; Erboga, M; Fidanol Erboga, Z; Bozdemir Donmez, Y; Topcu, B; Gurel, A

2017-05-01

In this study, it was aimed to examine the effects of Urtica dioica L. (UD) that has antioxidant feature in the experimental testicular I/R model in rats in terms of anti-apoptotic and antioxidative effects. In our study, 24 male rats were divided into three groups: control group, I/R group and I/R + UD (2 mg kg -1 ) group. Seminiferous tubule calibre measurement, Johnson score, haematoxylin-eosin staining, proliferative cell nucleus antigen (PCNA) immunohistochemical staining and TUNEL as histopathological have been conducted. The structural deterioration in the testicular on I/R group has reduced after the treatment of UD. Our data indicate a significant reduction in the activity of in situ identification of apoptosis using terminal dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL), and there was a rise in the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in testis tissues of UD-treated rats in the I/R group. The I/R + UD group showed a decrease in malondialdehyde levels and an increase in the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase in comparison with the I/R group. It could be concluded that protective effects of UD on the I/R testicles are via reduction of histological damage, apoptosis, oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation. © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Safety-oriented usability test of a semi-automated unit dose system: role of task allocation between human and machine.

PubMed

Pelayo, Sylvia; Hassler, Sylvain; Bernonville, Stéphanie; Aldegheri, Julien; Beuscart-Zephir, Marie-Catherine

2013-01-01

The distribution of tasks between humans and machines in the design of healthcare systems is an important issue for patient safety. This paper presents a usability test performed to compare a semi-automated unit dose system (UDS) with the usual/manual preparation procedure for preparing and administering drugs. The results show that the UDS prevents the frequent administration errors encountered with the usual cabinets and produces a better performance in terms of time for filling the pill dispensers (6.52 sec ± 1.1 vs. 8.5 sec ± 1.5 (t(9, 16) = 3.12, p <.007)). But the results also stress that the UDS takes entire control of the preparation and administration tasks, thus leading to a loss of control of the process by nurses (difficulties experienced by them in resuming their actions, difficulties in memorizing drugs, lack of confidence in the UDS while they "blindly" rely on it). The distribution of tasks between the nurses and the UDS should be modified to give back control to the nurses. Design suggestions were provided in this way. For instance, the UDS may guide the nurses for the drugs localization in the cabinet but leaves the validation of the drugs to the nurses.

Biodegradation of 3,5-dimethyl-2,4-dichlorophenol in saline wastewater by newly isolated Penicillium sp. yz11-22N2.

PubMed

Yan, Zhou; He, Huijun; Yang, Chunping; Zeng, Guangming; Luo, Le; Jiao, Panpan; Li, Huiru; Lu, Li

2017-07-01

In this study, the performance of 3,5-dimethyl-2,4-dichlorophenol (DCMX) degradation by a screened strain was investigated. 18S rDNA and the neighbor-joining method were used for identification of the isolated strain. The results of phylogenetic analysis and scanning electron micrographs showed that the most probable identity of the screened strain should be Penicillium sp. Growth characteristics of Penicillium sp. and degradation processes of DCMX were examined. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of the inoculated DCMX solution was recorded, which supported the capacity of DCMX degradation by the screened Penicillium sp. Under different salinity conditions, the highest growth rate and removal efficiency for DCMX were obtained at pH6.0. The removal efficiency decreased from 100% to 66% when the DCMX concentration increased from 5 to 60mg/L, respectively. Using a Box-Behnken design, the maximum DCMX removal efficiency was determined to be 98.4%. With acclimation to salinity, higher removal efficiency could be achieved. The results demonstrate that the screened Penicillium sp. has the capability for degradation of DCMX. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Degradation of triclosan and its main intermediates during the combined irradiation and biological treatment.

PubMed

Wang, Shizong; Wang, Jianlong

2018-05-01

Triclosan is an extensively applied antimicrobial agent which has been frequently detected in the environment. In this paper, the degradation of triclosan and its main intermediates was investigated during the combined irradiation and biological treatment. The results showed that triclosan degradation increased with increase of absorbed dose, the removal efficiency of triclosan was 62%, 77%, 87%, 91% and 94%, respectively at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 kGy. The final removal efficiency of triclosan after the combined irradiation and biological process was 81%, 86%, 90%, 92% and 95%, respectively. During the irradiation process, two main intermediates, that is, 4,4'-2'-phenoxyphenol (Intermediate 1) and 4-chloro-2'-phenoxyphenol (Intermediate 2) were detected, in which Intermediate 1 dominated during the irradiation process. In the following biological treatment process, Intermediates 1 and 2 could be further degraded. In single biological treatment process, the final removal efficiency of triclosan was 54%, and Intermediates 1 and 2 were detected. Intermediate 1 could be biodegraded while Intermediate 2 could not. The concentration of Intermediate 2 increased during biological treatment process. In conclusion, irradiation as pre-treatment process can enhance the degradation of triclosan and improve the biodegradability of Intermediate 2. Combined irradiation and biological process can be promising for treating antibiotic-containing wastewater.

Hydroprocessing full-range of heavy oils and bitumen using ultradispersed catalysts at low severity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peluso, Enzo

The progressive exhaustion of light crude oils is forcing the petroleum industry to explore new alternatives for the exploitation of unconventional oils. New approaches are searching for technologies able to produce, transport and refine these feedstocks at lower costs, in which symbiotic processes between the enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and the conventional upgrading technologies are under investigation. The process explored in this thesis is an interesting alternative for in-situ upgrading of these crude oils in the presence of ultradispersed (UD) catalysts, which are included as a disperse phase able to circulate along with the processed feed. The objectives of this work are: (a) study the performance of UD catalysts in the presence of a full range (non fractioned) heavy oil and bitumen and (b) evaluate the recyclability of the UD catalysts. Four different heavy crude oils were evaluated in the presence with UD catalysts at a total pressure of 2.8 MPa, residence time of 8 hours and reaction temperatures from 360 up to 400ºC. Thermal and catalytic hydro-processing were compared in terms of conversion and product stability. A comparison between the different crude oils was additionally derived in terms of SARA, initial micro-carbon content and virgin oil stability among other properties. Advantages of catalytic hydro-processing over thermal hydro-processing were evidenced, with UD catalysts playing an essential hydrogenating role while retarding coke formation; microcarbon and asphaltenes reduction in the presence of UD catalysts was observed. To evaluate the feasibility of recycling the UD catalysts, a micro-slurry recycled unit was developed as part of this research. These main results showed: (a) a successful design of this unit, (b) that temperature, LHSV and fractional recycling ratio have more impact on VGO conversion, while pressure has almost no effect, and (c) an UD catalysts agglomeration process was detected, however this process is slow and reversible.

Trends in Adult Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Prevalence, Incidence and Urethral Discharge Case Reporting in Morocco over 1995-2015-Estimates Using the Spectrum-Sexually Transmitted Infection Model.

PubMed

El-Kettani, Amina; Mahiané, Guy; Bennani, Aziza; Abu-Raddad, Laith; Smolak, Alex; Rowley, Jane; Nagelkerke, Nico; El-Rhilani, Houssine; Alami, Kamal; Hançali, Amina; Korenromp, Eline

2017-09-01

Evolving health priorities and resource constraints mean that countries require data on sexually transmitted infections (STI) trends to inform program planning and resource allocation. The Spectrum modeling tool estimated prevalence and incidence of gonorrhea and chlamydia in Morocco's 15- to 49-year-old population, based on prevalence surveys. Incident cases, broken down between symptomatic and asymptomatic, and treated versus untreated, were compared with urethral discharge (UD) case reports, to estimate reporting completeness among treated UD cases. Gonorrhea prevalence was estimated at 0.37% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.14-1.0%) in women and 0.32% (0.12-0.87%) in men in 2015; chlamydia prevalences were 3.8% (95% CI, 2.1-6.4%) and 3.0% (95% CI, 1.7-5.1%). Corresponding estimated numbers of new cases in women and men in 2015 were 79,598 (95% CI, 23,918-256,206) and 112,013 (95% CI, 28,700-307,433) for gonorrhea, and 291,908 (95% CI, 161,064-524,270) and 314,032 (95% CI, 186,076-559,133) for chlamydia. Gonorrhea and chlamydia prevalence had declined by an estimated 41% and 27%, respectively, over 1995 to 2015. Prevalence declines probably related to improved STI treatment coverage, and decreasing risk behaviors. Reporting completeness among treated UD cases was estimated at 46% to 77% in 2015. Reported UD cases corresponded to 13% of all estimated (symptomatic and asymptomatic) gonorrhea and chlamydia cases. STI declines and improvements in treatment coverage are consistent with Morocco's introduction of syndromic management in 2000, scale-up of prevention, and declining human immunodeficiency virus incidence. While gonorrhea is four-fold more common as cause of clinical UD cases than chlamydia, Morocco continues to suffer a large, untreated burden of chlamydia. Reliable monitoring of both STIs requires new periodic surveys and/or novel forms of affordable surveillance beyond high-risk populations.

Degradation of sulfamethazine using Fe3O4-Mn3O4/reduced graphene oxide hybrid as Fenton-like catalyst.

PubMed

Wan, Zhong; Wang, Jianlong

2017-02-15

In this paper, Fe 3 O 4 -Mn 3 O 4 /reduced graphene oxide (RGO) hybrid was synthesized through polyol process and impregnation method and used as heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst for degradation of sulfamethazine (SMT) in aqueous solution. The hybrid catalyst had higher catalytic efficiency compared with Fe 3 O 4 -Mn 3 O 4 and Mn 3 O 4 as catalyst for degradation of SMT . The effects of pH value, H 2 O 2 concentration, catalyst dosage, initial SMT concentration and temperature on SMT degradation were investigated. The removal efficiency of SMT was about 98% at following optimal conditions: pH=3, T=35°C, Fe 3 O 4 /Mn 3 O 4 -RGO composites=0.5g/L, H 2 O 2 =6mM. The inhibitor experiments indicated that the main active species was hydroxyl radicals (·OH) on catalyst surface. At last, the possible catalytic mechanism was proposed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ammonia-modified graphene sheets decorated with magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles for the photocatalytic and photo-Fenton degradation of phenolic compounds under sunlight irradiation.

PubMed

Boruah, Purna K; Sharma, Bhagyasmeeta; Karbhal, Indrapal; Shelke, Manjusha V; Das, Manash R

2017-03-05

Synthesis of easily separable and eco-friendly efficient catalyst with both photocatalytic and photo-Fenton degradation properties is of great importance for environment remediation application. Herein, ammonia-modified graphene (AG) sheets decorated with Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles (AG/Fe 3 O 4 ) as a magnetically recoverable photocatalyst by a simple in situ solution chemistry approach. First, we have functionalized graphene oxide (GO) sheets by amide functional group and then Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles (NPs) are doped onto the functionalized GO surface. The AG/Fe 3 O 4 nanocomposite showed efficient photocatalytic activity towards degradation of phenol (92.43%), 2-nitrophenol (2-NP) (98%) and 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) (97.15%) within 70-120min. Consequently, in case of photo-Fenton degradation phenomenon, 93.56% phenol, 98.76% 2-NP and 98.06% of 2-CP degradation were achieved within 50-80min using AG/Fe 3 O 4 nanocomposite under sunlight irradiation. The synergistic effect between amide functionalized graphene and Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles (NPs) enhances the photocatalytic activity by preventing the recombination rate of electron-hole-pair in Fe 3 O 4 NPs. Furthermore, the remarkable reusability of the AG/Fe 3 O 4 nanocomposite was observed up to ten cycles during the photocatalytic degradation of these phenolic compounds. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nicosulfuron Biodegradation by a Novel Cold-Adapted Strain Oceanisphaera psychrotolerans LAM-WHM-ZC.

PubMed

Zhou, Shan; Song, Jinlong; Dong, Weiwei; Mu, Yingchun; Zhang, Qi; Fan, Ziwen; Wang, Yanwei; Kong, Delong; Zhou, Yiqing; Jiang, Xu; Zhao, Bin; Han, Gang; Ruan, Zhiyong

2017-11-29

Nicosulfuron is a common environmental pollutant, posing a great threat to aquatic systems and causing significant damage to crops. This study reported a cold-adapted strain Oceanisphaera psychrotolerans LAM-WHM-ZC, which efficiently degrades nicosulfuron over a wide range of temperatures (5 to 40 °C). The Box-Behnken design method was used to optimize the degradation conditions. O. psychrotolerans LAM-WHM-ZC can degrade 92.4% and 74.6% of initially supplemented 100 mg/L nicosulfuron under the optimum and low temperature of 18.1 and 5 °C, respectively, within 7 days. O. psychrotolerans LAM-WHM-ZC was found to be highly efficient in degrading cinosulfuron, chlorsulfuron, rimsulfuron, bensulfuron methyl, and ethametsulfuron methyl. Metabolites from nicosulfuron degradation were identified by UPLC-MS, and a possible degradation pathway was proposed. Furthermore, O. psychrotolerans LAM-WHM-ZC can also degrade nicosulfuron in soil; 78.6% and 67.4% of the initial nicosulfuron supplemented at 50 mg/kg were removed at 18.1 and 5 °C, respectively, within 15 days.

Evaluación de la utilidad diagnóstica de la versión española del cuestionario al informador «AD8»☆

PubMed Central

Pardo, C. Carnero; de la Vega Cotarelo, R.; Alcalde, S. López; Aparicio, C. Martos; Carrillo, R. Vílchez; Gavilán, E. Mora; Galvin, J.E.

2012-01-01

Introducción El AD8 es un cuestionario al informador breve que puede ser autoaplicado y facilita la identificación de deterioro cognitivo (DC); nuestro objetivo es evaluar la utilidad diagnóstica (UD) de una versión española. Material y métodos Estudio transversal en una muestra clínica de díadas paciente/ informador, 330 sujetos con sospecha de DC o demencia (DEM) y 71 controles. Se ha evaluado la consistencia interna (α de Cronbach) y la validez (correlaciones parciales con estadio GDS, Fototest e índice funcional [IF]). La UD se ha evaluado para no DC vs DC (GDS 3–4) por medio del área bajo la curva ROC (aROC) y se ha considerado mejor punto de corte aquel que hacía máximo el índice de Youden. Resultados En la muestra, 105 no tenían DC, 99 tenían DC sin DEM y 203 DEM. La consistencia interna es alta (α 0,90, IC del 95%, 0,89–0,92), al igual que las correlaciones con GDS (r = 0,72, p < 0,001), Fototest (r = −0,61, p < 0,001) e IF (r = 0,59, p < 0,001). El aROC del AD8 es 0,90 (IC del 95%, 0,86–0,93), sin diferencia significativa con la del Fototest (aROC 0,93, IC del 95%, 0,89–0,96); el mejor punto de corte es 3/4 con sensibilidad de 0,93 (IC del 95%, 0,88–0,96), especificidad de 0,81 (IC del 95%, 0,72–0,88) y el 88,8% de las clasificaciones correctas. El uso conjunto de AD8 y Fototest mejora de forma significativa la UD de ambos (aROC 0,96, IC del 95%, 0,93–0,98, p < 0,05). Conclusiones La versión española del AD8 conserva las cualidades psicométricas y la UD de la versión original; su uso combinado con el Fototest mejora de forma significativa la UD de ambos. PMID:22652137

Biodegradation characterization and immobilized strains' potential for quinoline degradation by Brevundimonas sp. K4 isolated from activated sludge of coking wastewater.

PubMed

Wang, Chunrong; Zhang, Mengru; Cheng, Fanglin; Geng, Qi

2015-01-01

A novel quinoline-degrading strain, named K4, was isolated from activated sludge of a coking wastewater treatment plant and identified as Brevundimonas sp. on the basis of its 16s rDNA gene sequence analysis. Its optimum temperature and pH for quinoline degradation were 30 °C and pH 9.0, respectively, and during the biodegradation process, at 100 mg/L initial quinoline concentration, an inoculation amount of 8% (OD600 of 0.23) was the optimal strain concentration. In addition, the kinetics of free K4 strains for quinoline degradation showed that it followed a zero-order equation. Furthermore, compared with free K4 strains, immobilized K4 strains' potential for quinoline degradation was investigated by adding both of them into SBR reactors for actual coking wastewater treatment on operation over 15 days. The results showed that bioaugmentation by both free and immobilized K4 strains enhanced quinoline removal efficiency, and especially, the latter could reach its stable removal after a shorter accommodation period, with 94.8% of mean quinoline removal efficiency.

BiVO4 /N-rGO nano composites as highly efficient visible active photocatalyst for the degradation of dyes and antibiotics in eco system.

PubMed

Appavu, Brindha; Thiripuranthagan, Sivakumar; Ranganathan, Sudhakar; Erusappan, Elangovan; Kannan, Kathiravan

2018-04-30

Herein, we report the synthesis of novel nitrogen doped reduced graphene oxide/ BiVO 4 photo catalyst by single step hydrothermal method. The physicochemical properties of the catalysts were characterized using XRD, N 2 adsorption-desorption, Raman, XPS, SEM TEM, DRS-UV and EIS techniques. The synthesized catalysts were tested for their catalytic activity in the photo degradation of some harmful textile dyes (methylene blue & congo red) and antibiotics (metronidazole and chloramphenicol) under visible light irradiation. Reduced charge recombination and enhanced photocatalytic activity were observed due to the concerted effect between BiVO 4 and nitrogen-rGO. The degradation efficiency of BiVO 4 /N-rGO in the degradation of CR and MB was remarkably high i.e 95% and 98% under visible light irradiation. Similarly 95% of MTZ and 93% of CAP were degraded under visible light irradiation. HPLC studies implied that both the dyes and antibiotics were degraded to the maximum extent. The plausible photocatalytic mechanism on the basis of experimental results was suggested. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Explicit-Duration Hidden Markov Model Inference of UP-DOWN States from Continuous Signals

PubMed Central

McFarland, James M.; Hahn, Thomas T. G.; Mehta, Mayank R.

2011-01-01

Neocortical neurons show UP-DOWN state (UDS) oscillations under a variety of conditions. These UDS have been extensively studied because of the insight they can yield into the functioning of cortical networks, and their proposed role in putative memory formation. A key element in these studies is determining the precise duration and timing of the UDS. These states are typically determined from the membrane potential of one or a small number of cells, which is often not sufficient to reliably estimate the state of an ensemble of neocortical neurons. The local field potential (LFP) provides an attractive method for determining the state of a patch of cortex with high spatio-temporal resolution; however current methods for inferring UDS from LFP signals lack the robustness and flexibility to be applicable when UDS properties may vary substantially within and across experiments. Here we present an explicit-duration hidden Markov model (EDHMM) framework that is sufficiently general to allow statistically principled inference of UDS from different types of signals (membrane potential, LFP, EEG), combinations of signals (e.g., multichannel LFP recordings) and signal features over long recordings where substantial non-stationarities are present. Using cortical LFPs recorded from urethane-anesthetized mice, we demonstrate that the proposed method allows robust inference of UDS. To illustrate the flexibility of the algorithm we show that it performs well on EEG recordings as well. We then validate these results using simultaneous recordings of the LFP and membrane potential (MP) of nearby cortical neurons, showing that our method offers significant improvements over standard methods. These results could be useful for determining functional connectivity of different brain regions, as well as understanding network dynamics. PMID:21738730

Fe2O3/ZnO/ZnFe2O4 composites for the efficient photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes under visible light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiaojuan; Jin, Bo; Huang, Jingwen; Zhang, Qingchun; Peng, Rufang; Chu, Shijin

2018-06-01

In this study, novel ternary Fe2O3/ZnO/ZnFe2O4 (ZFO) composites were successfully prepared through a simple hydrothermal reaction with subsequent thermal treatment. The as-prepared products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) measurement, and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS). The photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (Rh B) under visible light irradiation indicated that the ZFO composites calcined at 500 °C has the best photocatalytic activity (the photocatalytic degradation efficiency can reach up to 95.7% within 60 min) and can maintain a stable photocatalytic degradation efficiency for at least three cycles. In addition, the photocatalytic activity of ZFO composites toward dye decomposition follows the order cationic Rh B > anionic methyl orange. Finally, using different scavengers, superoxide and hydroxyl radicals were identified as the primary active species during the degradation reaction of Rh B.

Evaluating the impact of Getting To Outcomes-Underage Drinking on prevention capacity and alcohol merchant attitudes and selling behaviors

PubMed Central

Chinman, Matthew; Ebener, Patricia; Burkhart, Q; Osilla, Karen Chan; Imm, Pamela; Paddock, Susan M.; Wright, Patricia Ann

2017-01-01

Underage drinking is a significant problem facing US communities. Several environmental alcohol prevention (EAP) strategies (laws, regulations, responsible beverage service training and practices) successfully address underage drinking. Communities, however, face challenges carrying out these EAP strategies effectively. This small-scale, three-year, randomized controlled trial assessed whether providing prevention coalitions with Getting To Outcomes-Underage Drinking (GTO-UD), a tool kit and implementation support intervention, helped improve implementation of two common EAP strategies, responsible beverage service training (RBS) and Compliance Checks. Three coalitions in South Carolina and their RBS and Compliance Check programs received the 16 month GTO-UD intervention, including the GTO-UD manual, training, and onsite technical assistance, while another three in South Carolina maintained routine operations. The measures, collected at baseline and after the intervention, were a structured interview assessing how well coalitions carried out their work and a survey of merchant attitudes and practices in the six counties served by the participating coalitions. Over time, the quality of some RBS and Compliance Check activities improved more in GTO-UD coalitions than in the control sites. No changes in merchant practices or attitudes significantly differed between the GTO-UD and control groups, although merchants in the GTO-UD counties did significantly improve on refusing sales to minors while control merchants did not. PMID:23564504

Amplification of unscheduled DNA synthesis signal enables fluorescence-based single cell quantification of transcription-coupled nucleotide excision repair

PubMed Central

Wienholz, Franziska; Vermeulen, Wim

2017-01-01

Abstract Nucleotide excision repair (NER) comprises two damage recognition pathways: global genome NER (GG-NER) and transcription-coupled NER (TC-NER), which remove a wide variety of helix-distorting lesions including UV-induced damage. During NER, a short stretch of single-stranded DNA containing damage is excised and the resulting gap is filled by DNA synthesis in a process called unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS). UDS is measured by quantifying the incorporation of nucleotide analogues into repair patches to provide a measure of NER activity. However, this assay is unable to quantitatively determine TC-NER activity due to the low contribution of TC-NER to the overall NER activity. Therefore, we developed a user-friendly, fluorescence-based single-cell assay to measure TC-NER activity. We combined the UDS assay with tyramide-based signal amplification to greatly increase the UDS signal, thereby allowing UDS to be quantified at low UV doses, as well as DNA-repair synthesis of other excision-based repair mechanisms such as base excision repair and mismatch repair. Importantly, we demonstrated that the amplified UDS is sufficiently sensitive to quantify TC-NER-derived repair synthesis in GG-NER-deficient cells. This assay is important as a diagnostic tool for NER-related disorders and as a research tool for obtaining new insights into the mechanism and regulation of excision repair. PMID:28088761

Hadron interactions and exotic hadrons from lattice QCD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ikeda, Yoichi

2014-09-01

One of the interesting subjects in hadron physics is to look for the multiquark configurations. One of candidates is the H-dibaryon (udsuds), and the possibility of the bound H-dibaryon has been recently studied from lattice QCD. We also extend the HAL QCD method to define potentials on the lattice between baryons to meson-meson systems including charm quarks to search for the bound tetraquark Tcc (ud c c) and Tcs (ud c s). In the presentation, after reviewing the HAL QCD method, we report the results on the H-dibaryon, the tetraquark Tcc (ud c c) and Tcs (ud c s), where we have employed the relativistic heavy quark action to treat the charm quark dynamics with pion masses, mπ = 410, 570, 700 MeV.

Photonic efficiency of the photodegradation of paracetamol in water by the photo-Fenton process.

PubMed

Yamal-Turbay, E; Ortega, E; Conte, L O; Graells, M; Mansilla, H D; Alfano, O M; Pérez-Moya, M

2015-01-01

An experimental study of the homogeneous Fenton and photo-Fenton degradation of 4-amidophenol (paracetamol, PCT) is presented. For all the operation conditions evaluated, PCT degradation is efficiently attained by both Fenton and photo-Fenton processes. Also, photonic efficiencies of PCT degradation and mineralization are determined under different experimental conditions, characterizing the influence of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and Fe(II) on both contaminant degradation and sample mineralization. The maximum photonic degradation efficiencies for 5 and 10 mg L(-1) Fe(II) were 3.9 (H2O2 = 189 mg L(-1)) and 5 (H2O2 = 378 mg L(-1)), respectively. For higher concentrations of oxidant, H2O2 acts as a "scavenger" radical, competing in pollutant degradation and reducing the reaction rate. Moreover, in order to quantify the consumption of the oxidizing agent, the specific consumption of the hydrogen peroxide was also evaluated. For all operating conditions of both hydrogen peroxide and Fe(II) concentration, the consumption values obtained for Fenton process were always higher than the corresponding values observed for photo-Fenton. This implies a less efficient use of the oxidizing agent for dark conditions.

Oxidation of aquatic pollutants by ferrous-oxalate complexes under dark aerobic conditions.

PubMed

Lee, Jaesang; Kim, Jungwon; Choi, Wonyong

2014-06-15

This study evaluates the ability of Fe(II)-oxalate complexes for the generation of OH through oxygen reduction and the oxidative degradation of aquatic pollutants under dark aerobic conditions (i.e., with oxygen but without light). The degradation of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) was rapid in the mixture of Fe(2+) and oxalate prepared using ultrapure water, but was absent without either Fe(2+) or oxalate. The formation of Fe(II)-oxalate complexes enables two-electron reduction of oxygen to generate H2O2 and subsequent production of OH. The significant inhibition of 4-CP degradation in the presence of H2O2 and OH scavenger confirms such mechanisms. The degradation experiments with varying [Fe(2+)], [oxalate], and initial pH demonstrated that the degradation rate depends on [Fe(II)(Ox)2(2-)], but the degree of degradation is primarily determined by [Fe(II)(Ox)2(2-)]+[Fe(II)(Ox)(0)]. Efficient degradation of diverse aquatic pollutants, especially phenolic pollutants, was observed in the Fe(II)-oxalate complexes system, wherein the oxidation efficacy was primarily correlated with the reaction rate constant between pollutant and OH. The effect of various organic ligands (oxalate, citrate, EDTA, malonate, and acetate) on the degradation kinetics of 4-CP was investigated. The highest efficiency of oxalate for the oxidative degradation is attributed to its high capability to enhance the reducing power and low reactivity with OH. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Relationship between anode material, supporting electrolyte and current density during electrochemical degradation of organic compounds in water.

PubMed

Guzmán-Duque, Fernando L; Palma-Goyes, Ricardo E; González, Ignacio; Peñuela, Gustavo; Torres-Palma, Ricardo A

2014-08-15

Taking crystal violet (CV) dye as pollutant model, the electrode, electrolyte and current density (i) relationship for electro-degrading organic molecules is discussed. Boron-doped diamond (BDD) or Iridium dioxide (IrO2) used as anode materials were tested with Na2SO4 or NaCl as electrolytes. CV degradation and generated oxidants showed that degradation pathways and efficiency are strongly linked to the current density-electrode-electrolyte interaction. With BDD, the degradation pathway depends on i: If ii(lim), generated oxidants play a major role in the CV elimination. When IrO2 was used, CV removal was not dependent on i, but on the electrolyte. Pollutant degradation in Na2SO4 on IrO2 seems to occur via IrO3; however, in the presence of NaCl, degradation was dependent on the chlorinated oxidative species generated. In terms of efficiency, the Na2SO4 electrolyte showed better results than NaCl when BDD anodes were employed. On the contrary, NaCl was superior when combined with IrO2. Thus, the IrO2/Cl(-) and BDD/SO4(2-) systems were better at removing the pollutant, being the former the most effective. On the other hand, pollutant degradation with the BDD/SO4(2-) and IrO2/Cl(-) systems is favored at low and high current densities, respectively. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Degradation of microcystin-LR by highly efficient AgBr/Ag3PO4/TiO2 heterojunction photocatalyst under simulated solar light irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xin; Utsumi, Motoo; Yang, Yingnan; Li, Dawei; Zhao, Yingxin; Zhang, Zhenya; Feng, Chuanping; Sugiura, Norio; Cheng, Jay Jiayang

2015-01-01

A novel photocatalyst AgBr/Ag3PO4/TiO2 was developed by a simple facile in situ deposition method and used for degradation of mirocystin-LR. TiO2 (P25) as a cost effective chemical was used to improve the stability of AgBr/Ag3PO4 under simulated solar light irradiation. The photocatalytic activity tests for this heterojunction were conducted under simulated solar light irradiation using methyl orange as targeted pollutant. The results indicated that the optimal Ag to Ti molar ratio for the photocatalytic activity of the resulting heterojunction AgBr/Ag3PO4/TiO2 was 1.5 (named as 1.5 BrPTi), which possessed higher photocatalytic capacity than AgBr/Ag3PO4. The 1.5 BrPTi heterojunction was also more stable than AgBr/Ag3PO4 in photocatalysis. This highly efficient and relatively stable photocatalyst was further tested for degradation of the hepatotoxin microcystin-LR (MC-LR). The results suggested that MC-LR was much more easily degraded by 1.5 BrPTi than by AgBr/Ag3PO4. The quenching effects of different scavengers proved that reactive h+ and •OH played important roles for MC-LR degradation.

Can Urtica dioica supplementation attenuate mercury intoxication in Wistar rats?

PubMed

Siouda, Wafa; Abdennour, Cherif

2015-12-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the possible protective role of nettle Urtica dioica (UD) against Hg-induced toxicity. A total of 28 rats were equally divided into four groups: the control, the Hg (0.8 g HgCl2/kg in the diet), the UD (1.5 ml UD/rat by gavage), and the Hg+UD group. HgCl2 was daily dissolved in distilled water and immediately mixed with the standard diet. A solution of daily infused fresh nettle leaves in boiling water (16 g in 25 ml) was obtained and then it was administrated by gavage. Biochemical and reproductive markers, in addition to glutathione (GSH) level (liver, kidney and testis) and the histological profiles (testis and epididymis) were evaluated after 1 month exposure. Compared to the control, the levels of glucose, triglycerides, urea, creatinine, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were significantly raised in the Hg group. In the latter group, the concentrations of Mg, Fe, and Ca were significantly decreased. Besides, Hg+UD group has only showed raised AST activity and reduced Mg level. Concerning the fertility markers, Hg has provoked a significant decrease in the spermatozoa's concentration and motility and in plasma testosterone level as well. Furthermore, hepatic, renal and testicular GSH concentrations have declined significantly in the Hg treated rat compared to the control. A remarkable enhancement of the GSH level was observed in all organs of the UD group. The histological examinations of the Hg group have revealed marked testicular degeneration of the most seminiferous tubules, and showed few sperms in the lumen of epididymis ducts. However, the Hg+UD rats have demonstrated an improved histological structure with the presence of important numbers of sperms in the lumen. In addition, a clear stabilization of organized seminiferous tubules and an increased sperms' numbers were noted in the UD supplemented rats. Nettle leaves have not only played a clear protective role during Hg intoxication, but it also enhanced hepatic, renal and testicular GSH level of Wistar rats.

Power of automated algorithms for combining time-line follow-back and urine drug screening test results in stimulant-abuse clinical trials.

PubMed

Oden, Neal L; VanVeldhuisen, Paul C; Wakim, Paul G; Trivedi, Madhukar H; Somoza, Eugene; Lewis, Daniel

2011-09-01

In clinical trials of treatment for stimulant abuse, researchers commonly record both Time-Line Follow-Back (TLFB) self-reports and urine drug screen (UDS) results. To compare the power of self-report, qualitative (use vs. no use) UDS assessment, and various algorithms to generate self-report-UDS composite measures to detect treatment differences via t-test in simulated clinical trial data. We performed Monte Carlo simulations patterned in part on real data to model self-report reliability, UDS errors, dropout, informatively missing UDS reports, incomplete adherence to a urine donation schedule, temporal correlation of drug use, number of days in the study period, number of patients per arm, and distribution of drug-use probabilities. Investigated algorithms include maximum likelihood and Bayesian estimates, self-report alone, UDS alone, and several simple modifications of self-report (referred to here as ELCON algorithms) which eliminate perceived contradictions between it and UDS. Among the algorithms investigated, simple ELCON algorithms gave rise to the most powerful t-tests to detect mean group differences in stimulant drug use. Further investigation is needed to determine if simple, naïve procedures such as the ELCON algorithms are optimal for comparing clinical study treatment arms. But researchers who currently require an automated algorithm in scenarios similar to those simulated for combining TLFB and UDS to test group differences in stimulant use should consider one of the ELCON algorithms. This analysis continues a line of inquiry which could determine how best to measure outpatient stimulant use in clinical trials (NIDA. NIDA Monograph-57: Self-Report Methods of Estimating Drug Abuse: Meeting Current Challenges to Validity. NTIS PB 88248083. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health, 1985; NIDA. NIDA Research Monograph 73: Urine Testing for Drugs of Abuse. NTIS PB 89151971. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health, 1987; NIDA. NIDA Research Monograph 167: The Validity of Self-Reported Drug Use: Improving the Accuracy of Survey Estimates. NTIS PB 97175889. GPO 017-024-01607-1. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health, 1997).

Can Urtica dioica supplementation attenuate mercury intoxication in Wistar rats?

PubMed Central

Siouda, Wafa; Abdennour, Cherif

2015-01-01

Aim: The objective of this study was to investigate the possible protective role of nettle Urtica dioica (UD) against Hg-induced toxicity. Materials and Methods: A total of 28 rats were equally divided into four groups: the control, the Hg (0.8 g HgCl2/kg in the diet), the UD (1.5 ml UD/rat by gavage), and the Hg+UD group. HgCl2 was daily dissolved in distilled water and immediately mixed with the standard diet. A solution of daily infused fresh nettle leaves in boiling water (16 g in 25 ml) was obtained and then it was administrated by gavage. Biochemical and reproductive markers, in addition to glutathione (GSH) level (liver, kidney and testis) and the histological profiles (testis and epididymis) were evaluated after 1 month exposure. Results: Compared to the control, the levels of glucose, triglycerides, urea, creatinine, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were significantly raised in the Hg group. In the latter group, the concentrations of Mg, Fe, and Ca were significantly decreased. Besides, Hg+UD group has only showed raised AST activity and reduced Mg level. Concerning the fertility markers, Hg has provoked a significant decrease in the spermatozoa’s concentration and motility and in plasma testosterone level as well. Furthermore, hepatic, renal and testicular GSH concentrations have declined significantly in the Hg treated rat compared to the control. A remarkable enhancement of the GSH level was observed in all organs of the UD group. The histological examinations of the Hg group have revealed marked testicular degeneration of the most seminiferous tubules, and showed few sperms in the lumen of epididymis ducts. However, the Hg+UD rats have demonstrated an improved histological structure with the presence of important numbers of sperms in the lumen. In addition, a clear stabilization of organized seminiferous tubules and an increased sperms’ numbers were noted in the UD supplemented rats. Conclusion: Nettle leaves have not only played a clear protective role during Hg intoxication, but it also enhanced hepatic, renal and testicular GSH level of Wistar rats. PMID:27047060

Communication: Localized molecular orbital analysis of the effect of electron correlation on the anomalous isotope effect in the NMR spin-spin coupling constant in methane

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

Zarycz, M. Natalia C., E-mail: mnzarycz@gmail.com; Provasi, Patricio F., E-mail: patricio@unne.edu.ar; Sauer, Stephan P. A., E-mail: sauer@kiku.dk

2014-10-21

We discuss the effect of electron correlation on the unexpected differential sensitivity (UDS) in the {sup 1}J(C–H) coupling constant of CH{sub 4} using a decomposition into contributions from localized molecular orbitals and compare with the {sup 1}J(N–H) coupling constant in NH{sub 3}. In particular, we discuss the well known fact that uncorrelated coupled Hartree-Fock (CHF) calculations are not able to reproduce the UDS in methane. For this purpose we have implemented for the first time a localized molecular orbital analysis for the second order polarization propagator approximation with coupled cluster singles and doubles amplitudes—SOPPA(CCSD) in the DALTON program. Comparing themore » changes in the localized orbital contributions at the correlated SOPPA and SOPPA(CCSD) levels and at the uncorrelated CHF level, we find that the latter overestimates the effect of stretching the bond between the coupled atoms on the contribution to the coupling from the localized bonding orbital between these atoms. This disturbs the subtle balance between the molecular orbital contributions, which lead to the UDS in methane.« less

An operational amplifier B1404UD1A-1 in the patch-clamp current-to-voltage converter.

PubMed

Korzun, A M; Rozinov, S V; Abashin, G I

1997-01-01

The applicability of the home-made operational amplifier B1404UD1A-1 in a patch-clamp current-to-voltage converter was analyzed. Its parameters (background noise, input bias current, and gain-bandwidth product) were estimated. Schematic solutions and practical recommendations for the use of this amplifier in a current-to-voltage converter were given. Based on the background noise and frequency parameters of the converter, we found that this device can be used for measuring ion channel currents with a high sensitivity and within a broad frequency range (0.055 pA, to 1 kHz; 0.4 pA, to 10 kHz). An example of the converter application in experiments is given.

The "ugly duckling" sign: agreement between observers.

PubMed

Scope, Alon; Dusza, Stephen W; Halpern, Allan C; Rabinovitz, Harold; Braun, Ralph P; Zalaudek, Iris; Argenziano, Giuseppe; Marghoob, Ashfaq A

2008-01-01

To assess whether multiple observers can identify the same pigmented lesion(s) as being different from a patient's other moles ("ugly duckling" [UD] sign) and to explore whether the UD sign is sensitive for melanoma detection. Baseline back images of 12 patients were obtained from a database of standardized patient images. All patients had at least 8 atypical moles on the back, and in 5 patients, one of the lesions was a histologically confirmed melanoma. The overview back images were supplemented with close-up clinical images of lesions. Participants were asked to evaluate whether the images showed any lesions on the back that differed from other nevi. Dermatology clinic specializing in pigmented lesions. Images were evaluated by 34 participants, including 8 pigmented lesion experts, 13 general dermatologists, 5 dermatology nurses, and 8 nonclinical medical staff. A lesion was considered a generally apparent UD if it was perceived as different by at least two-thirds of the participants. Sensitivity was defined as the fraction of melanomas identified as different. All 5 melanomas (100%) and only 3 of 140 benign lesions (2.1%) were generally apparent as different. The sensitivity of the UD sign for melanoma detection was 0.9 for the whole group, 1.0 for experts, 0.89 for general dermatologists, 0.88 for nurses, and 0.85 for nonclinicians. A limitation of the study is that assessment was done in virtual settings. In the present study, melanomas were generally apparent as UDs. The potential of the UD sign for melanoma screening should be further assessed.

Offshore training in navy personnel is associated with uninvestigated dyspepsia.

PubMed

Li, Fan; Sun, Gang; Yang, Yun-sheng; Cui, Li-hong; Peng, Li-hua; Guo, Xu; Wang, Wei-feng; Yan, Bin; Zhang, Lanjing

2014-12-01

To investigate the known and new factors associated with uninvestigated dyspepsia (UD), we surveyed 8600 Chinese navy personnel with offshore training shorter than 1 month or longer than 9 months per year. All respondents were required to complete a questionnaire covering demographics, the Chinese version of the Rome III survey, eating habits, life styles, and medical and family history. The response rate was 94.3% (8106/8600) with 4899 respondents qualified for analysis, including 1046 with offshore training and 3853 with onshore training. The prevalence of UD was higher in the offshore group than in the onshore group (12.6% vs. 6.9%, P<0.001), with a general prevalence of 8.1%. The subjects with offshore training were more likely to suffer from UD and postprandial distress syndrome (OR=1.955, 95% CI 1.568-2.439, P<0.001 and OR=1.789, 95% CI 1.403-2.303, P<0.001, respectively). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed UD was associated with offshore training (OR=1.580, 95% CI 1.179-2.118, P=0.002), family history (OR=1.765, 95% CI 1.186-2.626, P=0.005) and smoking (OR=1.270, 95% CI 1.084-1.488, P=0.003), but not with alcohol drinking. The association between dysentery history and UD was undetermined/borderline (P=0.056-0.069). In conclusion, we identified offshore training as a new factor associated with UD, and also confirmed 2 known associated factors, family history and smoking.

Electrochemical oxidation of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid by metal-oxide-coated Ti electrodes.

PubMed

Maharana, Dusmant; Xu, Zesheng; Niu, Junfeng; Rao, Neti Nageswara

2015-10-01

Electrochemical oxidation of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T) over metal-oxide-coated Ti anodes, i.e., Ti/SnO2-Sb/Ce-PbO2, Ti/SnO2-Sb and Ti/RuO2, was examined. The degradation efficiency of over 90% was attained at 20 min at different initial concentrations (0.5-20 mg L(-1)) and initial pH values (3.1-11.2). The degradation efficiencies of 2,4,5-T on Ti/SnO2-Sb/Ce-PbO2, Ti/SnO2-Sb and Ti/RuO2 anodes were higher than 99.9%, 97.2% and 91.5% at 30 min, respectively, and the respective total organic carbon removal ratios were 65.7%, 54.6% and 37.2%. The electrochemical degradation of 2,4,5-T in aqueous solution followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. The compounds, i.e., 2,5-dichlorohydroquinone and 2,5-dihydroxy-p-benzoquinone, have been identified as the main aromatic intermediates by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results showed that the energy efficiencies of 2,4,5-T (20 mg L(-1)) degradation with Ti/SnO2-Sb/Ce-PbO2 anode at the optimal current densities from 2 to 16 mA cm(-2) ranged from 8.21 to 18.73 kWh m(-3). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Simultaneous catalytic degradation of 2,4-D and MCPA herbicides using sulfate radical-based heterogeneous oxidation over persulfate activated by natural hematite (α-Fe2O3/PS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kermani, Majid; Mohammadi, Farzad; Kakavandi, Babak; Esrafili, Ali; Rostamifasih, Zeinab

2018-06-01

Herein, a sulfate radical (SO4rad -)-based oxidation process was utilized for simultaneous degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) herbicides using mesoporous hematite-based natural semi-conductor minerals (HM-NSMs) as efficient activators of persulfate (PS). The features of the catalyst were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM); Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) analysis; X-ray diffraction (XRD); and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The effect of some operational parameters, including solution pH, catalyst loading, PS dosage and temperature, on the performance system of PS/HM-NSMs was examined. A plausible oxidation mechanism for degradation of both pollutants was also proposed. Increasing the removal efficiency of herbicides follows the order of PS/HM-NSM > HM-NSM > PS. In all experiments, the 2,4-D removal rates were slightly lower than those for MCPA, indicating that 2,4-D has a more recalcitrant nature than MCPA. Under optimized conditions, degradation rates of 68.1% and 74.5% were achieved for 2,4-D and MCPA, respectively, during a 120-min reaction. HM-NSM displays a highly synergistic effect on the degradation of herbicides in the presence of PS. The trapping experiments demonstrated that both OHrad and SO4rad - radicals contribute significantly during the degradation of 2,4-D and MCPA and that sulfate radicals were the dominant species. A mineralization degree of 36% was obtained under optimum conditions. In conclusion, the coupling of PS and HM-NSM is a promising and effective technique to degrade organic matter for the treatment of herbicide-contaminated waters and wastewaters under real conditions.

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

Gagnon, Jean-Christophe; Theriault, Dany; Guillot, Mathieu

Purpose: To compare the performance of plastic scintillation detectors (PSD) for quality assurance (QA) in stereotactic radiosurgery conditions to a microion-chamber (IC), Gafchromic EBT2 films, 60 008 shielded photon diode (SD) and unshielded diodes (UD), and assess a new 2D crosshair array prototype adapted to small field dosimetry. Methods: The PSD consists of a 1 mm diameter by 1 mm long scintillating fiber (BCF-60, Saint-Gobain, Inc.) coupled to a polymethyl-methacrylate optical fiber (Eska premier, Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan). Output factors (S{sub c,p}) for apertures used in radiosurgery ranging from 4 to 40 mm in diameter have been measured.more » The PSD crosshair array (PSDCA) is a water equivalent device made up of 49 PSDs contained in a 1.63 cm radius area. Dose profiles measurements were taken for radiosurgery fields using the PSDCA and were compared to other dosimeters. Moreover, a typical stereotactic radiosurgery treatment using four noncoplanar arcs was delivered on a spherical phantom in which UD, IC, or PSD was placed. Using the Xknife planning system (Integra Radionics Burlington, MA), 15 Gy was prescribed at the isocenter, where each detector was positioned. Results: Output Factors measured by the PSD have a mean difference of 1.3% with Gafchromic EBT2 when normalized to a 10 x 10 cm{sup 2} field, and 1.0% when compared with UD measurements normalized to the 35 mm diameter cone. Dose profiles taken with the PSD crosshair array agreed with other single detectors dose profiles in spite of the presence of the 49 PSDs. Gamma values comparing 1D dose profiles obtained with PSD crosshair array with Gafchromic EBT2 and UD measured profiles shows 98.3% and 100.0%, respectively, of detector passing the gamma acceptance criteria of 0.3 mm and 2%. The dose measured by the PSD for a complete stereotactic radiosurgery treatment is comparable to the planned dose corrected for its SD-based S{sub c,p} within 1.4% and 0.7% for 5 and 35 mm diameter cone, respectively. Furthermore, volume averaging of the IC can be observed for the 5 mm aperture where it differs by as much as 9.1% compared to the PSD measurement. The angular dependency of the UD is also observed, unveiled by an under-response around 2.5% of both 5 and 35 mm apertures. Conclusions: Output Factors and dose profiles measurements performed, respectively, with the PSD and the PSDCA were in agreement with those obtained with the UD and EBT2 films. For stereotactic radiosurgery treatment verification, the PSD gives accurate results compared to the planning system and the IC once the latter is corrected to compensate for the averaging effect of the IC. The PSD provides precise results when used as a single detector or in a dense array, resulting in a great potential for stereotactic radiosurgery QA measurements.« less

Solar/UV-induced photocatalytic degradation of three commercial textile dyes.

PubMed

Neppolian, B; Choi, H C; Sakthivel, S; Arabindoo, Banumathi; Murugesan, V

2002-01-28

The photocatalytic degradation of three commercial textile dyes with different structure has been investigated using TiO(2) (Degussa P25) photocatalyst in aqueous solution under solar irradiation. Experiments were conducted to optimise various parameters viz. amount of catalyst, concentration of dye, pH and solar light intensity. Degradation of all the dyes were examined by using chemical oxygen demand (COD) method. The degradation efficiency of the three dyes is as follows: Reactive Yellow 17(RY17) > Reactive Red 2(RR2) > Reactive Blue 4 (RB4), respectively. The experimental results indicate that TiO(2) (Degussa P25) is the best catalyst in comparison with other commercial photocatalysts such as, TiO(2) (Merck), ZnO, ZrO(2), WO(3) and CdS. Though the UV irradiation can efficiently degrade the dyes, naturally abundant solar irradiation is also very effective in the mineralisation of dyes. The comparison between thin-film coating and aqueous slurry method reveals that slurry method is more efficient than coating but the problems of leaching and the requirement of separation can be avoided by using coating technique. These observations indicate that all the three dyes could be degraded completely at different time intervals. Hence, it may be a viable technique for the safe disposal of textile wastewater into the water streams.

Integrating medical, assistive, and universally designed products and technologies: assistive technology device classification (ATDC).

PubMed

Bauer, Stephen; Elsaesser, Linda-Jeanne

2012-09-01

ISO26000:2010 International Guidance Standard on Organizational Social Responsibility requires that effective organizational performance recognize social responsibility, including the rights of persons with disabilities (PWD), engage stakeholders and contribute to sustainable development. Millennium Development Goals 2010 notes that the most vulnerable people require special attention, while the World Report on Disability 2011 identifies improved data collection and removal of barriers to rehabilitation as the means to empower PWD. The Assistive Technology Device Classification (ATDC), Assistive Technology Service Method (ATSM) and Matching Person and Technology models provide an evidence-based, standardized, internationally comparable framework to improve data collection and rehabilitation interventions. The ATDC and ATSM encompass and support universal design (UD) principles, and use the language and concepts of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Use ATDC and ICF concepts to differentiate medical, assistive and UD products and technology; relate technology "types" to markets and costs; and support provision of UD products and technologies as sustainable and socially responsible behavior. Supply-side and demand-side incentives are suggested to foster private sector development and commercialization of UD products and technologies. Health and health-related professionals should be knowledgeable of UD principles and interventions.

Comparative study of the degradation of carbamazepine in water by advanced oxidation processes.

PubMed

Dai, Chao-Meng; Zhou, Xue-Fei; Zhang, Ya-Lei; Duan, Yan-Ping; Qiang, Zhi-Min; Zhang, Tian C

2012-06-01

Degradation of carbamazepine (CBZ) using ultraviolet (UV), UV/H2O2, Fenton, UV/Fenton and photocatalytic oxidation with TiO2 (UV/TiO2) was studied in deionized water. The five different oxidation processes were compared for the removal kinetics of CBZ. The results showed that all the processes followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. The direct photolysis (UV alone) was found to be less effective than UV/H2O2 oxidation for the degradation of CBZ. An approximate 20% increase in the CBZ removal efficiency occurred with the UV/Fenton reaction as compared with the Fenton oxidation. In the UV/TiO2 system, the kinetics of CBZ degradation in the presence of different concentrations of TiO2 followed the pseudo-first order degradation, which was consistent with the Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) model. On a time basis, the degradation efficiencies ofCBZ were in the following order: UV/Fenton (86.9% +/- 1.7%) > UV/TiO2 (70.4% +/- 4.2%) > Fenton (67.8% +/- 2.6%) > UV/H2O2 (40.65 +/- 5.1%) > UV (12.2% +/- 1.4%). However, the lowest cost was obtained with the Fenton process.

Chlorophenol degradation in soil columns inoculated with Anthracophyllum discolor immobilized on wheat grains.

PubMed

Diez, M C; Gallardo, F; Tortella, G; Rubilar, O; Navia, R; Bornhardt, C

2012-03-01

The white-rot fungus Anthracophyllum discolor immobilized on wheat grains was evaluated for chlorophenol (2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol and pentachlorophenol) degradation in allophanic soil columns activated by acidification. Columns without inoculation were used as the control to evaluate the adsorption capacity of the soil columns. The chlorophenols were removed efficiently in soil columns by both adsorption and degradation processes. In inoculated soil columns, 2,4-dichlorophenol was highly degraded and this degradation is associated with a high production of manganese peroxidase. 2,4,6-trichlorophenol was degraded to a lesser extent compared with 2,4-dichlorophenol. Pentachlorophenol was first removed by adsorption and then through degradation by the fungus. Manganese peroxidase activity was lowest when the column was fed with pentachlorophenol and highest when the column was fed with 2,4-dichlorophenol. Laccase was also produced by the fungus but to a lesser degree. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Individual variations in the correlation between erythemal threshold, UV-induced DNA damage and sun-burn cell formation.

PubMed

Heenen, M; Giacomoni, P U; Golstein, P

2001-10-01

A linear correlation between erythema intensity and DNA damage upon exposure to UV has not been firmly established. Many of the deleterious effects of UV exposure do occur after exposure to suberythemal doses. After DNA damage, cells undergo DNA repair. It is commonly accepted that when the burden of damage is beyond the repair capacities, the cell undergoes programmed cell death or apoptosis. The aim of this study is to quantify the amount of UV-induced DNA damage (estimated via the measurement of DNA repair or unscheduled DNA synthesis or UDS) and cellular damage (estimated via the determination of the density of sunburn cells or SBC). If DNA damage and erythema are correlated, similar intensity of UDS and similar density of SBC should be found in volunteers irradiated with a UV dose equal to two minimal erythema doses (MED). Our results show that in 15 different individuals the same relative dose (2 MEDs) provokes UDS values, which vary within a factor of 4. An even larger variability affects SBC counts after the same relative dose. When DNA damage or SBC are plotted versus the absolute dose (i.e. the dose expressed in J/m(2)), there is a rough correlation (with several exceptions) between dose and extent of UDS and SBC counts. It seems possible to divide the volunteers into two subpopulations with different susceptibilities to UV damage. It is well known that UDS and SBC measurements are often affected by large experimental indeterminacy, yet, the analysis of our results makes it plausible to suggest that for the triggering of erythema, a common threshold value for DNA damage or for SBC count are not to be found. In conclusion, the erythema response seems to be loosely correlated with DNA damage. This suggests that the protection offered by the sunscreens against DNA damage, the molecular basis of UV-induced mutagenesis, might not be related to the sun protection factor (SPF) indicated on the label of sunscreens, which is evaluated using the erythema as an endpoint.

Trends in Adult Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Prevalence, Incidence and Urethral Discharge Case Reporting in Morocco over 1995–2015—Estimates Using the Spectrum-Sexually Transmitted Infection Model

PubMed Central

El-Kettani, Amina; Mahiané, Guy; Bennani, Aziza; Abu-Raddad, Laith; Smolak, Alex; Rowley, Jane; Nagelkerke, Nico; El-Rhilani, Houssine; Alami, Kamal; Hançali, Amina; Korenromp, Eline

2017-01-01

Background Evolving health priorities and resource constraints mean that countries require data on sexually transmitted infections (STI) trends to inform program planning and resource allocation. Methods The Spectrum modeling tool estimated prevalence and incidence of gonorrhea and chlamydia in Morocco's 15- to 49-year-old population, based on prevalence surveys. Incident cases, broken down between symptomatic and asymptomatic, and treated versus untreated, were compared with urethral discharge (UD) case reports, to estimate reporting completeness among treated UD cases. Results Gonorrhea prevalence was estimated at 0.37% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.14–1.0%) in women and 0.32% (0.12–0.87%) in men in 2015; chlamydia prevalences were 3.8% (95% CI, 2.1–6.4%) and 3.0% (95% CI, 1.7–5.1%). Corresponding estimated numbers of new cases in women and men in 2015 were 79,598 (95% CI, 23,918–256,206) and 112,013 (95% CI, 28,700–307,433) for gonorrhea, and 291,908 (95% CI, 161,064–524,270) and 314,032 (95% CI, 186,076–559,133) for chlamydia. Gonorrhea and chlamydia prevalence had declined by an estimated 41% and 27%, respectively, over 1995 to 2015. Prevalence declines probably related to improved STI treatment coverage, and decreasing risk behaviors. Reporting completeness among treated UD cases was estimated at 46% to 77% in 2015. Reported UD cases corresponded to 13% of all estimated (symptomatic and asymptomatic) gonorrhea and chlamydia cases. Conclusions STI declines and improvements in treatment coverage are consistent with Morocco’s introduction of syndromic management in 2000, scale-up of prevention, and declining human immunodeficiency virus incidence. While gonorrhea is four-fold more common as cause of clinical UD cases than chlamydia, Morocco continues to suffer a large, untreated burden of chlamydia. Reliable monitoring of both STIs requires new periodic surveys and/or novel forms of affordable surveillance beyond high-risk populations. PMID:28806354

Ultra-deep sequencing confirms immunohistochemistry as a highly sensitive and specific method for detecting BRAF V600E mutations in colorectal carcinoma.

PubMed

Rössle, Matthias; Sigg, Michèle; Rüschoff, Jan H; Wild, Peter J; Moch, Holger; Weber, Achim; Rechsteiner, Markus P

2013-11-01

The activating BRAF (V600) mutation is a well-established negative prognostic biomarker in metastatic colorectal carcinoma (CRC). A recently developed monoclonal mouse antibody (clone VE1) has been shown to detect reliably BRAF (V600E) mutated protein by immunohistochemistry (IHC). In this study, we aimed to compare the detection of BRAF (V600E) mutations by IHC, Sanger sequencing (SaS), and ultra-deep sequencing (UDS) in CRC. VE1-IHC was established in a cohort of 68 KRAS wild-type CRCs. The VE1-IHC was only positive in the three patients with a known BRAF (V600E) mutation as assessed by SaS and UDS. The test cohort consisted of 265 non-selected, consecutive CRC samples. Thirty-nine out of 265 cases (14.7%) were positive by VE1-IHC. SaS of 20 randomly selected IHC negative tumors showed BRAF wild-type (20/20). Twenty-four IHC-positive cases were confirmed by SaS (24/39; 61.5%) and 15 IHC-positive cases (15/39; 38.5%) showed a BRAF wild-type by SaS. UDS detected a BRAF (V600E) mutation in 13 of these 15 discordant cases. In one tumor, the mutation frequency was below our threshold for UDS positivity, while in another case, UDS could not be performed due to low DNA amount. Statistical analysis showed sensitivities of 100% and 63% and specificities of 95 and 100% for VE1-IHC and SaS, respectively, compared to combined results of SaS and UDS. Our data suggests that there is high concordance between UDS and IHC using the anti-BRAF(V600E) (VE1) antibody. Thus, VE1 immunohistochemistry is a highly sensitive and specific method in detecting BRAF (V600E) mutations in colorectal carcinoma.

Use of in vivo/in vitro unscheduled DNA synthesis for identification of organ-specific carcinogens

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

Furihata, C.; Matsushima, T.

1987-01-01

There are still only a few in vivo short-term assay methods for predicting potential organ-specific carcinogens and mutagens in mammals, although such methods are required for evaluating the in vivo effects of in vitro mutagens. In the in vivo/in vitro UDS assay methods described here, chemicals are given to experimental animals and induction of UDS in target organs is determined by in vitro organ culture or primary cell culture in the presence of (/sup 3/H)dThd. Incorporation of (/sup 3/H)dThd into DNA is measured with a liquid scintillation counter or by autoradiography. These methods have now been applied to the glandularmore » stomach, forestomach, colon, liver, kidney, pancreas, tracheal epithelium, nasal epithelium, and spermatocytes. With minor modifications, they may also be applied to other organs. The present review shows that induction of UDS in various organs correlated well with the induction of cancer in these organs. The present authors have used the present methods to identify some potential organ-specific mutagens and carcinogens in mammals. The present authors found that three dicarbonyl compounds, glyoxal, methylglyoxal, and diacetyl, induced apparent UDS and TDS in the glandular stomach, and other groups found that 2-NT, MA6BT, and CNEt6BT induced UDS in the liver. These in vivo/in vitro UDS assays are better than in vitro UDS assay for identification of potential organ-specific mutagens and carcinogens in mammals and are especially useful for identifying potential mutagens and carcinogens that are specific for certain organs, such as the stomach, liver, and kidney. They are also useful for examining the potential mutagenicities and carcinogenicities of carcinogen analogs. However, these methods are not suitable for general in vivo screening because they are not yet available for all organs. 113 references.« less

Undifferentiated Sarcomas in Children Harbor Clinically Relevant Oncogenic Fusions and Gene Copy-Number Alterations: A Report from the Children's Oncology Group.

PubMed

Laetsch, Theodore W; Roy, Angshumoy; Xu, Lin; Black, Jennifer O; Coffin, Cheryl M; Chi, Yueh-Yun; Tian, Jing; Spunt, Sheri L; Hawkins, Douglas S; Bridge, Julia A; Parsons, D Williams; Skapek, Stephen X

2018-04-24

Purpose: A comprehensive analysis of the genomics of undifferentiated sarcomas (UDS) is lacking. We analyzed copy-number alterations and fusion status in patients with UDS prospectively treated on Children's Oncology Group protocol ARST0332. Experimental Design: Copy-number alterations were assessed by OncoScan FFPE Express on 32 UDS. Whole-exome and transcriptome libraries from eight tumors with sufficient archived material were sequenced on HiSeq (2 × 100 bp). Targeted RNA-sequencing using Archer chemistry was performed on two additional cases. Results: Five-year overall survival for patients with UDS was 83% (95% CI, 69%-97%) with risk-adapted therapy (surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy). Both focal and arm-level copy-number alterations were common including gain of 1q (8/32, 25%) and loss of 1p (7/32, 22%), both of which occurred more often in clinically defined high-risk tumors. Tumors with both loss of 1p and gain of 1q carried an especially poor prognosis with a 5-year event-free survival of 20%. GISTIC analysis identified recurrent amplification of FGF1 on 5q31.3 ( q = 0.03) and loss of CDKN2A and CDKN2B on 9p21.3 ( q = 0.07). Known oncogenic fusions were identified in eight of 10 cases analyzed by next-generation sequencing. Conclusions: Pediatric UDS generally has a good outcome with risk-adapted therapy. A high-risk subset of patients whose tumors have copy-number loss of 1p and gain of 1q was identified with only 20% survival. Oncogenic fusions are common in UDS, and next-generation sequencing should be considered for children with UDS to refine the diagnosis and identify potentially targetable drivers. Clin Cancer Res; 1-10. ©2018 AACR. ©2018 American Association for Cancer Research.

Unscheduled DNA synthesis in human bronchial epithelium treated with various chemical carcinogens in vitro

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

Ishikawa, T.; Ide, F.; Kodama, K.

1984-07-01

A system was developed in which organ culture of human bronchial epithelium was used in combination with autoradiography for quantitative measurement of unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) in bronchial epithelial cells. Human bronchi obtained at surgery were cut into small sections and treated with various carcinogens plus (methyl-/sup 3/H)thymidine in short-term organ culture. Significant numbers of silver grains, indicating UDS, were detected on the nuclei of epithelial cells of human bronchi treated with carcinogens, and the numbers were proportional to the concentrations of carcinogens. In this system seven representative carcinogens induced UDS. Four active metabolites of benzo(a)pyrene, and benz(a)anthracene also weremore » found to induce very active UDS in human bronchial epithelium. These findings suggest that human bronchial epithelial cells can repair different types of DNA modification induced by chemical carcinogens.« less

Cognitive rigidity in unipolar depression and obsessive compulsive disorder: examination of task switching, Stroop, working memory updating and post-conflict adaptation.

PubMed

Meiran, Nachshon; Diamond, Gary M; Toder, Doron; Nemets, Boris

2011-01-30

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and depressive rumination are both characterized by cognitive rigidity. We examined the performance of 17 patients (9 suffering from unipolar depression [UD] without OCD, and 8 suffering from OCD without UD), and 17 control participants matched on age, gender, language and education, on a battery covering the four main executive functions. Results indicated that, across both disorders, patients required more trials to adjust to single-task conditions after experiencing task switching, reflecting slow disengagement from switching mode, and showed abnormal post-conflict adaptation of processing mode following high conflict Stroop trials in comparison to controls. Rumination, which was elevated in UD and not in OCD, was associated with poor working memory updating and less task preparation. The results show that OCD and UD are associated with similar cognitive rigidity in the presently tested paradigms. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Graphite carbon nitride/ZnIn2S4 heterojunction photocatalyst with enhanced photocatalytic performance for degradation of tetracycline under visible light irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Feng; Cai, Yi; Guan, Weisheng; Huang, Hui; Liu, Yang

2017-11-01

It is a widespread concern to address the antibiotics in water with low-cost and eco-friendly photocatalysts that could efficiently harvest solar light. Herein, we designed an efficient photocatalyst by integrating the lamellar g-C3N4 into Znln2S4 microflowers through a one-step hydrothermal method. The as-synthesized g-C3N4/Znln2S4 heterojunction photocatalysts exhibited evidently enhancement on the photocatalytic activities for the degradation of tetracycline (100 mL, 20 mg/L) compared with pristine g-C3N4 and Znln2S4. Significantly, g-C3N4/Znln2S4 composite with loading 50 wt.% g-C3N4 showed the highest photocatalytic performance (almost 100% degradation within 120 min), which was around 40 and 22.8 times higher than that of g-C3N4 and Znln2S4, respectively. This enhanced photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4/Znln2S4 is mainly attributed to the formation of heterostructure that can efficiently promote the transfer of photoinduced electrons and holes between g-C3N4 and ZnIn2S4, restricting the recombination of electron-hole pairs. In addition, a possible mechanism was also proposed.

Municipal wastewater treatment by biofiltration: comparisons of various treatment layouts. Part 1: assessment of carbon and nitrogen removal.

PubMed

Rocher, Vincent; Paffoni, Catherine; Gonçalves, Alexandre; Guérin, Sabrina; Azimi, Sam; Gasperi, Johnny; Moilleron, Régis; Pauss, André

2012-01-01

One of the largest wastewater treatment plants in the Paris conurbation (240,000 m(3)/d) has been studied over several years in order to provide technical and economical information about biological treatment by biofiltration. Biofiltration systems are processes in which carbon and nitrogen pollution of wastewater are treated by ascendant flow through immersed fixed cultures. This paper, focused on technical information, aims: (1) to compare performances of the three biological treatment layouts currently used in biofiltration systems: upstream denitrification (UD), downstream denitrification (DD) and combined upstream-downstream denitrification (U-DD) layouts; and (2) to describe in detail each treatment step. Our study has shown that more than 90% of the carbon and ammoniacal pollution is removed during biological treatment, whatever the layout used. Nitrate, produced during nitrification, is then reduced to atmospheric nitrogen. This reduction is more extensive when the denitrification stage occurs downstream from the treatment (DD layout with methanol addition), whereas it is only partial when it is inserted upstream from the treatment (UD layout - use of endogenous carbonaceous substrate). So, the UD layout leads to a nitrate concentration that exceeds the regulatory threshold in the effluent, and the treatment must be supplemented with a post-denitrification step (U-DD layout). Our work has also shown that the optimal ammonium-loading rate is about 1.1-1.2 kg N-NH(4)(+) per m(3) media (polystyrene) and day. For denitrification, the optimal nitrate-loading rate is about 2.5 kg N per m(3) media (expanded clay) and day in the case of DD with methanol, and is about 0.25 kg N-NO(3)(-) per m(3) media and day in the case of UD with exogenous carbonaceous substrate.

Rapid Biodegradation of the Herbicide 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid by Cupriavidus gilardii T-1.

PubMed

Wu, Xiangwei; Wang, Wenbo; Liu, Junwei; Pan, Dandan; Tu, Xiaohui; Lv, Pei; Wang, Yi; Cao, Haiqun; Wang, Yawen; Hua, Rimao

2017-05-10

Phytotoxicity and environmental pollution of residual herbicides have caused much public concern during the past several decades. An indigenous bacterial strain capable of degrading 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), designated T-1, was isolated from soybean field soil and identified as Cupriavidus gilardii. Strain T-1 degraded 2,4-D 3.39 times more rapidly than the model strain Cupriavidus necator JMP134. T-1 could also efficiently degrade 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA), MCPA isooctyl ester, and 2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)propionic acid (2,4-DP). Suitable conditions for 2,4-D degradation were pH 7.0-9.0, 37-42 °C, and 4.0 mL of inoculums. Degradation of 2,4-D was concentration-dependent. 2,4-D was degraded to 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) by cleavage of the ether bond and then to 3,5-dichlorocatechol (3,5-DCC) via hydroxylation, followed by ortho-cleavage to cis-2-dichlorodiene lactone (CDL). The metabolites 2,4-DCP or 3,5-DCC at 10 mg L -1 were completely degraded within 16 h. Fast degradation of 2,4-D and its analogues highlights the potential for use of C. gilardii T-1 in bioremediation of phenoxyalkanoic acid herbicides.

[Isolation and Identification of Petroleum Degradation Bacteria and Interspecific Interactions Among Four Bacillus Strains].

PubMed

Wang, Jia-nan; Shi, Yan-yun; Zheng, Li-yan; Wang, Zhe; Cai, Zhang; Liu, Jie

2015-06-01

Six petroleum-degrading strains were isolated from oil-contaminated soil at Dagang oil field and oil sewage on Bohai offshore drilling platform in Tianjin using enrichment culture and isolation method. The physiological biochemical test together with 16S rDNA sequencing analysis indicated that they belonged to Bacillus (S1, S2, S3, S4), Pseudomonas (W1) and Ochrobactrum (W2), respectively. The strain S3 had the maximum degradation rate of alkane (41.3%) and aromatic hydrocarbon (30.9%) among all isolated strains showing the better degradation efficiency by endogenous bacteria when compared to that by the exogenous bacteria. The four Bacillus strains were used to construct microbiome, thereafter subjected to petroleum degradation efficiency test and analyzed. The results showed that microbiome F3 consisting of S1 and S4 had the maximum degradation rates of alkane (50.5%) and aromatic hydrocarbon (54.0%), which were 69.9% and 156.1% higher than those by single bacterium, respectively. Furthermore, they were 22.1% and 74.6% respectively higher than those by the most optimal degradation bacterium S3. Microbiome F4 consisting of S2 and S3 had the minimum degradation rates of alkane (18.5%) and aromatic hydrocarbon (18.9%) which were 55.3% and 39.0% lower than the degradation rates of single bacterium, respectively. The results also demonstrated that there were both microbial synergy promotion and antagonism inhibition among bacteria of the same genus in the petroleum degradation period. Bacteria with close affinity in Bacillus genus displayed mainly promoted petroleum degradation effect.

Efficient interfacial charge transfer through plasmon sensitized Ag@Bi2O3 hierarchical photoanodes for photoelectrocatalytic degradation of chlorinated phenols.

PubMed

Eswar, Neerugatti KrishnaRao; Adhikari, Sangeeta; Ramamurthy, Praveen C; Madras, Giridhar

2018-01-31

The present work demonstrates an extremely proficient and robust study of efficient interfacial charge transfer through plasmonic Ag decorated Bi 2 O 3 hierarchical photoanodes for the photoelectrochemical treatment of chlorinated phenols. Unique 2D flake-like Bi 2 O 3 hierarchical nanostructures were grown onto a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate by a simple chemical bath deposition method using triethanolamine as complexing agent. The formation of Bi 2 O 3 on FTO was governed by the decomposition of a nucleated bismuth-hydroxyl complex (Bi 2 O 1-x (OH) x ) and modification to the electrode was carried out by the deposition of Ag via a chemical reduction method using hydrazine hydrate. Both the fabricated electrodes were well characterized for their photo- and electro-optical properties. Efficient charge separation was observed due to the surface plasmon resonance phenomenon of silver nanoparticles with the favorable intrinsic properties of Bi 2 O 3 under application of a small electric bias of 1 V preventing the recombination of charge carriers and thereby increasing the rate of photoelectrocatalytic degradation of the chlorinated phenols. PEC degradation using the Ag@Bi 2 O 3 photoelectrode followed the trend 4-CP < 2,4-DCP < 2,4,6-TCP < P-CP due to efficient attack at the chlorinated positions by reactive oxygen species with increasing chlorine substitution and also due to the absence of an expected chain reaction of the generated chlorine radicals (Cl˙) during the PEC reaction. The PEC activity of Ag@Bi 2 O 3 was 1.5 times higher than a Bi 2 O 3 nanoflake electrode for 4-CP over 2 h. The fabricated Ag@Bi 2 O 3 proved to be an efficient photoelectrode with synergistic solar-induced photoactivity. A detailed mechanistic study in the presence of scavengers suggests degradation by produced hydroxyl radical species. Thus, physical insights into the degradation of chlorinated phenols were obtained.

Falsirhodobacter sp. alg1 Harbors Single Homologs of Endo and Exo-Type Alginate Lyases Efficient for Alginate Depolymerization

PubMed Central

Takahashi, Mami; Tanaka, Reiji; Miyake, Hideo; Shibata, Toshiyuki; Chow, Seinen; Kuroda, Kouichi; Ueda, Mitsuyoshi; Takeyama, Haruko

2016-01-01

Alginate-degrading bacteria play an important role in alginate degradation by harboring highly efficient and unique alginolytic genes. Although the general mechanism for alginate degradation by these bacteria is fairly understood, much is still required to fully exploit them. Here, we report the isolation of a novel strain, Falsirhodobacter sp. alg1, the first report for an alginate-degrading bacterium from the family Rhodobacteraceae. Genome sequencing reveals that strain alg1 harbors a primary alginate degradation pathway with only single homologs of an endo- and exo-type alginate lyase, AlyFRA and AlyFRB, which is uncommon among such bacteria. Subsequent functional analysis showed that both enzymes were extremely efficient to depolymerize alginate suggesting evolutionary interests in the acquirement of these enzymes. The exo-type alginate lyase, AlyFRB in particular could depolymerize alginate without producing intermediate products making it a highly efficient enzyme for the production of 4-deoxy-L-erythro-5-hexoseulose uronic acid (DEH). Based on our findings, we believe that the discovery of Falsirhodobacter sp. alg1 and its alginolytic genes hints at the potentiality of a more diverse and unique population of alginate-degrading bacteria. PMID:27176711

CeHIO6·4H2O: A novel, highly efficient catalyst for degrading organic dyes without light illumination at room temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Xinping; Li, Jiayin; Liu, Haoran; Tang, Jianting

2018-07-01

It is still desirable to obtain the catalysts to degrade organic dye pollutants at room temperature, which meets the current demands of pollutant-removing and energy-saving simultaneously. By a facile precipitation method, we prepared in this work a new, highly efficient CeHIO6·4H2O catalyst. By characterization, it was found that the CeHIO6·4H2O sample is in nature a yellow inorganic semiconductor with particle size of 0.2-10 μm, band gap of 2.75 eV, low surface area of 1.52 m2 g-1 and amorphous structure. The CeHIO6·4H2O catalyst showed high activity in degradation of rhodamine B (RhB), methyl orange (MO) and methylene blue (MB) in the dark at room temperature. After being used for 3 cycles, it did not undergo significant loss of activity and kept its chemical composition unchanged in the degradation experiments. More importantly, its activity is remarkably higher than that of the previously reported Ce(IO3)4, CeGeO4, ZrHIO6·4H2O and Ce-doped MoO3 analogues. The major active species and the catalytic mechanism for the dye degradation were proposed.

Multiple response optimization of the coagulation process for upgrading the quality of effluent from municipal wastewater treatment plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Na; Hu, Yi; Lu, Yong-Ze; Zeng, Raymond J.; Sheng, Guo-Ping

2016-05-01

To meet the high quality standard of receiving water, the coagulation process using polyferric chloride (PFC) was used to further improve the water quality of effluent from wastewater treatment plants. Uniform design (UD) coupled with response surface methodology (RSM) was adopted to assess the effects of the main influence factors: coagulant dosage, pH and basicity, on the removal of total organic carbon (TOC), NH4+-N and PO43--P. A desirability function approach was used to effectively optimize the coagulation process for the comprehensive removal of TOC, NH4+-N and PO43--P to upgrade the effluent quality in practical application. The optimized operating conditions were: dosage 28 mg/L, pH 8.5 and basicity 0.001. The corresponding removal efficiencies for TOC, NH4+-N and PO43--P were 77.2%, 94.6% and 20.8%, respectively. More importantly, the effluent quality could upgrade to surface water Class V of China through coagulation under optimal region. In addition, grey relational analysis (GRA) prioritized these three factors as: pH > basicity > dosage (for TOC), basicity > dosage > pH (for NH4+-N), pH > dosage > basicity (for PO43--P), which would help identify the most important factor to control the treatment efficiency of various effluent quality indexes by PFC coagulation.

Degradation of 4-Chlorophenol Under Sunlight Using ZnO Nanoparticles as Catalysts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajar, Kausar; Sirajuddin; Balouch, Aamna; Bhanger, M. I.; Sherazi, Tufail H.; Kumar, Raj

2018-03-01

Herein we demonstrate a simplistic microwave assisted chemical precipitation approach regarding the synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles. As-prepared ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and x-ray diffractometry and scrutinized as photo-catalysts for degradation of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) under sunlight. The study substantiated that 98.5% of 4-CP was degraded within 20 min in the absence of initiator like H2O2 which reflects an outstanding prospective use for ZnO NPs as photo-catalysts. The nanocatalysts were recycled four times and still showed catalytic efficiency up to 95.5% for degradation of 4-CP in the specified 20 min.

Electrostatic self-assembly of Fe3O4/GO nanocomposites and their application as an efficient Fenton-like catalyst for degradation of rhodamine B

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Wenxia; He, Qi; Xiao, Kaijun; Zhu, Liang

2018-03-01

In the study, a two-major step involving a hydrothermal method and an electrostatic self-assembly method was adopted to synthesis Fe3O4/GO nanocomposites. The Fe3O4 nanoparticles were successfully modified with the 3-aminopropyltrimethoxy-silane and homogeneously deposited onto the surface of GO. They were used as Fenton-like catalyst to degrade Rhodamine B and displayed a higher activity compared with the pristine Fe3O4 nanoparticles, H2O2, Fe3O4/GO nanocomposite and Fe3O4/H2O2 system, demonstrating the synergistic effect between the superior adsorption properties of GO and the excellent catalytic activity of Fe3O4/H2O2 system. Besides, the possible catalytic mechanism and degradation pathway for RhB molecules by Fe3O4/GO nanocomposites and H2O2 was proposed based on the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis. The result reveals that the •OH radicals should be the main actives species during catalytic degradation of RhB by the Fe3O4/GO/H2O2 system. In addition, the catalyst is reusable and shows efficiency up to 5 cycles. We believe the strategy in our work can provide insight into designing the novel catalysts for large-scale degradation of organic pollutants in the wastewater.

Degradation of Chlorophenols by Alcaligenes eutrophus JMP134(pJP4) in Bleached Kraft Mill Effluent

PubMed Central

Valenzuela, J.; Bumann, U.; Cespedes, R.; Padilla, L.; Gonzalez, B.

1997-01-01

The ability of Alcaligenes eutrophus JMP134(pJP4) to degrade 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, and other chlorophenols in a bleached kraft mill effluent was studied. The efficiency of degradation and the survival of strain JMP134 and indigenous microorganisms in short-term batch or long-term semicontinuous incubations performed in microcosms were assessed. After 6 days of incubation, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetate (400 ppm) or 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (40 to 100 ppm) were extensively degraded (70 to 100%). In short-term batch incubations, indigenous microorganisms were unable to degrade such of compounds. Degradation of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol by strain JMP134 was significantly lower at 200 to 400 ppm of compound. This strain was also able to degrade 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetate, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, 4-chlorophenol, and 2,4,5-trichlorophenol when bleached Kraft mill effluent was amended with mixtures of these compounds. On the other hand, the chlorophenol concentration and the indigenous microorganisms inhibited the growth and survival of the strain in short-term incubations. In long-term (>1-month) incubations, strain JMP134 was unable to maintain a large, stable population, although extensive 2,4,6-trichlorophenol degradation was still observed. The latter is probably due to acclimation of the indigenous microorganisms to degrade 2,4,6-trichlorophenol. Acclimation was observed only in long-term, semicontinuous microcosms. PMID:16535488

Institutional analysis of milkfish supply chain using interpretive structural modelling (ISM) (case study of UD. Bunda Foods, Sidoarjo District)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silalahi, R. L. R.; Mustaniroh, S. A.; Ikasari, D. M.; Sriulina, R. P.

2018-03-01

UD. Bunda Foods is an SME located in the district of Sidoarjo. UD. Bunda Foods has problems of maintaining its milkfish’s quality assurance and developing marketing strategies. Improving those problems enables UD. Bunda Foods to compete with other similar SMEs and to market its product for further expansion of their business. The objectives of this study were to determine the model of the institutional structure of the milkfish supply chain, to determine the elements, the sub-elements, and the relationship among each element. The method used in this research was Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM), involving 5 experts as respondents consisting of 1 practitioner, 1 academician, and 3 government organisation employees. The results showed that there were two key elements include requirement and goals elements. Based on the Drive Power-Dependence (DP-D) matrix, the key sub-elements of requirement element, consisted of raw material continuity, appropriate marketing strategy, and production capital, were positioned in the Linkage sector quadrant. The DP-D matrix for the key sub-elements of the goal element also showed a similar position. The findings suggested several managerial implications to be carried out by UD. Bunda Foods include establishing good relationships with all involved institutions, obtaining capital assistance, and attending the marketing training provided by the government.

[Comparative measurement of urine specific gravity: reagent strips, refractometry and hydrometry].

PubMed

Costa, Christian Elías; Bettendorff, Carolina; Bupo, Sol; Ayuso, Sandra; Vallejo, Graciela

2010-06-01

The urine specific gravity is commonly used in clinical practice to measure the renal concentration/dilution ability. Measurement can be performed by three methods: hydrometry, refractometry and reagent strips. To assess the accuracy of different methods to measure urine specific gravity. We analyzed 156 consecutive urine samples of pediatric patients during April and May 2007. Urine specific gravity was measured by hydrometry (UD), refractometry (RE) and reagent strips (TR), simultaneously. Urine osmolarity was considered as the gold standard and was measured by freezing point depression. Correlation between different methods was calculated by simple linear regression. A positive and acceptable correlation was found with osmolarity for the RE as for the UD (r= 0.81 and r= 0.86, respectively). The reagent strips presented low correlation (r= 0.46). Also, we found good correlation between measurements obtained by UD and RE (r= 0.89). Measurements obtained by TR, however, had bad correlation when compared to UD (r= 0.46). Higher values of specific gravity were observed when measured with RE with respect to UD. Reagent strips are not reliable for measuring urine specific gravity and should not be used as an usual test. However, hydrometry and refractometry are acceptable alternatives for measuring urine specific gravity, as long as the same method is used for follow-up.

Screening of analgesic activity of Tunisian Urtica dioica and analysis of its major bioactive compounds by GCMS.

PubMed

Dhouibi, Raouia; Moalla, Dorsaf; Ksouda, Kamilia; Ben Salem, Maryem; Hammami, Serria; Sahnoun, Zouheir; Zeghal, Khaled Mounir; Affes, Hanen

2017-11-20

The present study was aimed to evaluate the analgesic properties of Urtica dioica (UD) and to profile phytochemicals by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The ethanolic extracts were prepared by maceration method and extraction using rotary evaporator. The analgesic activity was analysed by hot plate method, formalin test, acetic acid-induced writhing test and the tail-flick test with different doses of the ethanolic extract. In all tests, the leaf's ethanolic extract exhibited significant analgesic activity (p < .001) at a dose of 400 mg/kg. Even with a low dose, we noticed an analgesic activity with many tests. The GC-MS analysis of the ethanol extract of leaf revealed many compounds; 2-methyltetradecane dodecane, 2,6,11-trimethyl-; 2,6,11-trimethyldodecane, and trimethylhexane which are pharmaceutically the most important. These findings justify that UD can be a valuable natural analgesic source which seemed to provide potential phototherapeutics against various ailments. The analysis of ethanolic extract of UD by GCMS revealed the presence of several compounds including polyphenols, flavonoids, triterpenes which can explain the analgesic effect of UD and its mechanism of action. Hence, UD could be another therapeutic alternative for relieving pain and for minimising the use of drugs that have long-term secondary effects.

[Degradation of 2, 4-dichlorophenol in aqueous solution by ZVI/EDDS/air system].

PubMed

Sun, Qian; Zhou, Hai-Yan; Cao, Meng-Hua; Wu, Lin-Na; Wang, Lin-Ling; Chen, Jing; Lu, Xiao-Hua

2012-11-01

A new oxidation system of Fenton-like system (ZVI/EDDS/Air) has been developed to degrade 2,4-chlorophenols (2,4-DCP) in aqueous solution. The influences of initial conditions, i. e., EDDS concentration, iron dosage, aeration rate, 2,4-DCP concentration and pH as well as reaction temperature on the degradation of 2,4-DCP were studied. The results demonstrated that this ZVI/EDDS/Air system was able to effectively degrade 2,4-DCP in aqueous solution, and the degradation of 2,4-DCP conforms to the pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics equation. Removal of above 99% 2,4-DCP was achieved in ZVI/EDDS/Air system at room temperature and pressure after 1 h reaction when the initial conditions were 2,4-DCP 100 mg x L(-1), EDDS 0.80 mmo x L(-1), ZVI 20 g x L(-1), aeration rate 2 L x (min x L)(-1). Compared with ZVI/EDTA/Air system, ZVI/EDDS/Air system showed higher efficiency in the degradation of 2,4-DCP at ambient circumstance and was more environmentally benign.

Preparation of bismuth titanate/calcium alginate composite bead and its photocatalytic degradation of dye pollutants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gan, Huihui; Dong, Nanyang; Lu, Linxiao; Fu, Yan; Zhang, Huining; Qian, Yongxin; Zhang, Kefeng; Jin, Huixia

2017-08-01

In this study, the bismuth titanate/calcium alginate composite bead was synthesized by immobilizing bismuth titanate Bi4Ti3O12 particles into 1.5% sodium alginate (SA) matrix. The Bi4Ti3O12 particles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The photocatalytic activity for the degradation of dye Rhodamine B in solution by as-prepared bismuth titanate/calcium alginate composite bead was investigated. The as-prepared composite beads CA/BTO-700 exhibited best photocatalytic efficiency for the degradation of RhB compared with CA/BTO-800 and CA/BTO-900 under simulated solar light. After 4 cycles in photocatalytic degradation of RhB, the degradation rate of the CA/BTO-700 nearly remained unchanged.

Efficient enhancement of ozonation performance via ZVZ immobilized g-C3N4 towards superior oxidation of micropollutants.

PubMed

Yuan, Xiangjuan; Qin, Wenlei; Lei, Xiaoman; Sun, Lei; Li, Qiang; Li, Dongya; Xu, Haiming; Xia, Dongsheng

2018-08-01

A functional organic-metal composite material zero-valent zinc immobilized graphitic carbon nitride (ZVZ-g-C 3 N 4 ) was prepared by a fast and facile two-step synthetic approach with an optimal ZVZ content of 5.4 wt%. The structure, surface morphology and chemical composition of the as-synthesized ZVZ-g-C 3 N 4 were characterized by BET surface area, XRD, FT-IR, SEM, TEM, and XPS, respectively. ZVZ-g-C 3 N 4 composite exhibited superior catalytic ozonation activity with an improvement of 61.2% on atrazine (ATZ) degradation efficiency in 1.5 min reaction, more than 12 times of the pseudo-first-order rate constant, and almost 16-fold of the R ct value obtained in O 3 /ZVZ-g-C 3 N 4 process compared to O 3 alone. Meanwhile, the ATZ degradation efficiency was gradually enhanced with increasing ZVZ-g-C 3 N 4 dosage and initial solution pH in the range from 3.0 to 9.0, and a higher amount of ATZ was degraded when the initial concentration of ATZ rose from 1 to 10 mg L -1 . The enhanced catalytic ozonation activity of ZVZ-g-C 3 N 4 is attributed to the synergistic effects among ZVZ, ZnO and g-C 3 N 4 , as well as the improved dispersibility, increased surface area, and intensive electron-transfer ascribed to the electronic and surface properties modification. The radical scavengers experiments demonstrated that O 2 - , OH, and 1 O 2 were the dominant reactive radical species in the multifunctional processes. Moreover, an empirical kinetic model was proposed to predict ATZ degradation. The results indicated that the ZVZ-g-C 3 N 4 composite was a highly efficient, recoverable, and durable catalyst, which would provide a promising alternative in catalytic ozonation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mast cell chymase degrades the alarmins heat shock protein 70, biglycan, HMGB1, and interleukin-33 (IL-33) and limits danger-induced inflammation.

PubMed

Roy, Ananya; Ganesh, Goutham; Sippola, Helena; Bolin, Sara; Sawesi, Osama; Dagälv, Anders; Schlenner, Susan M; Feyerabend, Thorsten; Rodewald, Hans-Reimer; Kjellén, Lena; Hellman, Lars; Åbrink, Magnus

2014-01-03

During infection and tissue damage, virulence factors and alarmins are pro-inflammatory and induce activation of various immune cells including macrophages and mast cells (MCs). Activated MCs instantly release preformed inflammatory mediators, including several proteases. The chymase mouse mast cell protease (MCPT)-4 is thought to be pro-inflammatory, whereas human chymase also degrades pro-inflammatory cytokines, suggesting that chymase instead limits inflammation. Here we explored the contribution of MCPT4 and human chymase to the control of danger-induced inflammation. We found that protein extracts from wild type (WT), carboxypeptidase A3-, and MCPT6-deficient mice and MCs and recombinant human chymase efficiently degrade the Trichinella spiralis virulence factor heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) as well as endogenous Hsp70. MC-(W(sash))-, serglycin-, NDST2-, and MCPT4-deficient extracts lacked this capacity, indicating that chymase is responsible for the degradation. Chymase, but not MC tryptase, also degraded other alarmins, i.e. biglycan, HMGB1, and IL-33, a degradation that was efficiently blocked by the chymase inhibitor chymostatin. IL-7, IL-22, GM-CSF, and CCL2 were resistant to chymase degradation. MCPT4-deficient conditions ex vivo and in vivo showed no reduction in added Hsp70 and only minor reduction of IL-33. Peritoneal challenge with Hsp70 resulted in increased neutrophil recruitment and TNF-α levels in the MCPT4-deficient mice, whereas IL-6 and CCL2 levels were similar to the levels found in WT mice. The rapid and MC chymase-specific degradation of virulence factors and alarmins may depend on the presence of accessible extended recognition cleavage sites in target substrates and suggests a protective and regulatory role of MC chymase during danger-induced inflammation.

Mast Cell Chymase Degrades the Alarmins Heat Shock Protein 70, Biglycan, HMGB1, and Interleukin-33 (IL-33) and Limits Danger-induced Inflammation*

PubMed Central

Roy, Ananya; Ganesh, Goutham; Sippola, Helena; Bolin, Sara; Sawesi, Osama; Dagälv, Anders; Schlenner, Susan M.; Feyerabend, Thorsten; Rodewald, Hans-Reimer; Kjellén, Lena; Hellman, Lars; Åbrink, Magnus

2014-01-01

During infection and tissue damage, virulence factors and alarmins are pro-inflammatory and induce activation of various immune cells including macrophages and mast cells (MCs). Activated MCs instantly release preformed inflammatory mediators, including several proteases. The chymase mouse mast cell protease (MCPT)-4 is thought to be pro-inflammatory, whereas human chymase also degrades pro-inflammatory cytokines, suggesting that chymase instead limits inflammation. Here we explored the contribution of MCPT4 and human chymase to the control of danger-induced inflammation. We found that protein extracts from wild type (WT), carboxypeptidase A3-, and MCPT6-deficient mice and MCs and recombinant human chymase efficiently degrade the Trichinella spiralis virulence factor heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) as well as endogenous Hsp70. MC-(Wsash)-, serglycin-, NDST2-, and MCPT4-deficient extracts lacked this capacity, indicating that chymase is responsible for the degradation. Chymase, but not MC tryptase, also degraded other alarmins, i.e. biglycan, HMGB1, and IL-33, a degradation that was efficiently blocked by the chymase inhibitor chymostatin. IL-7, IL-22, GM-CSF, and CCL2 were resistant to chymase degradation. MCPT4-deficient conditions ex vivo and in vivo showed no reduction in added Hsp70 and only minor reduction of IL-33. Peritoneal challenge with Hsp70 resulted in increased neutrophil recruitment and TNF-α levels in the MCPT4-deficient mice, whereas IL-6 and CCL2 levels were similar to the levels found in WT mice. The rapid and MC chymase-specific degradation of virulence factors and alarmins may depend on the presence of accessible extended recognition cleavage sites in target substrates and suggests a protective and regulatory role of MC chymase during danger-induced inflammation. PMID:24257755

Evaluation of degradation of antibiotic tetracycline in pig manure by electron beam irradiation.

PubMed

Cho, Jae-Young

2010-04-01

This study was carried out to evaluate the degradation efficiency and intermediate products of the tetracycline from artificially contaminated pig manure using of electron beam irradiation as a function of the absorbed dose. The degradation efficiency of tetracycline was 42.77% at 1 kGy, 64.20% at 3 kGy, 77.83% at 5 kGy, and 90.50% at 10 kGy. The initial concentration of tetracycline (300 mg kg(-1)) in pig manure decreased significantly to 24.2 +/- 5.3 mg kg(-1) after electron beam irradiation at 10 kGy. The radiolytic degradation products of tetracycline were 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid, hexadecanoic acid, 9-octadecenamide, 11-octadecenamide, and octadecanoic acid.

Oxidative Degradation of 4-chlorophenol in Aqueous Induced by Plasma with Submersed Glow Discharge Electrolysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pu, Lumei; Gao, Jinzhang; Yang, Wu; Li, Yan; Yu, Jie; Huang, Dongling

2005-10-01

The oxidative degradation of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) in aqueous solution induced by plasma with submersed glow discharge has been investigated. The concentration of 4-CP and the reaction intermediates were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Various influencing factors such as the initial pH, the concentration of 4-CP and the catalytic action of Fe2+ were examined. The results indicate that 4-CP is eventually degraded into inorganic ion, dioxide carbon and water. The attack of hydroxyl radicals on the benzene rings of 4-CP in the initial stage of oxidative reactions is presumed to be a key step. They also suggest that the reaction is of a pseudo-first order kinetic reaction and the proposed method is an efficient way for the 4-CP degradation.

Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4}/ZnO: An efficient visible-light-sensitized composite with its application in photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B

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

Liu, Wei; School of Chemistry and Material Science, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei 235000; Wang, Mingliang, E-mail: wangmlchem@263.net

2013-01-15

Graphical abstract: The free OH radicals generated in the VB of ZnO play the primary role in the visible-light photocatalytic degradation of RhB in Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4}/ZnO system. The accumulated electrons in the CB of Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4} can be transferred to O{sub 2} adsorbed on the surface of the composite semiconductors and H{sub 2}O{sub 2} yields. H{sub 2}O{sub 2} reacts with electrons in succession to produce active ·OH to some extent. Display Omitted Highlights: ► Efficient visible-light-sensitized Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4}/ZnO composites were successfully prepared. ► Effect of Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4} content on the catalytic activity of Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4}/ZnOmore » is studied in detail. ► Rate constant of RhB degradation over Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4}(3.0 wt.%)/ZnO is 3 times that of Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4}. ► The active species in RhB degradation are examined by adding a series of scavengers. ► Visible light degradation mechanism of RhB over Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4}/ZnO is systematically studied. -- Abstract: The efficient visible-light-sensitized Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4}/ZnO composites with various weight percents of Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4} were prepared by a facile ball milling method. The photocatalysts were characterized by XRD, DRS, SEM, EDS, XPS, and BET specific area. The ·OH radicals produced during the photocatalytic reaction was detected by the TA–PL technique. The photocatalytic property of Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4}/ZnO was evaluated by photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B under visible light irradiation. Significantly, the results revealed that the photocatalytic activity of the composites was much higher than that of pure Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4} and ZnO. The rate constant of RhB degradation over Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4}(3.0 wt.%)/ZnO is 3 times that of single-phase Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4}. The optimal percentage of Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4} in the composite is 3.0 wt.%. It is proposed that the ·OH radicals produced in the valence band of ZnO play the leading role in the photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B by Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4}/ZnO systems under visible light irradiation.« less

Paracetamol degradation intermediates and toxicity during photo-Fenton treatment using different iron species.

PubMed

Trovó, Alam G; Pupo Nogueira, Raquel F; Agüera, Ana; Fernandez-Alba, Amadeo R; Malato, Sixto

2012-10-15

The photo-Fenton degradation of paracetamol (PCT) was evaluated using FeSO(4) and the iron complex potassium ferrioxalate (FeOx) as iron source under simulated solar light. The efficiency of the degradation process was evaluated considering the decay of PCT and total organic carbon concentration and the generation of carboxylic acids, ammonium and nitrate, expressed as total nitrogen. The results showed that the degradation was favored in the presence of FeSO(4) in relation to FeOx. The higher concentration of hydroxylated intermediates generated in the presence of FeSO(4) in relation to FeOx probably enhanced the reduction of Fe(III) to Fe(II) improving the degradation efficiency. The degradation products were determined using liquid chromatography electrospray time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Although at different concentrations, the same intermediates were generated using either FeSO(4) or FeOx, which were mainly products of hydroxylation reactions and acetamide. The toxicity of the sample for Vibrio fischeri and Daphnia magna decreased from 100% to less than 40% during photo-Fenton treatment in the presence of both iron species, except for D. magna in the presence of FeOx due to the toxicity of oxalate to this organism. The considerable decrease of the sample toxicity during photo-Fenton treatment using FeSO(4) indicates a safe application of the process for the removal of this pharmaceutical. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preparation of magnetic imprinted graphene oxide composite for catalytic degradation of Congo red under dark ambient conditions.

PubMed

Yang, Xiaochao; You, Xiaoxiao; Zhang, Bin; Guo, Chuigen; Yu, Chaosheng

2017-10-01

Magnetic imprinted N-doped P25/Fe 3 O 4 -graphene oxide (MIGNT) was prepared with methyl orange as the dummy template and pyrrole as functional monomer for catalytic degradation of Congo red (CR). Hummers method and the hydrothermal method were used to synthesize Fe 3 O 4 -GO and N-doped P25, respectively. The results of adsorption and degradation experiments showed that the adsorption capacity and catalytic degradation ability of the imprinted composite for CR were obviously higher than those of a non-imprinted one. Moreover, the effect factors on degradation efficiency of CR, such as the initial concentration of CR, catalysis time, pH of the solution and temperature, were investigated. The MIGNT was characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, a physical property measurement system and a thermal gravimetric analyzer. The degradation products of CR were detected with high performance liquid chromatography and a mass spectrometer. The MIGNT was a brand-new imprinted composite and had high degradation efficiency for CR under dark ambient conditions. The MIGNT could be recycled conveniently, due to its magnetic property, and could be used as an effective, environmentally friendly and low-cost catalytic degradation material for the treatment of water contaminated by CR.

Glyphosate contaminated soil remediation by atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge plasma and its residual toxicity evaluation.

PubMed

Wang, Tiecheng; Ren, Jingyu; Qu, Guangzhou; Liang, Dongli; Hu, Shibin

2016-12-15

Glyphosate was one of the most widely used herbicides in the world. Remediation of glyphosate-contaminated soil was conducted using atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma. The feasibility of glyphosate degradation in soil was explored, and the soil leachate toxicity after remediation was assessed via a seed germination test. The experimental results showed that approximately 93.9% of glyphosate was degraded within 45min of DBD plasma treatment with an energy yield of 0.47gkWh -1 , and the degradation process fitted the first-order kinetic model. Increasing the discharge voltage and decreasing the organic matter content of the soil were both found to facilitate glyphosate degradation. There existed appropriate soil moisture to realize high glyphosate degradation efficiency. Glyphosate mineralization was confirmed by changes of total organic carbon (TOC), chemical oxygen demand (COD), PO 4 3- and NO 3 - . The degradation intermediates including glycine, aminomethylphosphonic acid, acetic acid, formic acid, PO 4 3- and NO 3 - , CO 2 and CO were observed. A possible pathway for glyphosate degradation in the soil using this system was proposed. Based on the soil leachate toxicity test using wheat seed germination, the soil did not exhibit any hazardous effects following high-efficiency glyphosate degradation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Photocatalytic degradation of leather dye over ZnO catalyst supported on alumina and glass surfaces.

PubMed

Sakthivel, S; Neppoiian, B; Palanichamy, M; Arabindoo, B; Murugesan, V

2001-01-01

The photocatalytic degradation of leather dye, Acid green 16, has been investigated over a ZnO catalyst supported on two different materials, namely alumina and glass beads (3-5 mm diameter). Sunlight was used as the energy source. The alumina-supported ZnO outperformed the glass-supported ZnO under identical operational conditions suggesting that the dye molecules are adsorbed on the alumina supports to make a high concentration environment around the loaded ZnO. The degradation efficiency was greater at pH = 4 compared to other acidic and neutral pH. Also, the degradation efficiency was a little bit higher in alkaline medium, which correlates with the adsorption behaviour of acid green 16 on the alumina supported ZnO. The influence of inorganic oxidants like H2O2, FeCl3 and Fenton reagent on the degradation efficiency were systematically studied. The decolourisation and extent of degradation of the dye were determined by UV-VIS spectroscopy and COD reflux methods, respectively. Complete mineralisation of the dye was conformed by High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis.

Urtica dioica attenuates ovalbumin-induced inflammation and lipid peroxidation of lung tissues in rat asthma model.

PubMed

Zemmouri, Hanene; Sekiou, Omar; Ammar, Sonda; El Feki, Abdelfattah; Bouaziz, Mohamed; Messarah, Mahfoud; Boumendjel, Amel

2017-12-01

To find bioactive medicinal herbs exerting anti-asthmatic activity, we investigated the effect of an aqueous extract of Urtica dioica L. (Urticaceae) leaves (UD), the closest extract to the Algerian traditional use. In this study, we investigated the in vivo anti-asthmatic and antioxidant activities of nettle extract. Adult male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: Group I: negative control; group II: Ovalbumin sensitized/challenged rats (positive control); group III: received UD extract (1.5 g/kg/day) orally along the experimental protocol; group IV: received UD extract (1.5 g/kg/day) orally along the experimental protocol and sensitized/challenged with ovalbumin. After 25 days, blood and tissue samples were collected for haematological and histopathological analysis, respectively. The oxidative stress parameters were evaluated in the lungs, liver and erythrocytes. Then, correlations between markers of airway inflammation and markers of oxidative stress were explored. UD extract significantly (p < 0.01) inhibited eosinophilia increases in BALF (-60%) and the levels of leucocytes (-32.75%) and lymphocytes (-29.22%) in serum, and effectively suppressed inflammatory cells recruitment in the asthmatic rat model. Besides, the lipid peroxidation generated by allergen administration was significantly (p < 0.05) diminished by UD treatment in lung tissue (-48.58%). The nettle extract was also investigated for the total phenolic content (30.79 ± 0.96 mg gallic acid/g dry extract) and shows DPPH radical scavenging activity with 152.34 ± 0.37 μg/mL IC 50 value. The results confirmed that UD administration might be responsible for the protective effects of this extract against airway inflammation.

Different Genetic Elements Carrying the tet(W) Gene in Two Human Clinical Isolates of Streptococcus suis▿ †

PubMed Central

Palmieri, Claudio; Princivalli, Maria Stella; Brenciani, Andrea; Varaldo, Pietro E.; Facinelli, Bruna

2011-01-01

The genetic support for tet(W), an emerging tetracycline resistance determinant, was studied in two strains of Streptococcus suis, SsCA and SsUD, both isolated in Italy from patients with meningitis. Two completely different tet(W)-carrying genetic elements, sharing only a tet(W)-containing segment barely larger than the gene, were found in the two strains. The one from strain SsCA was nontransferable, and aside from an erm(B)-containing insertion, it closely resembled a genomic island recently described in an S. suis Chinese human isolate in sequence, organization, and chromosomal location. The tet(W)-carrying genetic element from strain SsUD was transferable (at a low frequency) and, though apparently noninducible following mitomycin C treatment, displayed a typical phage organization and was named ΦSsUD.1. Its full sequence was determined (60,711 bp), the highest BLASTN score being Streptococcus pyogenes Φm46.1. ΦSsUD.1 exhibited a unique combination of antibiotic and heavy metal resistance genes. Besides tet(W), it contained a MAS (macrolide-aminoglycoside-streptothricin) fragment with an erm(B) gene having a deleted leader peptide and a cadC/cadA cadmium efflux cassette. The MAS fragment closely resembled the one recently described in pneumococcal transposons Tn6003 and Tn1545. These resistance genes found in the ΦSsUD.1 phage scaffold differed from, but were in the same position as, cargo genes carried by other streptococcal phages. The chromosome integration site of ΦSsUD.1 was at the 3′ end of a conserved tRNA uracil methyltransferase (rum) gene. This site, known to be an insertional hot spot for mobile elements in S. pyogenes, might play a similar role in S. suis. PMID:21115784

Different genetic elements carrying the tet(W) gene in two human clinical isolates of Streptococcus suis.

PubMed

Palmieri, Claudio; Princivalli, Maria Stella; Brenciani, Andrea; Varaldo, Pietro E; Facinelli, Bruna

2011-02-01

The genetic support for tet(W), an emerging tetracycline resistance determinant, was studied in two strains of Streptococcus suis, SsCA and SsUD, both isolated in Italy from patients with meningitis. Two completely different tet(W)-carrying genetic elements, sharing only a tet(W)-containing segment barely larger than the gene, were found in the two strains. The one from strain SsCA was nontransferable, and aside from an erm(B)-containing insertion, it closely resembled a genomic island recently described in an S. suis Chinese human isolate in sequence, organization, and chromosomal location. The tet(W)-carrying genetic element from strain SsUD was transferable (at a low frequency) and, though apparently noninducible following mitomycin C treatment, displayed a typical phage organization and was named ΦSsUD.1. Its full sequence was determined (60,711 bp), the highest BLASTN score being Streptococcus pyogenes Φm46.1. ΦSsUD.1 exhibited a unique combination of antibiotic and heavy metal resistance genes. Besides tet(W), it contained a MAS (macrolide-aminoglycoside-streptothricin) fragment with an erm(B) gene having a deleted leader peptide and a cadC/cadA cadmium efflux cassette. The MAS fragment closely resembled the one recently described in pneumococcal transposons Tn6003 and Tn1545. These resistance genes found in the ΦSsUD.1 phage scaffold differed from, but were in the same position as, cargo genes carried by other streptococcal phages. The chromosome integration site of ΦSsUD.1 was at the 3' end of a conserved tRNA uracil methyltransferase (rum) gene. This site, known to be an insertional hot spot for mobile elements in S. pyogenes, might play a similar role in S. suis.

Low amplitude rhythmic contraction frequency in human detrusor strips correlates with phasic intravesical pressure waves.

PubMed

Colhoun, Andrew F; Speich, John E; Cooley, Lauren F; Bell, Eugene D; Barbee, R Wayne; Guruli, Georgi; Ratz, Paul H; Klausner, Adam P

2017-08-01

Low amplitude rhythmic contractions (LARC) occur in detrusor smooth muscle and may play a role in storage disorders such as overactive bladder and detrusor overactivity. The purpose of this study was to determine whether LARC frequencies identified in vitro from strips of human urinary bladder tissue correlate with in vivo LARC frequencies, visualized as phasic intravesical pressure (p ves ) waves during urodynamics (UD). After IRB approval, fresh strips of human urinary bladder were obtained from patients. LARC was recorded with tissue strips at low tension (<2 g) and analyzed by fast Fourier transform (FFT) to identify LARC signal frequencies. Blinded UD tracings were retrospectively reviewed for signs of LARC on the p ves tracing during filling and were analyzed via FFT. Distinct LARC frequencies were identified in 100% of tissue strips (n = 9) obtained with a mean frequency of 1.97 ± 0.47 cycles/min (33 ± 8 mHz). Out of 100 consecutive UD studies reviewed, 35 visually displayed phasic p ves waves. In 12/35 (34%), real p ves signals were present that were independent of abdominal activity. Average UD LARC frequency was 2.34 ± 0.36 cycles/min (39 ± 6 mHz) which was similar to tissue LARC frequencies (p = 0.50). A majority (83%) of the UD cohort with LARC signals also demonstrated detrusor overactivity. During UD, a subset of patients displayed phasic p ves waves with a distinct rhythmic frequency similar to the in vitro LARC frequency quantified in human urinary bladder tissue strips. Further refinements of this technique may help identify subsets of individuals with LARC-mediated storage disorders.

Small Engine Technology (SET) - Task 14 Axisymmetric Engine Simulation Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Max J.

1999-01-01

As part of the NPSS (Numerical Propulsion Simulation System) project, NASA Lewis has a goal of developing an U.S. industry standard for an axisymmetric engine simulation environment. In this program, AlliedSignal Engines (AE) contributed to this goal by evaluating the ENG20 software and developing support tools. ENG20 is a NASA developed axisymmetric engine simulation tool. The project was divided into six subtasks which are summarized below: Evaluate the capabilities of the ENG20 code using an existing test case to see how this procedure can capture the component interactions for a full engine. Link AE's compressor and turbine axisymmetric streamline curvature codes (UD0300M and TAPS) with ENG20, which will provide the necessary boundary conditions for an ENG20 engine simulation. Evaluate GE's Global Data System (GDS), attempt to use GDS to do the linking of codes described in Subtask 2 above. Use a turbofan engine test case to evaluate various aspects of the system, including the linkage of UD0300M and TAPS with ENG20 and the GE data storage system. Also, compare the solution results with cycle deck results, axisymmetric solutions (UD0300M and TAPS), and test data to determine the accuracy of the solution. Evaluate the order of accuracy and the convergence time for the solution. Provide a monthly status report and a final formal report documenting AE's evaluation of ENG20. Provide the developed interfaces that link UD0300M and TAPS with ENG20, to NASA. The interface that links UD0300M with ENG20 will be compatible with the industr,, version of UD0300M.

Staphylococcus Aureus Prevention Strategies in Cardiac Surgery: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis.

PubMed

Hong, Jonathan C; Saraswat, Manoj K; Ellison, Trevor A; Magruder, J Trent; Crawford, Todd; Gardner, Julia M; Padula, William V; Whitman, Glenn J

2018-01-01

Cardiac surgery patients colonized with Staphylococcus aureus have a greater risk of surgical site infection (SSI). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of decolonization strategies to prevent SSIs. We compared three decolonization strategies: universal decolonization (UD), all subjects treated; targeted decolonization (TD), only S aureus carriers treated; and no decolonization (ND). Decolonization included mupirocin, chlorhexidine, and vancomycin. We implemented a decision tree comparing the costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) of these strategies on SSI over a 1-year period for subjects undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery from a US health sector perspective. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted to address the uncertainty in the variables. Universal decolonization was the dominant strategy because it resulted in reduced costs at near-equal QALYs compared with TD and ND. Compared with ND, UD decreased costs by $462 and increased QALYs by 0.002 per subject, whereas TD decreased costs by $205 and increased QALYs by 0.001 per subject. For 1,000 subjects, UD prevented 19 SSI and TD prevented 10 SSI compared with ND. Sensitivity analysis showed UD to be the most cost-effective strategy in more than 91% of simulations. For the 220,000 coronary artery bypass graft procedures performed yearly in the United States, UD would save $102 million whereas TD would save $45 million compared with ND. Universal decolonization outperforms other strategies. However, the potential costs savings of $57 million per 220,000 coronary artery bypass graft procedures comparing UD versus TD must be weighed against the potential risk of developing resistance associated with universal decolonization. Copyright © 2018 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in textile dyeing sludge with ultrasound and Fenton processes: Effect of system parameters and synergistic effect study.

PubMed

Lin, Meiqing; Ning, Xun-an; An, Taicheng; Zhang, Jianhao; Chen, Changmin; Ke, Yaowei; Wang, Yujie; Zhang, Yaping; Sun, Jian; Liu, Jingyong

2016-04-15

To establish an efficient oxidation process for the degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in textile dyeing sludge, the effects of various operating parameters were optimized during the ultrasound process, Fenton process and the combined ultrasound-Fenton process. The results showed that the ultrasonic density of 1.80w/cm(3), both H2O2 and Fe(2+) dosages of 140mmol/L and pH 3 were favorable conditions for the degradation of PAHs. The degradation efficiency of high molecular weight PAHs was close to or even higher than that of light molecular weight PAHs. The highest degradation efficiencies of Σ16 PAHs were obtained within 30min in the order of: Fenton (83.5%) >ultrasound-Fenton (75.5%) >ultrasound (45.5%), then the efficiencies were decreased in the other of: ultrasound-Fenton (73.0%) >Fenton (70.3%) >ultrasound (41.4%) in 60min. The extra PAHs were released from the intracellular substances and the cavities of sludge due to the disruption of sludge during the oxidation process. Also, the degradation of PAHs could be inhibited by the other organic matter in the sludge. The combined ultrasound-Fenton process showed more efficient than both ultrasound process and Fenton process not only in the surface of sludge but also in the sludge interior. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Distribution of electrical energy consumption for the efficient degradation control of THMs mixture in sonophotolytic process.

PubMed

Park, Beomguk; Cho, Eunju; Son, Younggyu; Khim, Jeehyeong

2014-11-01

Sonophotolytic degradation of THMs mixture with different electrical energy ratio was carried out for efficient design of process. The total consumed electrical energy was fixed around 50W, and five different energy conditions were applied. The maximum degradation rate showed in conditions of US:UV=1:3 and US:UV=0:4. This is because the photolytic degradation of bromate compounds is dominant degradation mechanism for THMs removal. However, the fastest degradation of total organic carbon was observed in a condition of US:UV=1:3. Because hydrogen peroxide generated by sonication was effectively dissociated to hydroxyl radicals by ultraviolet, the concentration of hydroxyl radical was maintained high. This mechanism provided additional degradation of organics. This result was supported by comparison between the concentration of hydrogen peroxide sole and combined process. Consequently, the optimal energy ratio was US:UV=1:3 for degradation of THMs in sonophotolytic process. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Visible Light-Induced Degradation of Methylene Blue in the Presence of Photocatalytic ZnS and CdS Nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Soltani, Nayereh; Saion, Elias; Hussein, Mohd Zobir; Erfani, Maryam; Abedini, Alam; Bahmanrokh, Ghazaleh; Navasery, Manizheh; Vaziri, Parisa

2012-01-01

ZnS and CdS nanoparticles were prepared by a simple microwave irradiation method under mild conditions. The obtained nanoparticles were characterized by XRD, TEM and EDX. The results indicated that high purity of nanosized ZnS and CdS was successfully obtained with cubic and hexagonal crystalline structures, respectively. The band gap energies of ZnS and CdS nanoparticles were estimated using UV-visible absorption spectra to be about 4.22 and 2.64 eV, respectively. Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue was carried out using physical mixtures of ZnS and CdS nanoparticles under a 500-W halogen lamp of visible light irradiation. The residual concentration of methylene blue solution was monitored using UV-visible absorption spectrometry. From the study of the variation in composition of ZnS:CdS, a composition of 1:4 (by weight) was found to be very efficient for degradation of methylene blue. In this case the degradation efficiency of the photocatalyst nanoparticles after 6 h irradiation time was about 73% with a reaction rate of 3.61 × 10−3 min−1. Higher degradation efficiency and reaction rate were achieved by increasing the amount of photocatalyst and initial pH of the solution. PMID:23202896

Photocatalytic degradation of ofloxacin and evaluation of the residual antimicrobial activity.

PubMed

Peres, M S; Maniero, M G; Guimarães, J R

2015-03-01

Ofloxacin is an antimicrobial agent frequently found in significant concentrations in wastewater and surface water. Its continuous introduction into the environment is a potential risk to non-target organisms or to human health. In this study, ofloxacin degradation by UV/TiO2 and UV/TiO2/H2O2, antimicrobial activity (E. coli) of samples subjected to these processes, and by-products formed were evaluated. For UV/TiO2, the degradation efficiency was 89.3% in 60 min of reaction when 128 mg L(-1) TiO2 were used. The addition of 1.68 mmol L(-1) hydrogen peroxide increased degradation to 97.8%. For UV/TiO2, increasing the catalyst concentration from 4 to 128 mg L(-1) led to an increase in degradation efficiency. For both processes, the antimicrobial activity was considerably reduced throughout the reaction time. The structures of two by-products are presented: m/z 291 (9-fluoro-3-methyl-10-(methyleneamino)-7-oxo-2,3-dihydro-7H-[1,4]oxazino[2,3,4-ij]quinoline-6-carboxylic acid) and m/z 157 ((Z)-2-formyl-3-((2-oxoethyl)imino)propanoic acid).

Degradation of 3,3'-iminobis-propanenitrile in aqueous solution by Fe(0)/GAC micro-electrolysis system.

PubMed

Lai, Bo; Zhou, Yuexi; Yang, Ping; Yang, Jinghui; Wang, Juling

2013-01-01

The degradation of 3,3'-iminobis-propanenitrile was investigated using the Fe(0)/GAC micro-electrolysis system. Effects of influent pH value, Fe(0)/GAC ratio and granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption on the removal efficiency of the pollutant were studied in the Fe(0)/GAC micro-electrolysis system. The degradation of 3,3'-iminobis-propanenitrile was affected by influent pH, and a decrease of the influent pH values from 8.0 to 4.0 led to the increase of degradation efficiency. Granular activated carbon was added as cathode to form macroscopic galvanic cells between Fe(0) and GAC and enhance the current efficiency of the Fe(0)/GAC micro-electrolysis system. The GAC could only adsorb the pollutant and provide buffer capacity for the Fe(0)/GAC micro-electrolysis system, and the macroscopic galvanic cells of the Fe(0)/GAC micro-electrolysis system played a leading role in degradation of 3,3'-iminobis-propanenitrile. With the analysis of the degradation products with GC-MS, possible reaction pathway for the degradation of 3,3'-iminobis-propanenitrile by the Fe(0)/GAC micro-electrolysis system was suggested. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of flax/carbon fibre hybrid composites for enhanced properties.

PubMed

Dhakal, H N; Zhang, Z Y; Guthrie, R; Macmullen, J; Bennett, N

2013-07-01

Uni-directional (UD) and cross-ply (CP) cellulosic flax fibre epoxy composites were produced by hybridising UD carbon fibre prepreg onto flax system. A compression moulding technique was used to produce both flax and carbon/flax hybridised laminates. The effect of carbon fibre hybridisation on the water absorption behaviour, thermal and mechanical properties of both UD and CP flax specimens were investigated by means of water absorption, tensile, thermogravemetric analysis and flexural testing. The results showed that water absorption behaviour of hybrid samples are markedly improved compared to those without hybridisation. Similarly, the thermal stability, tensile and flexural properties of the hybrid composites are significantly improved in comparison with UD and CP flax composites without hybridisation. The experimental results suggest that cellulosic flax fibre reinforcement contributed to improve the toughness properties by promoting crack propagation whereas the carbon fibre contributed in improving thermal stability, water absorption behaviour and the overall strength and the stiffness of the hybrid composites. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Facile Synthesis of Novel Redox-Mediator-free Direct Z-Scheme CaIn2S4 Marigold-Flower-like/TiO2 Photocatalysts with Superior Photocatalytic Efficiency.

PubMed

Jo, Wan-Kuen; Sivakumar Natarajan, Thillai

2015-08-12

Novel redox-mediator-free direct Z-scheme CaIn2S4 marigold-flower-like/TiO2 (CIS/TNP) photocatalysts with different CaIn2S4 weight percentages were synthesized using a facile wet-impregnation method. Uniform hierarchical marigold-flower-like CaIn2S4 (CIS) microspheres were synthesized using a hydrothermal method. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy analyses suggested that the formation and aggregation of nanoparticles, followed by the growth of petals or sheets and their subsequent self-assembly, led to the formation of the uniform hierarchical marigold-flower-like CIS structures. The photocatalytic degradation efficiency of the direct Z-scheme CIS/TNP photocatalysts was evaluated through the degradation of the pharmaceutical compounds isoniazid (ISN) and metronidazole (MTZ). The direct Z-scheme CaIn2S4 marigold-flower-like/TiO2 (1%-CIS/TNP) photocatalyst showed enhanced performance in the ISN (71.9%) and MTZ (86.5%) photocatalytic degradations as compared to composites with different CaIn2S4 contents or the individual TiO2 and CaIn2S4. A possible enhancement mechanism based on the Z-scheme formed between the CIS and TNP for the improved photocatalytic efficiency was also proposed. The recombination rate of the photoinduced charge carriers was significantly suppressed for the direct Z-scheme CIS/TNP photocatalyst, which was confirmed by photoluminescence analysis. Radical-trapping studies revealed that photogenerated holes (h+), •OH, and O2•- are the primary active species, and suggested that the enhanced photocatalytic efficiency of the 1%-CIS/TNP follows the Z-scheme mechanism for transferring the charge carriers. It was further confirmed by hydroxyl (•OH) radical determination via fluorescence techniques revealed that higher concentration of •OH radical were formed over 1%-CIS/TNP than over bare CIS and TNP. The separation of the charge carriers was further confirmed using photocurrent and electron spin resonance measurements. Kinetic and chemical oxygen demand analyses were performed to confirm the ISN and MTZ degradation. The results demonstrated that the direct Z-scheme CIS/TNP photocatalyst shows superior decomposition efficiency for the degradation of these pharmaceuticals under the given reaction conditions.

GNSS global real-time augmentation positioning: Real-time precise satellite clock estimation, prototype system construction and performance analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Liang; Zhao, Qile; Hu, Zhigang; Jiang, Xinyuan; Geng, Changjiang; Ge, Maorong; Shi, Chuang

2018-01-01

Lots of ambiguities in un-differenced (UD) model lead to lower calculation efficiency, which isn't appropriate for the high-frequency real-time GNSS clock estimation, like 1 Hz. Mixed differenced model fusing UD pseudo-range and epoch-differenced (ED) phase observations has been introduced into real-time clock estimation. In this contribution, we extend the mixed differenced model for realizing multi-GNSS real-time clock high-frequency updating and a rigorous comparison and analysis on same conditions are performed to achieve the best real-time clock estimation performance taking the efficiency, accuracy, consistency and reliability into consideration. Based on the multi-GNSS real-time data streams provided by multi-GNSS Experiment (MGEX) and Wuhan University, GPS + BeiDou + Galileo global real-time augmentation positioning prototype system is designed and constructed, including real-time precise orbit determination, real-time precise clock estimation, real-time Precise Point Positioning (RT-PPP) and real-time Standard Point Positioning (RT-SPP). The statistical analysis of the 6 h-predicted real-time orbits shows that the root mean square (RMS) in radial direction is about 1-5 cm for GPS, Beidou MEO and Galileo satellites and about 10 cm for Beidou GEO and IGSO satellites. Using the mixed differenced estimation model, the prototype system can realize high-efficient real-time satellite absolute clock estimation with no constant clock-bias and can be used for high-frequency augmentation message updating (such as 1 Hz). The real-time augmentation message signal-in-space ranging error (SISRE), a comprehensive accuracy of orbit and clock and effecting the users' actual positioning performance, is introduced to evaluate and analyze the performance of GPS + BeiDou + Galileo global real-time augmentation positioning system. The statistical analysis of real-time augmentation message SISRE is about 4-7 cm for GPS, whlile 10 cm for Beidou IGSO/MEO, Galileo and about 30 cm for BeiDou GEO satellites. The real-time positioning results prove that the GPS + BeiDou + Galileo RT-PPP comparing to GPS-only can effectively accelerate convergence time by about 60%, improve the positioning accuracy by about 30% and obtain averaged RMS 4 cm in horizontal and 6 cm in vertical; additionally RT-SPP accuracy in the prototype system can realize positioning accuracy with about averaged RMS 1 m in horizontal and 1.5-2 m in vertical, which are improved by 60% and 70% to SPP based on broadcast ephemeris, respectively.

Fe2+ enhancing sulfamethazine degradation in aqueous solution by gamma irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yuankun; Hu, Jun; Wang, Jianlong

2014-03-01

The radiation-induced degradation of sulfamethazine (SMT) was carried out by gamma irradiation. SMT with initial concentration of 20 mg/L was irradiated in the presence of 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 mM extra Fe2+. The results showed that ferrous ion (Fe2+) could enhance the degradation of SMT by gamma irradiation in aqueous solution. SMT could be almost completely removed at 1 kGy without extra Fe2+, however, TOC removal efficiency was less than 10%. Several intermediate products, such as 4,6-dimethylpyrimidin-2-amine, 4-aminobenzenesulfonic acid, 4-nitrophenol 4-nitrobenzenesulfonic acid, 2-amino-6-methylpyrimidine-4-carboxylic acid, and 4-amino-N-carbamimidoyl-benzenesulfonamide and formic acid, acetic acid, and sulfate were identified. Possible pathway of SMT degradation in aqueous solution was tentatively proposed.

Lumbar epidural depth using transverse ultrasound scan and its correlation with loss of resistance technique: A prospective observational study in Indian population.

PubMed

Chauhan, Amit Kumar; Bhatia, Rohan; Agrawal, Sanjay

2018-01-01

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the skin-epidural space distance as assessed by ultrasonography and conventional loss of resistance (LOR) technique and to find the correlation of epidural depth with body mass index (BMI). Ninety-eight patients of either sex, American Society of Anesthesiology I/II, BMI <30 kg/m 2 requiring lumbar epidural for surgery were enrolled. The epidural space was assessed with a curvilinear ultrasound (US) probe, 2-5 MHz, in the transverse plane at L3-L4 intervertebral space. Thereafter, the epidural depth from skin was assessed with conventional LOR method while performing the epidural. The needle depth (ND) was measured using a sterile linear scale, and any change in the needle direction or intervertebral space was noted. The patients were demographically similar. Depth of epidural space measured by US depth (UD) was 3.96 ± 0.44 cm (range 3.18-5.44 cm) and by ND was 4.04 ± 0.52 cm (range 2.7-5.7 cm). The Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) between UD and ND was 0.935 (95% confidence interval: 0.72-0.92, r 2 = 0.874, P < 0.001), and Bland-Altman analysis revealed the 95% limits of agreement -0.494-0.652 cm. The present study demonstrates a good correlation between UD and ND and shows that the preprocedural US scan in transverse plane provides accurate needle entry site with a high success rate in single attempt for lumbar epidurals in patients with a BMI <30 kg/m 2 .

Effect of pre-heating on the chemical oxidation efficiency: implications for the PAH availability measurement in contaminated soils.

PubMed

Biache, Coralie; Lorgeoux, Catherine; Andriatsihoarana, Sitraka; Colombano, Stéfan; Faure, Pierre

2015-04-09

Three chemical oxidation treatments (KMnO4, H2O2 and Fenton-like) were applied on three PAH-contaminated soils presenting different properties to determine the potential use of these treatments to evaluate the available PAH fraction. In order to increase the available fraction, a pre-heating (100 °C under N2 for one week) was also applied on the samples prior oxidant addition. PAH and extractable organic matter contents were determined before and after treatment applications. KMnO4 was efficient to degrade PAHs in all the soil samples and the pre-heating slightly improved its efficiency. H2O2 and Fenton-like treatments presented low efficiency to degrade PAH in the soil presenting poor PAH availability, however, the PAH degradation rates were improved with the pre-heating. Consequently H2O2-based treatments (including Fenton-like) are highly sensitive to contaminant availability and seem to be valid methods to estimate the available PAH fraction in contaminated soils. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Antidepressant and anxiolytic like effects of Urtica dioica leaves in streptozotocin induced diabetic mice.

PubMed

Patel, Sita Sharan; Ray, R S; Sharma, Arun; Mehta, Vineet; Katyal, Anju; Udayabanu, Malairaman

2018-04-27

The present study was aimed to investigate the effect of Urtica dioica Linn. (UD) extract against chronic diabetes mediated anxiogenic and depressive like behavior in mice. Streptozotocin (STZ) (50 mg/kg, i.p.) for 5 consecutive days was used to induce diabetes followed by treatment with UD leaves extract (50 mg/kg, p.o.) and rosiglitazone (ROSI) (5 mg/kg, p.o.) for 8 weeks. STZ induced chronic diabetes significantly induced anxiety and depressive like behavior in mice. Chronic diabetes significantly downregulated BDNF (p < 0.001), TrKB (p < 0.001), Cyclin D1 (p < 0.001), Bcl2 (p < 0.05) and autophagy7 (p < 0.001), while upregulated iNOS (p < 0.05) mRNA expression in the hippocampus as compared to control mice. In addition, chronic diabetes significantly increased the expression of TNF-α in CA1 (p < 0.001), CA2 (p < 0.01), CA3 (p < 0.001) and DG (p < 0.001) regions of hippocampus as compared to control mice. Chronic diabetes mediated neuronal damage in the CA2, CA3 and DG regions of hippocampus. Chronic administration of UD leaves extract significantly reversed diabetes mediated anxiogenic and depressive like behavior in mice. Further, UD treatment significantly upregulated BDNF (p < 0.01), TrKB (p < 0.001), Cyclin D1 (p < 0.001), Bcl2 (p < 0.01), autophagy5 (p < 0.01) and autophagy7 (p < 0.001), while downregulated iNOS (p < 0.05) mRNA expression in the hippocampus of diabetic mice. Concomitantly, UD administration significantly decreased the expression of TNF-α in hippocampal CA1 (p < 0.001), CA2 (p < 0.01), CA3 (p < 0.001) and DG (p < 0.001) regions of diabetic mice. Diabetes mediated neuronal damage and DNA fragmentation in the hippocampus was substantially attenuated following UD treatment. UD leaves extract might prove to be effective for diabetes mediated anxiety and depressive like behavior.

Quantitating protein synthesis, degradation, and endogenous antigen processing.

PubMed

Princiotta, Michael F; Finzi, Diana; Qian, Shu-Bing; Gibbs, James; Schuchmann, Sebastian; Buttgereit, Frank; Bennink, Jack R; Yewdell, Jonathan W

2003-03-01

Using L929 cells, we quantitated the macroeconomics of protein synthesis and degradation and the microeconomics of producing MHC class I associated peptides from viral translation products. To maintain a content of 2.6 x 10(9) proteins, each cell's 6 x 10(6) ribosomes produce 4 x 10(6) proteins min(-1). Each of the cell's 8 x 10(5) proteasomes degrades 2.5 substrates min(-1), creating one MHC class I-peptide complex for each 500-3000 viral translation products degraded. The efficiency of complex formation is similar in dendritic cells and macrophages, which play a critical role in activating T cells in vivo. Proteasomes create antigenic peptides at different efficiencies from two distinct substrate pools: rapidly degraded newly synthesized proteins that clearly represent defective ribosomal products (DRiPs) and a less rapidly degraded pool in which DRiPs may also predominate.

Electroplating sludge derived zinc-ferrite catalyst for the efficient photo-Fenton degradation of dye.

PubMed

Cao, Zhenbang; Zhang, Jia; Zhou, Jizhi; Ruan, Xiuxiu; Chen, Dan; Liu, Jianyong; Liu, Qiang; Qian, Guangren

2017-05-15

A zinc-dominant ferrite catalyst for efficient degradation of organic dye was prepared by the calcination of electroplating sludge (ES). Characterizations indicated that zinc ferrite (ZnFe 2 O 4 ) coexisted with Fe 2 O 3 structure was the predominant phase in the calcined electroplating sludge (CES). CES displayed a high decolorization ratio (88.3%) of methylene blue (MB) in the presence of H 2 O 2 combined with UV irradiation. The high efficiency could be ascribed to the photocatalytic process induced by ZnFe 2 O 4 and the photo-Fenton dye degradation by ferrous content, and a small amount of Al and Mg in the sludge might also contribute to the catalysis. Moreover, the degradation capability of dye by CES was supported by the synthetic ZnFe 2 O 4 with different Zn to Fe molar ratio (n(Zn): n(Fe)), as 84.81%-86.83% of dye was removed with n(Zn): n(Fe) ranged from 1:0.5 to 1:3. All synthetic ferrite samples in the simulation achieved adjacent equilibrium decolorization ratio, the flexible proportioning of divalent metal ions (M 2+ ) to trivalent metal ions (M 3+ ) applied in the synthesis indicated that the catalyst has a high availability. Therefore, an efficacious catalyst for the degradation of dye can potentially be derived from heavy metal-containing ES, it's a novel approach for the reutilization of ES. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of the calcination temperature on the photocatalytic efficiency of acidic sol-gel synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles in the degradation of alprazolam.

PubMed

Romeiro, Andreia; Freitas, Diana; Emília Azenha, M; Canle, Moisés; Burrows, Hugh D

2017-06-14

We report a comparative study on the photodegradation of the widely used benzodiazepine psychoactive drug alprazolam (8-chloro-1-methyl-6-phenyl-4H-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a][1,4]benzodiazepine, ALP) using direct photolysis, and titanium dioxide photocatalyzed reaction. Titanium dioxide photocatalysts were prepared as nanoparticles by acidic sol-gel methods, calcined at two different temperatures, and their behavior compared with P25 (Degussa type) TiO 2 . Efficient photodegradation was observed in the photocatalytic process, with over 90% degradation after 90 minutes under optimized conditions. Triazolaminoquinoline, 5-chloro-(5-methyl-4H-1,2,4-triazol-4-yl)benzophenone, triazolbenzophenone, and α-hydroxyalprazolam were identified as the degradation products by fluorescence spectroscopy and HPLC-MS. A comparison with the literature suggests that 8H-alprazolam may also be formed. Good mineralization was observed with TiO 2 photocatalysts. ALP photodegradation with TiO 2 follows pseudo-first order kinetics, with rates depending on the photocatalyst used. The effects of the quantity of the photocatalyst and concentration of alprazolam were studied.

Photocatalytic degradation of pentachlorophenol by visible light Ν-F-TiO₂ in the presence of oxalate ions: optimization, modeling, and scavenging studies.

PubMed

Antonopoulou, M; Konstantinou, I

2015-06-01

The efficiency of heterogeneous photocatalysis using N-F-TiO2 as photocatalyst to degrade a priority pollutant, pentachlorophenol (PCP), in the presence of oxalates (OA) was investigated in detail. Response surface methodology was used to optimize the effect of three variables (catalyst concentration, OA/PCP ratio, and pH) on the photocatalytic degradation of pentachlorophenol. A quadratic model was established as a functional relationship between three independent variables and the degradation efficiency of PCP. The results of model fitting and statistical analysis demonstrated that the pH played a key role in the degradation of PCP. Within the studied experimental ranges, the optimum conditions for maximum PCP degradation efficiency (97.5 %) were: catalyst concentration 600 mg L(-1), OA/PCP ratio 2, and pH 10. The contribution of HO(·), O2 (·-), and e(-) produced during the photocatalytic treatment was investigated with the addition of scavengers. The photocatalytic degradation was essentially proceeded through an oxidative mechanism at both acid and alkaline pH values by HO(.) and O2 (·-) radicals attack. It was found that O2 (·-) were the major reactive species involved in PCP degradation in pH 4 and HO(·) in pH 10.

Degradation of 2,4-D in soils by Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles combined with stimulating indigenous microbes.

PubMed

Fang, Guodong; Si, Youbin; Tian, Chao; Zhang, Gangya; Zhou, Dongmei

2012-03-01

Degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) in soils by Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles combined with soil indigenous microbes was investigated, and the effects of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles on soil microbial populations and enzyme activities were also studied. The soils contaminated with 2,4-D were treated with Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. The microbial populations and enzyme activities were analyzed by dilution plate method and chemical assay, respectively, and the concentration of 2,4-D in soil was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results indicated that Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles combined with soil indigenous microbes led to a higher degradation efficiency of 2,4-D than the treatments with Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles or indigenous microbes alone. The degradation of 2,4-D in soils followed the pseudo first-order kinetic. The half-lives of 2,4-D degradation (DT₅₀) of the combined treatments were 0.9, 1.9 and 3.1 days in a Red soil, Vertisol and Alfisol, respectively, which implied that the DT₅₀ of the combination treatments were significantly shorter than that of the treatments Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles or indigenous microbes alone. The effects of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles on soil microbial populations and enzyme activities were also investigated and compared with the α-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles. The results suggested that the α-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles had only comparatively small effects on degradation of 2,4-D in soils, while the Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles not only degraded 2,4-D in soils but also increased the soil microbial populations and enzyme activities; the maximum increase in enzyme activities were 67.8% (amylase), 53.8% (acid phosphatase), 26.5% (catalase) and 38.0% (urease), compared with the untreated soil. Moreover, the introduction of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles at the different dosage resulted in a variable degradation efficiency of 2,4-D in soil. The method of combining Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles with indigenous soil microbes may offer great benefits for the application of nanotechnology in remediation of herbicide contaminated soil.

Manganese dioxide as a new cathode catalyst in microbial fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiang; Hu, Boxun; Suib, Steven; Lei, Yu; Li, Baikun

This study focused on manganese oxides with a cryptomelane-type octahedral molecular sieve (OMS-2) structure to replace platinum as a cathode catalyst in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Undoped (ud-OSM-2) and three catalysts doped with cobalt (Co-OMS-2), copper (Cu-OMS-2), and cerium (Ce-OMS-2) to enhance their catalytic performances were investigated. The novel OMS-2 cathodes were examined in granular activated carbon MFC (GACMFC) with sodium acetate as the anode reagent and oxygen in air as the cathode reagent. The results showed that after 400 h of operation, the Co-OMS-2 and Cu-OMS-2 exhibited good catalytic performance in an oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The voltage of the Co-OMS-2 GACMFC was 217 mV, and the power density was 180 mW m -2. The voltage of the Cu-OMS-2 GACMFC was 214 mV and the power density was 165 mW m -2. The internal resistance (R in) of the OMS-2 GACMFCs (18 ± 1 Ω) was similar to that of the platinum GACMFCs (17 Ω). Furthermore, the degradation rates of organic substrates in the OMS-2 GACMFCs were twice those in the platinum GACMFCs, which enhance their wastewater treatment efficiencies. This study indicated that using OMS-2 manganese oxides to replace platinum as a cathodic catalyst enhances power generation, increases contaminant removal, and substantially reduces the cost of MFCs.

Degradation mechanisms of 4-chlorophenol in a novel gas-liquid hybrid discharge reactor by pulsed high voltage system with oxygen or nitrogen bubbling.

PubMed

Zhang, Yi; Zhou, Minghua; Hao, Xiaolong; Lei, Lecheng

2007-03-01

The effect of gas bubbling on the removal efficiency of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) in aqueous solution has been investigated using a novel pulsed high voltage gas-liquid hybrid discharge reactor, which generates gas-phase discharge above the water surface simultaneously with the spark discharge directly in the liquid. The time for 100% of 4-CP degradation in the case of oxygen bubbling (7 min) was much shorter than that in the case of nitrogen bubbling (25 min) as plenty of hydrogen peroxide and ozone formed in oxygen atmosphere enhanced the removal efficiency of 4-CP. Except for the main similar intermediates (4-chlorocatechol, hydroquinone and 1,4-benzoquinone) produced in the both cases of oxygen and nitrogen bubbling, special intermediates (5-chloro-3-nitropyrocatechol, 4-chloro-2-nitrophenol, nitrate and nitrite ions) were produced in nitrogen atmosphere. The reaction pathway of 4-CP in the case of oxygen bubbling was oxygen/ozone attack on the radical hydroxylated derivatives of 4-CP. However, in the case of nitrogen bubbling, hydroxylation was the main reaction pathway with effect of N atom on degradation of 4-CP.

On the kinetics of organic pollutant degradation with Co2+/peroxymonosulfate process: When ammonium meets chloride.

PubMed

Huang, Ying; Yang, Fei; Ai, Luoyan; Feng, Min; Wang, Chi; Wang, Zhaohui; Liu, Jianshe

2017-07-01

A large amount of chloride and ammonium ions were produced and released from industrial processes with non-biodegradable organic pollutants to affect efficiencies of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). Here, the influences of chloride and ammonium ions on Co/peroxymonosulfate (Co/PMS) reaction system, a widely used AOPs to produce sulfate radicals, were investigated by examining the degradation efficiency of an azo dye (Acid Orange 7, AO7). The experimental results showed that a significant decrease in the degradation rate of AO7 was observed in the presence of NH 4 + , while a dual effect of chloride on AO7 bleaching appeared. The presence of NH 4 Cl was unfavorable for AO7 degradation at low concentration (<20 mM), whereas further addition of NH 4 Cl (>20 mM) apparently accelerated AO7 discoloration rate. The apparent effects of the two co-existing inorganic ions were determined by roles of the dominating ions at varied molar ratio of [NH 4 + ]/[Cl - ]. The present study may have technical implications for the treatment of industrial wastewater containing diverse ions in practice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enhancement of in vitro high-density polyethylene (HDPE) degradation by physical, chemical, and biological treatments.

PubMed

Balasubramanian, V; Natarajan, K; Rajeshkannan, V; Perumal, P

2014-11-01

Partially degraded high-density polyethylene (HDPE) was collected from plastic waste dump yard for biodegradation using fungi. Of various fungi screened, strain MF12 was found efficient in degrading HDPE by weight loss and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrophotometric analysis. Strain MF12 was selected as efficient HDPE degraders for further studies, and their growth medium composition was optimized. Among those different media used, basal minimal medium (BMM) was suitable for the HDPE degradation by strain MF12. Strain MF12 was subjected to 28S rRNA sequence analysis and identified as Aspergillus terreus MF12. HDPE degradation was carried out using combinatorial physical and chemical treatments in conjunction to biological treatment. The high level of HDPE degradation was observed in ultraviolet (UV) and KMnO4/HCl with A. terreus MF12 treatment, i.e., FT10. The abiotic physical and chemical factors enhance the biodegradation of HDPE using A. terreus MF12.

VLTI-GRAVITY measurements of cool evolved stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wittkowski, M.; Rau, G.; Chiavassa, A.; Höfner, S.; Scholz, M.; Wood, P. R.; de Wit, W. J.; Eisenhauer, F.; Haubois, X.; Paumard, T.

2018-06-01

Context. Dynamic model atmospheres of Mira stars predict variabilities in the photospheric radius and in atmospheric molecular layers which are not yet strongly constrained by observations. Aims: Here we measure the variability of the oxygen-rich Mira star R Peg in near-continuum and molecular bands. Methods: We used near-infrared K-band spectro-interferometry with a spectral resolution of about 4000 obtained at four epochs between post-maximum and minimum visual phases employing the newly available GRAVITY beam combiner at the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI). Results: Our observations show a continuum radius that is anti-correlated with the visual lightcurve. Uniform disc (UD) angular diameters at a near-continuum wavelength of 2.25 μm are steadily increasing with values of 8.7 ± 0.1 mas, 9.4 ± 0.1 mas, 9.8 ± 0.1 mas, and 9.9 ± 0.1 mas at visual phases of 0.15, 0.36, 0,45, 0.53, respectively. UD diameters at a bandpass around 2.05 μm, dominated by water vapour, follow the near-continuum variability at larger UD diameters between 10.7 mas and 11.7 mas. UD diameters at the CO 2-0 bandhead, instead, are correlated with the visual lightcurve and anti-correlated with the near-continuum UD diameters, with values between 12.3 mas and 11.7 mas. Conclusions: The observed anti-correlation between continuum radius and visual lightcurve is consistent with an earlier study of the oxygen-rich Mira S Lac, and with recent 1D CODEX dynamic model atmosphere predictions. The amplitude of the variation is comparable to the earlier observations of S Lac, and smaller than predicted by CODEX models. The wavelength-dependent visibility variations at our epochs can be reproduced by a set of CODEX models at model phases between 0.3 and 0.6. The anti-correlation of water vapour and CO contributions at our epochs suggests that these molecules undergo different processes in the extended atmosphere along the stellar cycle. The newly available GRAVITY instrument is suited to conducting longer time series observations, which are needed to provide strong constraints on the model-predicted intra- and inter-cycle variability. Based on observations made with the VLT Interferometer at Paranal Observatory under programme IDs 60.A-9176 and 098.D-0647.

Aerobic Degradation of N-Methyl-4-Nitroaniline (MNA) by Pseudomonas sp. Strain FK357 Isolated from Soil

PubMed Central

Khan, Fazlurrahman; Vyas, Bhawna; Pal, Deepika; Cameotra, Swaranjit Singh

2013-01-01

N-Methyl-4-nitroaniline (MNA) is used as an additive to lower the melting temperature of energetic materials in the synthesis of insensitive explosives. Although the biotransformation of MNA under anaerobic condition has been reported, its aerobic microbial degradation has not been documented yet. A soil microcosms study showed the efficient aerobic degradation of MNA by the inhabitant soil microorganisms. An aerobic bacterium, Pseudomonas sp. strain FK357, able to utilize MNA as the sole carbon, nitrogen, and energy source, was isolated from soil microcosms. HPLC and GC-MS analysis of the samples obtained from growth and resting cell studies showed the formation of 4-nitroaniline (4-NA), 4-aminophenol (4-AP), and 1, 2, 4-benzenetriol (BT) as major metabolic intermediates in the MNA degradation pathway. Enzymatic assay carried out on cell-free lysates of MNA grown cells confirmed N-demethylation reaction is the first step of MNA degradation with the formation of 4-NA and formaldehyde products. Flavin-dependent transformation of 4-NA to 4-AP in cell extracts demonstrated that the second step of MNA degradation is a monooxygenation. Furthermore, conversion of 4-AP to BT by MNA grown cells indicates the involvement of oxidative deamination (release of NH2 substituent) reaction in third step of MNA degradation. Subsequent degradation of BT occurs by the action of benzenetriol 1, 2-dioxygenase as reported for the degradation of 4-nitrophenol. This is the first report on aerobic degradation of MNA by a single bacterium along with elucidation of metabolic pathway. PMID:24116023

Aerobic degradation of N-methyl-4-nitroaniline (MNA) by Pseudomonas sp. strain FK357 isolated from soil.

PubMed

Khan, Fazlurrahman; Vyas, Bhawna; Pal, Deepika; Cameotra, Swaranjit Singh

2013-01-01

N-Methyl-4-nitroaniline (MNA) is used as an additive to lower the melting temperature of energetic materials in the synthesis of insensitive explosives. Although the biotransformation of MNA under anaerobic condition has been reported, its aerobic microbial degradation has not been documented yet. A soil microcosms study showed the efficient aerobic degradation of MNA by the inhabitant soil microorganisms. An aerobic bacterium, Pseudomonas sp. strain FK357, able to utilize MNA as the sole carbon, nitrogen, and energy source, was isolated from soil microcosms. HPLC and GC-MS analysis of the samples obtained from growth and resting cell studies showed the formation of 4-nitroaniline (4-NA), 4-aminophenol (4-AP), and 1, 2, 4-benzenetriol (BT) as major metabolic intermediates in the MNA degradation pathway. Enzymatic assay carried out on cell-free lysates of MNA grown cells confirmed N-demethylation reaction is the first step of MNA degradation with the formation of 4-NA and formaldehyde products. Flavin-dependent transformation of 4-NA to 4-AP in cell extracts demonstrated that the second step of MNA degradation is a monooxygenation. Furthermore, conversion of 4-AP to BT by MNA grown cells indicates the involvement of oxidative deamination (release of NH2 substituent) reaction in third step of MNA degradation. Subsequent degradation of BT occurs by the action of benzenetriol 1, 2-dioxygenase as reported for the degradation of 4-nitrophenol. This is the first report on aerobic degradation of MNA by a single bacterium along with elucidation of metabolic pathway.

Oxidative degradation of phenols in sono-Fenton-like systems upon high-frequency ultrasound irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aseev, D. G.; Sizykh, M. R.; Batoeva, A. A.

2017-12-01

The kinetics of oxidative degradation of phenol and chlorophenols upon acoustic cavitation in the megahertz range (1.7 MHz) is studied experimentally in model systems, and the involvement of in situ generated reactive oxygen species (ROSs) is demonstrated. The phenols subjected to high frequency ultrasound (HFUS) are ranked in terms of their rate of conversion: 2,4,6-trichlorophenol > 2,4-dichlorophenol 2-chlorophenol > 4-chlorophenol phenol. Oxidative degradation upon HFUS irradiation is most efficient at low concentrations of pollutants, due to the low steady-state concentrations of the in situ generated ROSs. A dramatic increase is observed in the efficiency of oxidation in several sonochemical oxidative systems (HFUS in combination with other chemical oxidative factors). The system with added Fe2+ (a sono-Fenton system) derives its efficiency from hydrogen peroxide generated in situ as a result of the recombination of OH radicals. The S2O8 2-/Fe2+/HFUS system has a synergetic effect on substrate oxidation that is attributed to a radical chain mechanism. In terms of the oxidation rates, degrees of conversion, and specific energy efficiencies of 4-chlorophenol oxidation based on the amount of oxidized substance per unit of expended energy the considered sonochemical oxidative systems form the series HFUS < S2O8 2-/HFUS < S2O8 2-/Fe2+/HFUS.

Cometabolic degradation of trichloroethene by Rhodococcus sp. strain L4 immobilized on plant materials rich in essential oils.

PubMed

Suttinun, Oramas; Müller, Rudolf; Luepromchai, Ekawan

2010-07-01

The cometabolic degradation of trichloroethene (TCE) by Rhodococcus sp. L4 was limited by the loss of enzyme activity during TCE transformation. This problem was overcome by repeated addition of inducing substrates, such as cumene, limonene, or cumin aldehyde, to the cells. Alternatively, Rhodococcus sp. L4 was immobilized on plant materials which contain those inducers in their essential oils. Cumin seeds were the most suitable immobilizing material, and the immobilized cells tolerated up to 68 muM TCE and degraded TCE continuously. The activity of immobilized cells, which had been inactivated partially during TCE degradation, could be reactivated by incubation in mineral salts medium without TCE. These findings demonstrate that immobilization of Rhodococcus sp. L4 on plant materials rich in essential oils is a promising method for efficient cometabolic degradation of TCE.

Cometabolic Degradation of Trichloroethene by Rhodococcus sp. Strain L4 Immobilized on Plant Materials Rich in Essential Oils▿ †

PubMed Central

Suttinun, Oramas; Müller, Rudolf; Luepromchai, Ekawan

2010-01-01

The cometabolic degradation of trichloroethene (TCE) by Rhodococcus sp. L4 was limited by the loss of enzyme activity during TCE transformation. This problem was overcome by repeated addition of inducing substrates, such as cumene, limonene, or cumin aldehyde, to the cells. Alternatively, Rhodococcus sp. L4 was immobilized on plant materials which contain those inducers in their essential oils. Cumin seeds were the most suitable immobilizing material, and the immobilized cells tolerated up to 68 μM TCE and degraded TCE continuously. The activity of immobilized cells, which had been inactivated partially during TCE degradation, could be reactivated by incubation in mineral salts medium without TCE. These findings demonstrate that immobilization of Rhodococcus sp. L4 on plant materials rich in essential oils is a promising method for efficient cometabolic degradation of TCE. PMID:20472723

Removal of PCBs in contaminated soils by means of chemical reduction and advanced oxidation processes.

PubMed

Rybnikova, V; Usman, M; Hanna, K

2016-09-01

Although the chemical reduction and advanced oxidation processes have been widely used individually, very few studies have assessed the combined reduction/oxidation approach for soil remediation. In the present study, experiments were performed in spiked sand and historically contaminated soil by using four synthetic nanoparticles (Fe(0), Fe/Ni, Fe3O4, Fe3 - x Ni x O4). These nanoparticles were tested firstly for reductive transformation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and then employed as catalysts to promote chemical oxidation reactions (H2O2 or persulfate). Obtained results indicated that bimetallic nanoparticles Fe/Ni showed the highest efficiency in reduction of PCB28 and PCB118 in spiked sand (97 and 79 %, respectively), whereas magnetite (Fe3O4) exhibited a high catalytic stability during the combined reduction/oxidation approach. In chemical oxidation, persulfate showed higher PCB degradation extent than hydrogen peroxide. As expected, the degradation efficiency was found to be limited in historically contaminated soil, where only Fe(0) and Fe/Ni particles exhibited reductive capability towards PCBs (13 and 18 %). In oxidation step, the highest degradation extents were obtained in presence of Fe(0) and Fe/Ni (18-19 %). The increase in particle and oxidant doses improved the efficiency of treatment, but overall degradation extents did not exceed 30 %, suggesting that only a small part of PCBs in soil was available for reaction with catalyst and/or oxidant. The use of organic solvent or cyclodextrin to improve the PCB availability in soil did not enhance degradation efficiency, underscoring the strong impact of soil matrix. Moreover, a better PCB degradation was observed in sand spiked with extractable organic matter separated from contaminated soil. In contrast to fractions with higher particle size (250-500 and <500 μm), no PCB degradation was observed in the finest fraction (≤250 μm) having higher organic matter content. These findings may have important practical implications to promote successively reduction and oxidation reactions in soils and understand the impact of soil properties on remediation performance.

The facile synthesis of a single atom-dispersed silver-modified ultrathin g-C3N4 hybrid for the enhanced visible-light photocatalytic degradation of sulfamethazine with peroxymonosulfate.

PubMed

Wang, Fengliang; Wang, Yingfei; Li, Yanyan; Cui, Xuhui; Zhang, Qianxin; Xie, Zhijie; Liu, Haijin; Feng, Yiping; Lv, Wenying; Liu, Guoguang

2018-05-22

Enabling the optimal usage of solar energy is considered to be one of the most pressing challenges in the photocatalytic remediation of water resident contaminants. Herein, a single-atom dispersed Ag loaded ultrathin g-C3N4 hybrid (AgTCM/UCN) was prepared through a facile co-polymerization of dicyandiamide with silver tricyanomethanide (AgTCM) and NH4Cl, and used as a visible light driven photocatalyst for the degradation of sulfamethazine (SMT) in the presence of peroxymonosulfate (PMS). Under UV light, visible light and simulated sunlight irradiation, the AgTCM/UCN/PMS process showed higher efficiency for SMT degradation than AgTCM/UCN, UCN/PMS, and g-C3N4/PMS systems. This enhanced photocatalytic activity may be attributed to the synergistic effects encompassing the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of Ag, high surface area of UCN, and efficient charge separation of PMS. Electron-spin resonance (ESR) and reactive species (RSs) scavenger-quenching experiments revealed that SO4˙- was generated following the addition of PMS, whereas O2˙- and h+ were predominantly responsible for the degradation of SMT. Three degradation pathways of SMT were deduced, including the cleavage of sulfonamide bonds, SO2 extrusion, and the oxidation of the aniline moiety, based on mass spectrometry and theoretical calculations. The degradation of SMT in ambient water revealed that the AgTCM/UCN/PMS photocatalytic process can be efficaciously applied for the remediation of SMT contaminated natural waters, particularly sea water.

Introducing saccharic acid as an efficient iron chelate to enhance photo-Fenton degradation of organic contaminants.

PubMed

Subramanian, Gokulakrishnan; Madras, Giridhar

2016-11-01

The identification of iron chelates that can enhance photo-Fenton degradation is of great interest in the field of advanced oxidation process. Saccharic acid (SA) is a polyhydroxy carboxylic acid and completely non-toxic. Importantly, it can effectively bind Fe(III) as well as induce photoreduction of Fe(III). Despite having these interesting properties, the effect of SA on photo-Fenton degradation has not been studied. Herein, we demonstrate the first assessment of SA as an iron chelate in photo-Fenton process using methylene blue (MB) as a model organic contaminant. Our results demonstrate that SA has the ability to (i) enhance the photo-Fenton degradation of MB by about 11 times at pH 4.5 (ii) intensify photochemical reduction of Fe(III) to Fe(II) by about 17 times and (iii) accelerate the rate of consumption of H 2 O 2 in photo-Fenton process by about 5 times (iv) increase the TOC reduction by about 2 times and (v) improve the photo-Fenton degradation of MB in the presence of a variety of common inorganic ions and organic matter. The influential properties of SA on photo-Fenton degradation is attributed to the efficient photochemical reduction of Fe(III) via LMCT (ligand to metal charge transfer reaction) to Fe(II), which then activated H 2 O 2 to generate OH and accelerated photo-Fenton degradation efficiency. Moreover, the effect of operational parameters such as oxidant: contaminant (H 2 O 2 : MB) ratio, catalyst: contaminant (Fe(III)SA: MB) ratio, Fe(III): SA stoichiometry and pH on the degradation of MB by photo-Fenton in the presence of SA is demonstrated. Importantly, SA assisted photo-Fenton caused effective degradation of MB and 4-Chlorophenol under natural sunlight irradiation in natural water matrix. The findings strongly support SA as a deserving iron chelate to enhance photo-Fenton degradation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bio-degradation of oily food waste employing thermophilic bacterial strains.

PubMed

Awasthi, Mukesh Kumar; Selvam, Ammaiyappan; Chan, Man Ting; Wong, Jonathan W C

2018-01-01

The objective of this work was to isolate a novel thermophilic bacterial strain and develop a bacterial consortium (BC) for efficient degradation oily food waste. Four treatments were designed: 1:1 mixture of pre-consumption food wastes (PrCFWs) and post-consumption food wastes (PCFWs) (T-1), 1:2 mixture of PrCFWs and PCFWs mixture (T-2), PrCFWs (T-3) and PCFWs (T-4). Equal quantity of BC was inoculated into each treatment to compare the oil degradation efficiency. Results showed that after 15days of incubation, a maximum oil reduction of 65.12±0.08% was observed in treatment T-4, followed by T-2 (55.44±0.12%), T-3 (54.79±0.04%) and T-1 (52.52±0.02%), while oil reduction was negligible in control. Results indicate that the development of oil utilizing thermophilic BC was more cost-effective in solving the degradation of oily food wastes and conversion into a stable end product. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rapid degradation of azo dye Direct Black BN by magnetic MgFe2O4-SiC under microwave radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Jia; Yang, Shaogui; Li, Na; Meng, Lingjun; Wang, Fei; He, Huan; Sun, Cheng

2016-08-01

A novel microwave (MW) catalyst, MgFe2O4 loaded on SiC (MgFe2O4-SiC), was successfully synthesized by sol-gel method, and pure MgFe2O4 was used as reference. The MgFe2O4 and MgFe2O4-SiC catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N2 adsorption analyzer (BET specific surface area), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The electromagnetic parameters of the prepared catalysts were measured by vector network analyzer. The reflection loss (RL) based on the electromagnetic parameters calculated in Matlab showed MgFe2O4-SiC attained the maximum absorbing value of 13.32 dB at 2.57 GHz, which reached extremely high RL value at low frequency range, revealing the excellent MW absorption property of MgFe2O4-SiC. MW-induced degradation of Direct Black BN (DB BN) over as-synthesized MgFe2O4-SiC indicated that degradation efficiency of DB BN (20 mg L-1) in 5 min reached 96.5%, the corresponding TOC removal was 65%, and the toxicity of DB BN after degradation by MgFe2O4-SiC obviously decreased. The good stability and applicability of MgFe2O4-SiC on the degradation process were also discovered. Moreover, the ionic chromatogram during degradation of DB BN demonstrated that the C-S, C-N and azo bonds in the DB BN molecule were destroyed gradually. MW-induced rad OH and holes could be responsible for the efficient removal involved in the system. These findings make MgFe2O4-SiC become an excellent MW absorbent as well as an effective MW catalyst with rapid degradation of DB BN. Therefore, it may be promising for MgFe2O4-SiC under MW radiation to deal with various dyestuffs and other toxic organic pollutants.

A new application of high-efficient silver salts-based photocatalyst under natural indoor weak light for wastewater cleaning.

PubMed

Hua, Xia; Teng, Fei; Zhao, Yunxuan; Xu, Juan; Xu, Chuangye; Yang, Yang; Zhang, Qiqi; Paul, Shashi; Zhang, Yi; Chen, Mindong; Zhao, Xudong

2015-09-15

As a high-quantum-efficiency photocatalyst, the serious photo-corrosion of silver phosphate (Ag3PO4), limits the practical applications in water purification and challenges us. Herein, Ag3PO4 is found to have a high stability under natural indoor weak light irradiation, suggesting that we can employ it by adopting a new application strategy. In our studies, rhodamine B (RhB, cationic dye), methyl orange (MO, anionic dye) and RhB-MO mixture aqueous solutions are used as the probing reaction for the degradation of organic wastewater. It is found that RhB, MO and RhB-MO can be completely degraded after 28 h under natural indoor weak light irradiation, indicating that multi-component organic contaminants can be efficiently degraded by Ag3PO4 under natural indoor weak light irradiation. The density of natural indoor weak light is measured to be 72cd, which is merely one-thousandth of 300 W xenon lamp (68.2 × 10(3)cd). Most importantly, Ag3PO4 shows a high stability under natural indoor weak light irradiation, demonstrated by the formation of fairly rare Ag. Furthermore, we also investigate the influence of inorganic ions on organic dyes degradation. It shows that the Cl(-) and Cr(6+) ions with high concentrations in wastewater have significantly decreased the degradation rate. From the viewpoint of energy saving and stability, this study shows us that we can utilize the Ag-containing photocatalysts under natural indoor weak light, which could be extended to indoor air cleaning process. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Application of analytical redundancy management to Shuttle crafts. [computerized simulation of microelectronic implementation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Montgomery, R. C.; Tabak, D.

1979-01-01

The study involves the bank of filters approach to analytical redundancy management since this is amenable to microelectronic implementation. Attention is given to a study of the UD factorized filter to determine if it gives more accurate estimates than the standard Kalman filter when data processing word size is reduced. It is reported that, as the word size is reduced, the effect of modeling error dominates the filter performance of the two filters. However, the UD filter is shown to maintain a slight advantage in tracking performance. It is concluded that because of the UD filter's stability in the serial processing mode, it remains the leading candidate for microelectronic implementation.

Bimetallic Au-Pd nanoparticles on 2D supported graphitic carbon nitride and reduced graphene oxide sheets: A comparative photocatalytic degradation study of organic pollutants in water.

PubMed

Darabdhara, Gitashree; Das, Manash R

2018-04-01

Novel and sustainable bimetallic nanoparticles of Au-Pd on 2D graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets was designed adopting an eco-friendly chemical route to obtain Au-Pd/g-C 3 N 4 and Au-Pd/rGO, respectively. Elimination of hazardous pollutants, particularly phenol from water is urgent for environment remediation due to its significant carcinogenicity. Considering this aspect, the Au-Pd/g-C 3 N 4 and Au-Pd/rGO nanocomposites are used as photocatalyst towards degradation of toxic phenol, 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) and 2-nitrophenol (2-NP) under natural sunlight and UV light irradiation. Au-Pd/g-C 3 N 4 nanocomposite exhibited higher activity then Au/g-C 3 N 4 , Pd/g-C 3 N 4 and Au-Pd/rGO nanocomposites with more than 95% degradation in 180 min under sunlight. The obtained degradation efficiency of our materials is better than many other reported photocatalysts. Incorporation of nitrogen atoms in the carbon skeleton of g-C 3 N 4 provides much better properties to Au-Pd/g-C 3 N 4 nanocomposite than carbon based Au-Pd/rGO leading to its higher degradation efficiency. Due to the presence of these nitrogen atoms and some defects, g-C 3 N 4 possesses appealing electrical, chemical and functional properties. Photoluminescence results further revealed the efficient charge separation and delayed recombination of photo-induced electron-hole pairs in the Au-Pd/g-C 3 N 4 nanocomposite. Generation of reactive oxygen species during photocatalysis is well explained through photoluminescence study and the sustainability of these photocatalyst was ascertained through reusability study up to eight and five consecutive cycles for Au-Pd/g-C 3 N 4 and Au-Pd/rGO nanocomposites, respectively without substantial loss in its activity. Characterization of the photocatalysts after reaction signified the stability of the nanocomposites and added advantage to our developed photocatalytic system. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Antihypoxic activities of Eryngium caucasicum and Urtica dioica.

PubMed

Khalili, M; Dehdar, T; Hamedi, F; Ebrahimzadeh, M A; Karami, M

2015-09-01

Urtica dioica and Eryngium spp. have been used in traditional medicine for many years. In spite of many works, nothing is known about their protective effect against hypoxia-induced lethality. Protective effects of U. dioica (UD) aerial parts and E. caucasicum (EC) inflorescence against hypoxia-induced lethality in mice were evaluated by three experimental models of hypoxia, asphyctic, haemic and circulatory. Statistically significant protective activities were established in some doses of extracts in three models. Antihypoxic activity was especially pronounced in polyphenol fractions in asphyctic model. EC polyphenol fraction at 400 mg/kg prolonged survival time (48.80 ± 4.86, p < 0.001) which was comparable with that of phenytoin (p > 0.05). It was the most effective extract in circulatory model, too. It prolonged survival time significantly respect to control group (p < 0.001). UD extracts protected the mice but the response was not dose-dependent. In haemic model, extracts of EP significantly and dose dependently prolonged survival time as compared to control group (p < 0.001). At 600 mg/kg, EP was the most effective one, being capable of keeping the mice alive for 12.71 ± 0.75 min. Only the concentration of 300 mg/kg of UD was effective (p < 0.001). Extracts showed remarkable antihypoxic effects. Pharmacological effects may be attributed to the presence of polyphenols in the extracts.

GENOTOXIC ACTIVITY OF 1-CHLOROMETHYLPYRENE IN STOMACH EPITHELIUM IN VIVO: INSENSITIVITY OF THE SCINTILLATION UDS ASSAY

EPA Science Inventory

An acknowledged weakness of current testing programs for genotoxic hazard has been the potential insensitivity of the established mouse bone ma,-row micronucleus test and rat liver UDS assays to direct-acting or short lived mutagens which may be consumed at the site of initial co...

An Assessment of Hispanic Recruits Who Speak English as a Second Language

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-06-01

PREDOMINANTLY IN A SOCIAL SITUATION, SPANISH OR ENGLISH? (Que idioma habla Ud. predominantemente, esparfol o ingles?) TOTAL SPANISH: 36/102 (35.3%) ENGLISH...SPANISH: 23/26 (88.5%) ENGLISH: 0 EQUAL: 3/26 (11.5%) LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME: ( Idioma que habla Ud. en el Hogar) SPANISH: 57/102 (55.9

A comparison of Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire dimensions in bipolar disorder and unipolar depression.

PubMed

Young, L T; Bagby, R M; Cooke, R G; Parker, J D; Levitt, A J; Joffe, R T

1995-09-29

The harm avoidance (HA) personality dimension has been hypothesized to be a vulnerability factor for unipolar depression (UD) but not for bipolar disorder (BD). The reported difference on HA scores between these diagnostic groups may have been compromised by the assessment of BD patients who had not fully recovered. To test the diagnostic specificity of elevated HA scores and to elucidate whether assumptions about differences between patients with UD or BD might be attributed to the lingering effects of mood state, the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) was administered to recovered patients with either BD or UD and a nonpatient comparison group. Both patient groups scored higher on the HA dimension than the nonpatient comparison group, but the patient groups did not differ from one another on this dimension. Moreover, novelty seeking (NS) scores were elevated in subjects with BD compared with both UD patients and nonpatient subjects. These results suggest that high HA scores may be associated with a mood disorder diagnosis, whereas high NS scores may be associated with the BD subtype.

Antioxidant-Rich Fraction of Urtica dioica Mediated Rescue of Striatal Mito-Oxidative Damage in MPTP-Induced Behavioral, Cellular, and Neurochemical Alterations in Rats.

PubMed

Bisht, Rohit; Joshi, Bhuwan Chandra; Kalia, Ajudhiya Nath; Prakash, Atish

2017-09-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) having a complex and multi-factorial neuropathology includes mainly the degeneration of the dopaminergic nigrostriatal pathway, which is a cumulative effect of depleted endogenous antioxidant enzymes, increased oxidative DNA damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, excitotoxicity, and neuroinflammation. The present study was designed to investigate the neuroprotective effect of a potent antioxidant from Urtica dioica in a 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) model of parkinsonism. MPTP was administered intranigrally for the induction of PD in male Wistar rats. Behavioral alterations were assessed in between the study period. Animals were sacrificed immediately after behavioral session, and different biochemical, cellular, and neurochemical parameters were measured. Intranigrally repeated administration of MPTP showed significant impairment of motor co-ordination and marked increase of mito-oxidative damage and neuroinflammation in rats. Intranigral MPTP significantly decreases the dopamine and its metabolites with impairment of dopaminergic cell density in rat brain. However, post-treatment with the potent antioxidant fraction of Urtica dioica Linn. (UD) (20, 40, 80 mg/kg) improved the motor function, mito-oxidative defense alteration significantly and dose dependently in MPTP-treated rats. In addition, the potent antioxidant fraction of UD attenuated the pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-β) and restored the level of dopamine and its metabolites in MPTP-induced PD in rats. Moreover, minocycline (30 mg/kg) with lower dose of UD (20 mg/kg) had significantly potentiated the protective effect of minocycline as compared to its effect with other individual drug-treated groups. In conclusion, Urtica dioica protected the dopaminergic neurons probably by reducing mito-oxidative damage, neuroinflammation, and cellular alteration along with enhanced neurotrophic potential. The above results revealed that the antioxidant rich fraction of UD contain flavonoids and phenolic compounds, which have a promising approach in therapeutics of PD.

Utility of Phox2b immunohistochemical stain in neural crest tumours and non-neural crest tumours in paediatric patients.

PubMed

Warren, Mikako; Matsuno, Ryosuke; Tran, Henry; Shimada, Hiroyuki

2018-03-01

This study evaluated the utility of Phox2b in paediatric tumours. Previously, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) was the most widely utilised sympathoadrenal marker specific for neural crest tumours with neuronal/neuroendocrine differentiation. However, its sensitivity is insufficient. Recently Phox2b has emerged as another specific marker for this entity. Phox2b immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed on 159 paediatric tumours, including (group 1) 65 neural crest tumours with neuronal differentiation [peripheral neuroblastic tumours (pNT)]: 15 neuroblastoma undifferentiated (NB-UD), 10 NB poorly differentiated (NB-PD), 10 NB differentiating (NB-D), 10 ganglioneuroblastoma intermixed (GNBi), 10 GNB nodular (GNBn) and 10 ganglioneuroma (GN); (group 2) 23 neural crest tumours with neuroendocrine differentiation [pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma (PCC/PG)]; (group 3) 27 other neural crest tumours including one composite rhabdomyosarcoma/neuroblastoma; and (group 4) 44 non-neural crest tumours. TH IHC was performed on groups 1, 2 and 3. Phox2b was expressed diffusely in pNT (n = 65 of 65), strongly in NB-UD and NB-PD and with less intensity in NB-D, GNB and GN. Diffuse TH was seen in all NB-PD, NB-D, GNB and GN, but nine of 15 NB-UD and a nodule in GNBn did not express TH (n = 55 of 65). PCC/PG expressed diffuse Phox2b (n = 23 of 23) and diffuse TH, except for one tumour (n = 22 of 23). In composite rhabdomyosarcoma, TH was expressed only in neuroblastic cells and Phox2b was diffusely positive in neuroblastic cells and focally in rhabdomyosarcoma. All other tumours were negative for Phox2b (n = none of 44). Phox2b was a specific and sensitive marker for pNT and PCC/PG, especially useful for identifying NB-UD often lacking TH. Our study also presented a composite rhabdomyosarcoma/neuroblastoma of neural crest origin. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: AzTEC survey of the SHADES fields. II. (Michalowski+, 2012)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michalowski, M. J.; Dunlop, J. S.; Ivison, R. J.; Cirasuolo, M.; Caputi, K. I.; Aretxaga, I.; Arumugam, V.; Austermann, J. E.; Chapin, E. L.; Chapman, S. C.; Coppin, K. E. K.; Egami, E.; Hughes, D. H.; Ibar, E.; Mortier, A. M. J.; Schael, A. M.; Scott, K. S.; Smail, I.; Targett, T. A.; Wagg, J.; Wilson, G. W.; Xu, L.; Yun, M.

2013-04-01

We utilized the JCMT/AzTEC 1.1mm maps and catalogues from Austermann et al. (2010, Cat. J/MNRAS/401/160). These data cover 0.7deg2 to an rms depth of 0.9-1.7mJy/beam. We selected all 148 sources presented by Austermann et al. (2010, Cat. J/MNRAS/401/160) with signal-to-noise ratios (S/Ns) > 3.5, and adopted the statistically deboosted 1.1mm flux densities. The VLA 1.4GHz and GMRT 0.61GHz radio data were taken from Ivison et al. (2005MNRAS.364.1025I, 2007, Cat. J/MNRAS/380/199) and Ibar et al. (2009, Cat. J/MNRAS/397/281, 2010MNRAS.401L..53I), respectively. The mid-IR Spitzer data in the Lockman Hole East field are from programmes PID 81 (PI: G. Rieke) and PID 50249 (PI: E. Egami), described in Egami et al. (2004ApJS..154..130E) and Dye et al. (2008MNRAS.386.1107D), whereas in the UDS field the mid-IR data are from the Spitzer Public Legacy Survey of the UKIDSS UDS (PI: J. Dunlop, http://ssc.spitzer.caltech.edu/spitzermission/observingprograms/ legacy/spuds/) described in Caputi et al. (2011MNRAS.413..162C). The optical data in both fields were obtained with Subaru/SuprimeCam, as described in Dye et al. (2006MNRAS.372.1227D) and Furusawa et al. (2008, Cat. J/ApJS/176/1). The near-IR data in both fields are provided by the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS; Lawrence et al. 2007, Cat. II/314) with the SXDF/UDS field benefitting from the ultradeep J, H, K coverage provided by the UDS (e.g. Cirasuolo et al. 2010MNRAS.401.1166C), while the Lockman Hole East field is part of the somewhat shallower UKIDSS DXS (Warren et al., 2007MNRAS.375..213W). (5 data files).

Ultrasonic dissection versus conventional electrocautery during gastrectomy for gastric cancer: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

PubMed

Sun, Z C; Xu, W G; Xiao, X M; Yu, W H; Xu, D M; Xu, H M; Gao, H L; Wang, R X

2015-04-01

Use of ultrasonic surgical instrument is gaining popularity for dissection and coagulation in open surgery. However, there is still no consensus on the efficacy and safety of its use compared with conventional surgical technique in open gastrectomy for gastric cancer. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the role and surgical outcomes of ultrasonic dissection (UD) compared with conventional electrocautery (EC). A systematic literature search was performed to identify all studies comparing UD and EC in gastric cancer surgery. Intraoperative and postoperative outcomes were compared using weighted mean differences (WMDs) and odds ratios (ORs). Five studies were included in this meta-analysis, comprising 489 patients. Meta-analysis results showed that compared with EC, UD was associated with significantly shorter operation time (P = 0.03), less intraoperative blood loss (P = 0.002), lower morbidity (P = 0.02), and reduced postoperative hospital stay (P = 0.03). However, there was no significant difference between the two surgical techniques with regards to postoperative abdominal drainage (P = 0.17), and total cost in hospital (P = 0.59). Compared to EC, the use of UD during open gastrectomy can provide several improved outcomes for operation time, intraoperative blood loss, overall morbidity, and postoperative hospital stay. It appears that UD can be used instead of conventional EC in open gastric cancer surgery, although more larger trials with long follow-up should be performed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Is uterine depth measurement by trans-vaginal ultrasound alone as accurate as measurement carried out by trans-abdominal ultrasound-guided trial transfer?

PubMed

Edris, Fawaz E

2014-10-01

To assess the reliability of trans-vaginal-scan (TVS) in measuring the uterine depth (UD) in comparison with ultrasound-guided trial-transfer (UTT). This prospective study was conducted in 66 consecutive patients undergoing in-vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET). The study took place in a private IVF center in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia between November 2013 and January 2014. The patients underwent UD measurements using TVS and UTT, sequentially. All scans were performed by a single sonographer, and all UTT were carried out by a single physician who was blinded to the TVS measurement. The median (95% confidence interval) UD measurement using the TVS method was 6.9 cm (5.0-12.5) and UTT was 7.1 cm (5.9-13.5), (p<0.0001). Fifteen patients (22.7%) had a difference of >1 cm between the 2 measurement modalities (group-B). When measured by UTT, 93.3% of patients in group-B had UD >/-8cm, compared with 9.8% of patients in group-A, (p<0.0001). Group-B had a significantly longer uterine cavity when measured by UTT (p<0.0001), and a trend towards significance when measured by TVS (p=0.055). The TVS measurements generally underestimated UD when compared with UTT. Trans-vaginal-scan is less reliable than UTT and should not be used as a substitute. Larger sample-size studies involving different personnel, and equipment is needed. 

A Highly Efficient Xylan-Utilization System in Aspergillus niger An76: A Functional-Proteomics Study.

PubMed

Gong, Weili; Dai, Lin; Zhang, Huaiqiang; Zhang, Lili; Wang, Lushan

2018-01-01

Xylan constituted with β-1,4-D-xylose linked backbone and diverse substituted side-chains is the most abundant hemicellulose component of biomass, which can be completely and rapidly degraded into fermentable sugars by Aspergillus niger . This is of great value for obtaining renewable biofuels and biochemicals. To clarify the underlying mechanisms associated with highly efficient xylan degradation, assimilation, and metabolism by A. niger , we utilized functional proteomics to analyze the secreted proteins, sugar transporters, and intracellular proteins of A. niger An76 grown on xylan-based substrates. Results demonstrated that the complete xylanolytic enzyme system required for xylan degradation and composed of diverse isozymes was secreted in a sequential order. Xylan-backbone-degrading enzymes were preferentially induced by xylose or other soluble sugars, which efficiently produced large amounts of xylooligosaccharides (XOS) and xylose; however, XOS was more efficient than xylose in triggering the expression of the key transcription activator XlnR, resulting in higher xylanase activity and shortening xylanase-production time. Moreover, the substituted XOS was responsible for improving the abundance of side-chain-degrading enzymes, specific transporters, and key reductases and dehydrogenases in the pentose catabolic pathway. Our findings indicated that industries might be able to improve the species and concentrations of xylan-degrading enzymes and shorten fermentation time by adding abundant intermediate products of natural xylan (XOS) to cultures of filamentous fungi.

A Highly Efficient Xylan-Utilization System in Aspergillus niger An76: A Functional-Proteomics Study

PubMed Central

Gong, Weili; Dai, Lin; Zhang, Huaiqiang; Zhang, Lili; Wang, Lushan

2018-01-01

Xylan constituted with β-1,4-D-xylose linked backbone and diverse substituted side-chains is the most abundant hemicellulose component of biomass, which can be completely and rapidly degraded into fermentable sugars by Aspergillus niger. This is of great value for obtaining renewable biofuels and biochemicals. To clarify the underlying mechanisms associated with highly efficient xylan degradation, assimilation, and metabolism by A. niger, we utilized functional proteomics to analyze the secreted proteins, sugar transporters, and intracellular proteins of A. niger An76 grown on xylan-based substrates. Results demonstrated that the complete xylanolytic enzyme system required for xylan degradation and composed of diverse isozymes was secreted in a sequential order. Xylan-backbone-degrading enzymes were preferentially induced by xylose or other soluble sugars, which efficiently produced large amounts of xylooligosaccharides (XOS) and xylose; however, XOS was more efficient than xylose in triggering the expression of the key transcription activator XlnR, resulting in higher xylanase activity and shortening xylanase-production time. Moreover, the substituted XOS was responsible for improving the abundance of side-chain-degrading enzymes, specific transporters, and key reductases and dehydrogenases in the pentose catabolic pathway. Our findings indicated that industries might be able to improve the species and concentrations of xylan-degrading enzymes and shorten fermentation time by adding abundant intermediate products of natural xylan (XOS) to cultures of filamentous fungi. PMID:29623069

Simultaneously efficient adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline by Fe-based MOFs.

PubMed

Wang, Dongbo; Jia, Feiyue; Wang, Hou; Chen, Fei; Fang, Ying; Dong, Wenbo; Zeng, Guangming; Li, Xiaoming; Yang, Qi; Yuan, Xingzhong

2018-06-01

Recently, Fe-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted increasing attention and been widely used. To date, however, it is unknown whether they can be employed to degrade tetracycline, one of the most widely used antibiotics. This work therefore aims to provide such support by comparing the performance of three Fe-based MOFs (namely, Fe-MIL-101, Fe-MIL-100, and Fe-MIL-53) in removing tetracycline. Experimental results showed that Fe-MIL-101 exhibited the best performance in tetracycline removal, with 96.6% of tetracycline being removed (initial tetracycline concentration at 50 mg/L) while Fe-MIL-100 and Fe-MIL-53 removed 57.4% and 40.6% under the same conditions. Additionally, the effects of adding dosage, adsorption time, and initial concentration of tetracycline on degradation efficiency were examined. It was found that the adsorption and photocatalytic degradation effect was better with the increase of time, the optimum dosage of Fe-MIL-101 was 0.5 g/L and the removal efficiency decreased with the increasing of initial tetracycline concentrations. Moreover, the trapping experiments and ESR tests indicated that O 2 -, OH and h + were the main active species in photocatalytic degradation process of tetracycline. Due to its high removal efficiency and simple synthesis, it could be used as a potential catalyst for degradation of tetracycline and other antibiotics. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Intensification of abamectin pesticide degradation using the combination of ultrasonic cavitation and visible-light driven photocatalytic process: Synergistic effect and optimization study.

PubMed

Mosleh, Soleiman; Rahimi, Mahmood Reza

2017-03-01

Degradation of abamectin pesticide was carried out using visible light driven Cu 2 (OH)PO 4 -HKUST-1 MOF photocatalyst through the sonophotocatalytic technique. Cu 2 (OH)PO 4 -HKUST-1 MOF as a visible-light driven photocatalyst, was synthesized and characterized by XRD, SEM, EDS and DRS. The direct bang gaps of HKUST-1 MOF and Cu 2 (OH)PO 4 -HKUST-1 MOF were estimated about 2.63 and 2.59eV, respectively, which reveals that these photocatalysts can be activated under blue light illumination. All sonophotodegradation experiments were performed using a continuous flow-loop reactor. The central composite design (CCD) methodology was applied for modeling, optimization and investigation of influence of operational parameters, i.e. irradiation time, pH, solution flow rate, oxygen flow rate, initial concentration and photocatalyst dosage on the sonophotocatalytic degradation of abamectin. The maximum degradation efficiency of 99.93% was found at optimal values as 20min, 4, 90mL/min, 0.2mL/min, 30mg/L and 0.4g/L, for irradiation time, pH, solution flow rate, oxygen flow rate, initial concentration and photocatalyst dosage, respectively. Evaluation of the synergism in the combination of ultrasonic and photocatalysis lead to a synergistic index of 2.19, which reveals that coupling of ultrasonic and photocatalysis has a greater efficiency than the sum of individual procedures for degradation of abamectin. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rationally designed MoS2/protonated g-C3N4 nanosheet composites as photocatalysts with an excellent synergistic effect toward photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants.

PubMed

Shi, Lang; Ding, Wang; Yang, Shuping; He, Zhen; Liu, Suqin

2018-04-05

The positively charged ultrathin g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets are prepared by ultrasonic-assisted exfoliation of the protonated g-C 3 N 4 . Compared with the protonated g-C 3 N 4 and exfoliated g-C 3 N 4 , the positively charged ultrathin g-C 3 N 4 has abundant functional groups as well as desired dispersibility in deionized water, thus it could serve as a basic building block for designing related heterojunction composites. To take a full advantage of these features, the positively charged ultrathin g-C 3 N 4 /MoS 2 composites are fabricated through a simple electrostatic adsorption and self-assembly process followed by a hydrothermal method. By loading an appropriate amount of MoS 2 on the ultrathin g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets, the as-fabricated composites exhibit considerable improvement on the photocatalytic activities toward the degradation of typical organic pollutants (i.e., methyl orange and phenol) under visible light irradiation. The composite containing 2 wt% MoS 2 shows the highest efficiency of about 96.5% for the methyl orange degradation, which is about 3.5 times and 8 times compared to those of the positively charged ultrathin g-C 3 N 4 and bulk g-C 3 N 4 , respectively. The superb photocatalytic performance benefits from the unique advantages, including richly available reaction sites, aligned energy levels between g-C 3 N 4 and the MoS 2 , and efficient electron transfer. This work opens new possibilities for the rational design and construction of the g-C 3 N 4 based composites as highly efficient and stable visible-light driven photocatalysts for the degradation of organic pollutants. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

p-Aminophenol degradation by ozonation combined with sonolysis: operating conditions influence and mechanism.

PubMed

He, Zhiqiao; Song, Shuang; Ying, Haiping; Xu, Lejin; Chen, Jianmeng

2007-07-01

The degradation of p-aminophenol (PAP) in aqueous solution by sonolysis, by ozonation, and by a combination of both was investigated in laboratory-scale experiments. Operation parameters such as pH, temperature, ultrasonic energy density and ozone dose were optimized with regard to the efficiency of PAP removal. The concentration of PAP during the reaction was detected by high-pressure liquid chromatography. The concentrations of ammonium ions and nitrate ions were monitored during the degradation. Intermediate products such as 4-iminocyclohexa-2,5-dien-1-one, phenol, but-2-enedioic acid, and acetic acid were detected by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The degradation rate of PAP was higher in the combined system than in the linear combination of separate experiments. The degradation efficiency was decreased rapidly when n-butanol was added to the combined reaction system, which showed that some radical reaction might proceed during the laboratory experiments.

Natural History of Cirrhosis of Liver after First Decompensation: A Prospective Study in India.

PubMed

Shah, Apurva S; Amarapurkar, Deepak N

2018-03-01

As liver cirrhosis is a dynamic condition, it is possible to improve survival in decompensated cirrhosis. Hence, we planned a prospective study to determine the natural history of cirrhosis after first decompensation. We enrolled all patients of liver cirrhosis who presented with first episode of decompensation defined by the presence of ascites, either overt or detected by Ultrasonography (UD), Gastroesophageal Variceal Bleeding (GEVB), and Hepatic Encephalopathy (HE). All patients were followed up to death/liver transplant or at least for the period of 1 year. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression was used to analyze the risk of failure (death or Orthotopic Liver Transplantation (OLT)). In total of 110 cirrhotic patients (93 males, mean age 50 ± 11 years), the most frequent etiology was alcohol (48%), followed by nonalcoholic steatohepatitis/cryptogenic (26%), hepatitis B (10%), autoimmune hepatitis (7%), and hepatitis C (6%). The distribution of CTP classes was: 4%, 56%, and 41% in class A, B, and C, respectively. Ascites was the most common decompensation found in 88 patients (80%) followed by HE (14%) and GEVB (6%). At 1-year follow up, transplant free survival was 78%, 2 underwent OLT, 4 developed hepatocellular carcinoma, and 24 died. Cumulative incidence of failure (death or OLT) by type of decompensation after 1 year was: 22% overt ascites, 50% GEVB, 28% UD ascites, 20% HE, and 33% ascites and GEVB concomitant. Patients with UD ascites do not have a negligible mortality rate as compared to overt ascites. Patients with cirrhosis after first decompensation have better transplant free survival with treatment of etiology and complications than previously mentioned in literature.

Carbon catabolite repression and cell dispersal affect degradation of the xenobiotic compound 3,4-dichloroaniline in Comamonas testosteroni WDL7 biofilms.

PubMed

Horemans, Benjamin; Breugelmans, Philip; Hofkens, Johan; Springael, Dirk

2017-03-01

Organic pollutant degrading biofilms in natural ecosystems and water treatment systems are often exposed to other carbon sources in addition to the pollutant. The availability of auxiliary carbon sources can lead to surplus biomass growth, changes in biofilm structure and carbon catabolite repression (CCR) which together will affect pollutant degradation rate and efficiency of the system. To understand the interplay between these processes, continuous biofilms of the 3,4-dichloroaniline (3,4-DCA) degrading Comamonas testosteroni WDL7-RFP were grown in single- and dual-substrate conditions with 3,4-DCA and/or citrate and reciprocal effects on 3,4-DCA/citrate degradation, biofilm biomass and biofilm structure were examined. The main mechanism affecting 3,4-DCA degradation in biofilms in dual-substrate conditions was citrate-mediated CCR as reflected by a decrease in specific 3,4-DCA degrading activity. Growth on citrate partially compensated for the lowered specific 3,4-DCA degradation activity under dual substrate conditions but not to the extent expected from growth observed under single-substrate conditions with citrate. This was explained by higher residual 3,4-DCA concentrations in the presence of citrate that increased cell dispersal in the biofilms. Our results show hampered pollutant removal in biofilms due to a complex interplay of auxiliary organic C source utilization for growth affecting the specific pollutant degradation rate and changes in cell physiology due to increased exposure to the pollutant as a result of lowered pollutant degradation rates. © FEMS 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

SXDF-UDS-CANDELS-ALMA 1.5 arcmin2 deep survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohno, Kotaro; Tamura, Yoichi; Yamaguchi, Yuki; Umehata, Hideki; Rujopakarn, Wiphu; Lee, Minju; Motohara, Kentaro; Makiya, Ryu; Izumi, Takuma; Ivison, Rob; Ikarashi, Soh; Tadaki, Ken-ichi; Kodama, Tadayuki; Hatsukade, Bunyo; Yabe, Kiyoto; Hayashi, Masao; Iono, Daisuke; Matsuda, Yuichi; Nakanishi, Kouichiro; Kawabe, Ryohei; Wilson, Grant; Yun, Min S.; Hughes, David; Caputi, Karina; Dunlop, James

2015-08-01

We have conducted 1.1 mm ALMA observations of a contiguous 105″ × 50″ or 1.5 arcmin2 window (achieved by 19 point mosaic) in the SXDF-UDS-CANDELS. We achieved a 5σ sensitivity of 0.28 mJy, giving a flat sensus of dusty star-forming galaxies with LIR ~6 × 1011 L⊙ (if Tdust = 40 K) or SFR ~100 M⊙ yr-1 up to z~10 thanks to the negative K-correction at this wavelength. We detect 5 brightest sources (S/N>6) and 18 low-significant sources (5 > S/N > 4; they may contain spurious detections, though) in the field. We find that these discrete sources are responsible for a faint filamentary emission seen in low-resolution (~30″) heavily confused AzTEC 1.1mm and SPIRE 0.5mm images. One of the 5 brightest ALMA sources is very dark in deep WFC3 and HAWK-I NIR images as well as VLA 1.4 GHz images, demonstrating that deep ALMA imaging can unveil new obscured star-forming galaxy population.

A new five-coordinated copper compound for efficient degradation of methyl orange and Congo red in the absence of UV-visible radiation.

PubMed

Han, Li-Juan; Kong, Ya-Jie; Yan, Ting-Jiang; Fan, Lu-Tong; Zhang, Qi; Zhao, Hua-Jun; Zheng, He-Gen

2016-11-22

A new copper-based coordination compound Cu 2 (2,2'-bipy) 2 (pfbz) 4 (1) (where 2,2'-bipy = 2,2'-bipyridine; pfbz = pentafluorobenzoate), was hydrothermally synthesized and structurally characterized. Compound 1 having a binuclear structure consists of two copper cations and two oxygen atoms alternately in a plane square arrangement. In the presence of very small amounts of H 2 O 2 , the catalytic properties of compound 1 for the degradation of methyl orange (MO) are excellent in the absence of UV-visible radiation. Moreover, compound 1 presents suitable properties for degradation of Congo red (CR). Our results indicated that the five-coordinated copper compound, 1, will be a promising candidate for efficient degradation of organic dyes.

Analgesia and Sedation Requirements in Mechanically Ventilated Trauma Patients With Acute, Preinjury Use of Cocaine and/or Amphetamines.

PubMed

Kram, Bridgette; Kram, Shawn J; Sharpe, Michelle L; James, Michael L; Kuchibhatla, Maragatha; Shapiro, Mark L

2017-03-01

The purpose of this study was to determine whether mechanically ventilated trauma patients with a positive urine drug screen (UDS) for cocaine and/or amphetamines have different opioid analgesic and sedative requirements compared with similar patients with a negative drug screen for these stimulants. This retrospective, single-center cohort study at a tertiary care, academic medical and level 1 trauma center in the United States included patients ≥16 years of age who were admitted to an adult intensive care unit with a diagnosis of trauma between 2009 and 2013 with a UDS documented within 24 hours of admission, and were mechanically ventilated for >24 hours. The primary end point was the daily dose of opioid received during mechanical ventilation, expressed as morphine equivalents, for patients presenting with a positive UDS for cocaine and/or amphetamines compared with patients with a negative UDS for these stimulants. Secondary end points included the daily benzodiazepine dose and median infusion rates of propofol and dexmedetomidine received during mechanical ventilation, duration of mechanical ventilation, intensive care unit and hospital length of stay, and in-hospital mortality. Analgesic and sedative goals were similar for the duration of the study period, and both intermittent and continuous infusions of opioids and sedatives were administered to achieve these targets, although a standardized approach was not used. A multivariate logistic regression analysis and a propensity-adjusted model evaluated patient characteristics predictive of a higher median opioid requirement. A total of 150 patients were included in the final analysis. In a univariate analysis, opioid and sedative requirements were similar for patients presenting with a positive UDS for cocaine and/or amphetamines compared with patients with a negative UDS for these stimulants. In the multivariate regression analysis, increasing age and Abbreviated Injury Scale (head and neck) were associated with decreased daily opioid requirements (odds ratio [OR], .95, 95% confidence interval [CI], .93-.97 and OR, .71, 95% CI, .65-.77, respectively), whereas preinjury stimulant use was not predictive of opioid requirements (OR, .88, 95% CI, .40-1.90). In a propensity score--adjusted model, preinjury stimulant use was similarly not predictive of opioid requirements during mechanical ventilation (OR, .97, 95% CI, .44-2.11). For trauma patients presenting with acute, preinjury use of cocaine and/or amphetamines, analgesic and sedative requirements are variables and may not be greater than those patients presenting with a stimulant-negative UDS to achieve desirable pain control and depth of sedation, although this observation should be interpreted cautiously in light of the wide CI observed in the propensity score--adjusted model. Although unexpected, these findings indicate that empirically increasing analgesic and sedative doses based on positive UDS results for these stimulants may not be necessary.

Degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenol using combined approach based on ultrasound, ozone and catalyst.

PubMed

Barik, Arati J; Gogate, Parag R

2017-05-01

The present work investigates the application of ultrasound and ozone operated individually and in combination with catalyst (ZnO and CuO) for establishing the possible synergistic effects for the degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenol. The dependency of extent of degradation on the operating parameters like temperature (over the range of 30-36°C), initial pH (3-9), catalyst as ZnO (loading of 0.025-0.15g/L) and CuO (loading of 0.02-0.1g/L) and initial concentration of 2,4-DCP (20-50ppm) has been established to maximize the efficacy of ultrasound (US) induced degradation. Using only US, the maximum degradation of 2,4-DCP obtained was 28.85% under optimized conditions of initial concentration as 20ppm, pH of 5 and temperature of 34°C. Study of effect of ozone flow rate for approach of only ozone revealed that maximum degradation was obtained at 400mg/h ozone flow rate. The combined approaches such as US+O 3 , US+ZnO, US+CuO, O 3 +ZnO, O 3 +CuO, US+O 3 +ZnO and US+O 3 +CuO have been subsequently investigated under optimized conditions and observed to be more efficient as compared to individual approaches. The maximum extent of degradation for the combined operation of US+O 3 (400mg/h)+ZnO (0.1g/L) and US+O 3 (400mg/h)+CuO (0.08g/L) has been obtained as 95.66% and 97.03% respectively. The degradation products of 2,4-DCP have been identified using GC-MS analysis and the toxicity analysis has also been performed based on the anti-microbial activity test (agar-well diffusion method) for the different treatment strategies. The present work has conclusively established that the combined approach of US+O 3 +CuO was the most efficient treatment scheme resulting in near complete degradation of 2,4-DCP with production of less toxic intermediates. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Persulfate enhanced photocatalytic degradation of bisphenol A by g-C3N4 nanosheets under visible light irradiation.

PubMed

Liu, Bochuan; Qiao, Meng; Wang, Yanbin; Wang, Lijuan; Gong, Yan; Guo, Tao; Zhao, Xu

2017-12-01

The enhancement of g-C 3 N 4 photocatalytic degradation of bisphenol A (BPA) via persulfate (PS) addition was investigated under visible light irradiation. The effects of various parameters on the BPA degradation were investigated, such as catalysts dosage, PS concentrations, initial pH value and BPA concentration. The results showed that g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets exhibited superior photocatalytic activity toward BPA degradation as compared with bulk g-C 3 N 4 . The addition of PS can further improve the g-C 3 N 4 photocatalytic performance for BPA degradation. With 5 mM PS, the degradation rate of BPA was increased from 72.5% to 100% at 90 min, and the corresponding first-order kinetic constants were increased from 0.0028 to 0.0140 min -1 . The removal efficiency of BPA increased with the decrease of solution pH value. The active radicals in the reaction system were tested by electron spin resonance (ESR) and radicals quenching experiments. Instead of persulfate radicals' oxidation, it was proposed that the main active radicals for BPA degradation were superoxide radicals and the photogenerated holes. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The evolution of Devonian hydrocarbon gases in shallow aquifers of the northern Appalachian Basin: Insights from integrating noble gas and hydrocarbon geochemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darrah, Thomas H.; Jackson, Robert B.; Vengosh, Avner; Warner, Nathaniel R.; Whyte, Colin J.; Walsh, Talor B.; Kondash, Andrew J.; Poreda, Robert J.

2015-12-01

The last decade has seen a dramatic increase in domestic energy production from unconventional reservoirs. This energy boom has generated marked economic benefits, but simultaneously evoked significant concerns regarding the potential for drinking-water contamination in shallow aquifers. Presently, efforts to evaluate the environmental impacts of shale gas development in the northern Appalachian Basin (NAB), located in the northeastern US, are limited by: (1) a lack of comprehensive ;pre-drill; data for groundwater composition (water and gas); (2) uncertainty in the hydrogeological factors that control the occurrence of naturally present CH4 and brines in shallow Upper Devonian (UD) aquifers; and (3) limited geochemical techniques to quantify the sources and migration of crustal fluids (specifically methane) at various time scales. To address these questions, we analyzed the noble gas, dissolved ion, and hydrocarbon gas geochemistry of 72 drinking-water wells and one natural methane seep all located ≫1 km from shale gas drill sites in the NAB. In the present study, we consciously avoided groundwater wells from areas near active or recent drilling to ensure shale gas development would not bias the results. We also intentionally targeted areas with naturally occurring CH4 to characterize the geochemical signature and geological context of gas-phase hydrocarbons in shallow aquifers of the NAB. Our data display a positive relationship between elevated [CH4], [C2H6], [Cl], and [Ba] that co-occur with high [4He]. Although four groundwater samples show mantle contributions ranging from 1.2% to 11.6%, the majority of samples have [He] ranging from solubility levels (∼45 × 10-6 cm3 STP/L) with below-detectable [CH4] and minor amounts of tritiogenic 3He in low [Cl] and [Ba] waters, up to high [4He] = 0.4 cm3 STP/L with a purely crustal helium isotopic end-member (3He/4He = ∼0.02 times the atmospheric ratio (R/Ra)) in samples with CH4 near saturation for shallow groundwater (P(CH4) = ∼1 atmosphere) and elevated [Cl] and [Ba]. These data suggest that 4He is dominated by an exogenous (i.e., migrated) crustal source for these hydrocarbon gas- and salt-rich fluids. In combination with published inorganic geochemistry (e.g., 87Sr/86Sr, Sr/Ba, Br-/Cl-), new noble gas and hydrocarbon isotopic data (e.g., 20Ne/36Ar, C2+/C1, δ13C-CH4) suggest that a hydrocarbon-rich brine likely migrated from the Marcellus Formation (via primary hydrocarbon migration) as a dual-phase fluid (gas + liquid) and was fractionated by solubility partitioning during fluid migration and emplacement into conventional UD traps (via secondary hydrocarbon migration). Based on the highly fractionated 4He/CH4 data relative to Marcellus and UD production gases, we propose an additional phase of hydrocarbon gas migration where natural gas previously emplaced in UD hydrocarbon traps actively diffuses out into and equilibrates with modern shallow groundwater (via tertiary hydrocarbon migration) following uplift, denudation, and neotectonic fracturing. These data suggest that by integrating noble gas geochemistry with hydrocarbon and dissolved ion chemistry, one can better determine the source and migration processes of natural gas in the Earth's crust, which are two critical factors for understanding the presence of hydrocarbon gases in shallow aquifers.

Analysis of twelve-month degradation in three polycrystalline photovoltaic modules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, T.; Potter, B. G.; Simmons-Potter, K.

2016-09-01

Polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) modules have the advantage of lower manufacturing cost as compared to their monocrystalline counterparts, but generally exhibit both lower initial module efficiencies and more significant early-stage efficiency degradation than do similar monocrystalline PV modules. For both technologies, noticeable deterioration in power conversion efficiency typically occurs over the first two years of usage. Estimating PV lifetime by examining the performance degradation behavior under given environmental conditions is, therefore, one of continual goals for experimental research and economic analysis. In the present work, accelerated lifecycle testing (ALT) on three polycrystalline PV technologies was performed in a full-scale, industrial-standard environmental chamber equipped with single-sun irradiance capability, providing an illumination uniformity of 98% over a 2 x 1.6m area. In order to investigate environmental aging effects, timedependent PV performance (I-V characteristic) was evaluated over a recurring, compressed day-night cycle, which simulated local daily solar insolation for the southwestern United States, followed by dark (night) periods. During a total test time of just under 4 months that corresponded to a year equivalent exposure on a fielded module, the temperature and humidity varied in ranges from 3°C to 40°C and 5% to 85% based on annual weather profiles for Tucson, AZ. Removing the temperature de-rating effect that was clearly seen in the data enabled the computation of normalized efficiency degradation with time and environmental exposure. Results confirm the impact of environmental conditions on the module long-term performance. Overall, more than 2% efficiency degradation in the first year of usage was observed for all thee polycrystalline Si solar modules. The average 5-year degradation of each PV technology was estimated based on their determined degradation rates.

Effects of wavelength and water quality on photodegradation of N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA).

PubMed

Sakai, Hiroshi; Takamatsu, Tatsuro; Kosaka, Koji; Kamiko, Naoyuki; Takizawa, Satoshi

2012-10-01

N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is a potent carcinogen that yields a cancer risk of 10(-6) at concentrations as low as 0.7 ng L(-1). Tentative guideline values are set at 3 ng L(-1) in California, USA; 9 ng L(-1) in Ontario, Canada; 40 ng L(-1) nationwide in Canada; and 100 ng L(-1) by the World Health Organization. NDMA is a great concern in treating reclaimed water as well as drinking water. UV degradation can be considered effective degradation method. A 1-log reduction of NDMA is achieved by 1000 mJ cm(-2) of a 254-nm low pressure (LP) mercury UV lamp. However, a higher degradation efficiency than that provided by LP lamps is desired in practical treatment. In this study, the effects of wavelength and water quality were investigated to achieve higher degradation efficiency. The effects of wavelength were examined by comparing three UV lamps: a 222-nm Kr Cl Excimer UV lamp, a 254-nm LP mercury UV lamp, and a 230- to 270-nm filtered medium pressure (FMP) mercury UV lamp. The 222-nm lamp and FMP lamp achieved 4 times and 2.8 times higher degradation efficiency, respectively, than the conventional 254-nm LP lamp. Effects on water quality were also simulated by using absorption spectrum data of nitrate solutions and process water from a drinking-water treatment plant. In the simulation, the 222-nm lamp was affected by UV-absorbing compounds in the water, whereas the FMP lamp showed more stable degradation efficiency. Appropriate use of these three types of lamps could enhance the efficiency of degradation of NDMA. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving methane production from digested manure biofibers by mechanical and thermal alkaline pretreatment.

PubMed

Tsapekos, P; Kougias, Panagiotis G; Frison, A; Raga, R; Angelidaki, I

2016-09-01

Animal manure digestion is associated with limited methane production, due to the high content in fibers, which are hardly degradable lignocellulosic compounds. In this study, different mechanical and thermal alkaline pretreatment methods were applied to partially degradable fibers, separated from the effluent stream of biogas reactors. Batch and continuous experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficiency of these pretreatments. In batch experiments, the mechanical pretreatment improved the degradability up to 45%. Even higher efficiency was shown by applying thermal alkaline pretreatments, enhancing fibers degradability by more than 4-fold. In continuous experiments, the thermal alkaline pretreatment, using 6% NaOH at 55°C was proven to be the most efficient pretreatment method as the methane production was increased by 26%. The findings demonstrated that the methane production of the biogas plants can be increased by further exploiting the fraction of the digested manure fibers which are discarded in the post-storage tank. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Insights into the mechanism of persulfate activated by rice straw biochar for the degradation of aniline.

PubMed

Wu, Yao; Guo, Jing; Han, Yijie; Zhu, Junyi; Zhou, Lixiang; Lan, Yeqing

2018-06-01

This study investigated the degradation of aniline by persulfate (PS) activated with rice straw biochar (RSBC). The results demonstrate that aniline could be rapidly decomposed by a combination of PS and RSBC. The degradation efficiency of aniline was up to 94.1% within 80 min, and meanwhile 52% of the total organic carbon was removed. In the initial pH range of 3-9, aniline could be efficiently removed. Reactive species resulting in the rapid degradation of aniline were investigated via radical and hole quenching experiments with various scavengers (e.g., methanol, tert-butyl alcohol and EDTA) and electron paramagnetic resonance technique. Based on the analysis and observation made here, it is speculated that the predominant reactive species responsible for the degradation of aniline may be holes instead of SO 4 - and OH radicals. It is concluded that RSBC could be used as an effective catalyst to activate PS for the degradation of aniline. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Isolation and identification of efficient Egyptian malathion-degrading bacterial isolates.

PubMed

Hamouda, S A; Marzouk, M A; Abbassy, M A; Abd-El-Haleem, D A; Shamseldin, Abdelaal

2015-03-01

Bacterial isolates degrading malathion were isolated from the soil and agricultural waste water due to their ability to grow on minimal salt media amended with malathion as a sole carbon source. Efficiencies of native Egyptian bacterial malathion-degrading isolates were investigated and the study generated nine highly effective malathion-degrading bacterial strains among 40. Strains were identified by partial sequencing of 16S rDNA analysis. Comparative analysis of 16S rDNA sequences revealed that these bacteria are similar with the genus Acinetobacter and Bacillus spp. and RFLP based PCR of 16S rDNA gave four different RFLP patterns among strains with enzyme HinfI while with enzyme HaeI they gave two RFLP profiles. The degradation rate of malathion in liquid culture was estimated using gas chromatography. Bacterial strains could degrade more than 90% of the initial malathion concentration (1000 ppm) within 4 days. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Impact of humic acid on the photoreductive degradation of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) by UV/Iodide process.

PubMed

Sun, Zhuyu; Zhang, Chaojie; Chen, Pei; Zhou, Qi; Hoffmann, Michael R

2017-12-15

Iodide photolysis under UV illumination affords an effective method to produce hydrated electrons (e aq - ) in aqueous solution. Therefore, UV/Iodide photolysis can be utilized for the reductive degradation of many recalcitrant pollutants. However, the effect of naturally occurring organic matter (NOM) such as humic and fulvic acids (HA/FA), which may impact the efficiency of UV/Iodide photoreduction, is poorly understood. In this study, the UV photoreductive degradation of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in the presence of I - and HA is studied. PFOS undergoes a relatively slow direct photoreduction in pure water, a moderate level of degradation via UV/Iodide, but a rapid degradation via UV/Iodide/HA photolysis. After 1.5 h of photolysis, 86.0% of the initial [PFOS] was degraded in the presence of both I - and HA with a corresponding defluorination ratio of 55.6%, whereas only 51.7% of PFOS was degraded with a defluorination ratio of 4.4% via UV/Iodide illumination in the absence of HA. The relative enhancement in the presence of HA in the photodegradation of PFOS can be attributed to several factors: a) HA enhances the effective generation of e aq - due to the reduction of I 2 , HOI, IO 3 - and I 3 - back to I - ; b) certain functional groups of HA (i.e., quinones) enhance the electron transfer efficiency as electron shuttles; c) a weakly-bonded association of I - and PFOS with HA increases the reaction probability; and d) absorption of UV photons by HA itself produces e aq - . The degradation and defluorination efficiency of PFOS by UV/Iodide/HA process is dependent on pH and HA concentration. As pH increases from 7.0 to 10.0, the enhancement effect of HA improves significantly. The optimal HA concentration for the degradation of 0.03 mM PFOS is 1.0 mg L -1 . Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Time Resolved Efficiency Degradation in Potassium Diode Pumped Alkali Laser

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-08-07

study of the performance of a Potassium OPAL operating in pulsed mode with pulses up to 5 msec Jong at different pulse energies and cell...temperatures. The experiments showed the OPAL efficiency degradation in time with a characteristic time in the range from 0.5 msec to 4.5 msec. The recorded...Lasers", Optics Express, 19(8), 7894-7902 (20 I I) 1. Introduction There has been extensive research into Diode Pumped Alkali Lasers ( OPALs ) during the

Presence or Absence of mlr Genes and Nutrient Concentrations Co-Determine the Microcystin Biodegradation Efficiency of a Natural Bacterial Community

PubMed Central

Lezcano, María Ángeles; Morón-López, Jesús; Agha, Ramsy; López-Heras, Isabel; Nozal, Leonor; Quesada, Antonio; El-Shehawy, Rehab

2016-01-01

The microcystin biodegradation potential of a natural bacterial community coexisting with a toxic cyanobacterial bloom was investigated in a water reservoir from central Spain. The biodegradation capacity was confirmed in all samples during the bloom and an increase of mlrA gene copies was found with increasing microcystin concentrations. Among the 24 microcystin degrading strains isolated from the bacterial community, only 28% showed presence of mlrA gene, strongly supporting the existence and abundance of alternative microcystin degradation pathways in nature. In vitro degradation assays with both mlr+ and mlr− bacterial genotypes (with presence and absence of the complete mlr gene cluster, respectively) were performed with four isolated strains (Sphingopyxis sp. IM-1, IM-2 and IM-3; Paucibacter toxinivorans IM-4) and two bacterial degraders from the culture collection (Sphingosinicella microcystinivorans Y2; Paucibacter toxinivorans 2C20). Differences in microcystin degradation efficiencies between genotypes were found under different total organic carbon and total nitrogen concentrations. While mlr+ strains significantly improved microcystin degradation rates when exposed to other carbon and nitrogen sources, mlr− strains showed lower degradation efficiencies. This suggests that the presence of alternative carbon and nitrogen sources possibly competes with microcystins and impairs putative non-mlr microcystin degradation pathways. Considering the abundance of the mlr− bacterial population and the increasing frequency of eutrophic conditions in aquatic systems, further research on the diversity of this population and the characterization and conditions affecting non-mlr degradation pathways deserves special attention. PMID:27827872

Experimental optimum design and luminescence properties of NaY(Gd)(MoO4)2:Er3+ phosphors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia-Shi, Sun; Sai, Xu; Shu-Wei, Li; Lin-Lin, Shi; Zi-Hui, Zhai; Bao-Jiu, Chen

2016-06-01

Three-factor orthogonal design (OD) of Er3+/Gd3+/T (calcination temperature) is used to optimize the luminescent intensity of NaY(Gd)(MoO4)2:Er3+ phosphor. Firstly, the uniform design (UD) is introduced to explore the doping concentration range of Er3+/Gd3+. Then OD and range analysis are performed based on the results of UD to obtain the primary and secondary sequence and the best combination of Er3+, Gd3+, and T within the experimental range. The optimum sample is prepared by the high temperature solid state method. Photoluminescence excitation and emission spectra of the optimum sample are detected. The intense green emissions (530 nm and 550 nm) are observed which originate from Er3+ 2H11/2→ 4I15/2 and 4S3/2→4I15/2, respectively. Thermal effect is investigated in the optimum NaY(Gd3+)(MoO4)2:Er3+ phosphors, and the green emission intensity decreases as temperature increases. Project supported by Education Reform Fund of Dalian Maritime University, China (Grant No. 2015Y37), the Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province, China (Grant Nos. 2015020190 and 2014025010), the Open Fund of the State Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics, China (Grant No. IOSKL2015KF27), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, China (Grant No. 3132016121).

Nanocrystalline ZnO as a Visible Active Photocatalyst for the Degradation of Benzene-1,4-diol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramachandran, Saranya; Sivasamy, A.

We have synthesized nanocrystalline ZnO by a simple precipitation method. The prepared ZnO was found to be highly phase pure and nanocrystalline hexagonal wurtzite structure. UV-Visible-DRS spectroscopy showed the material to have bandgap energy of 3.22eV. HR-SEM image revealed the material to be made up of distinct hexagonal particles with a highly porous surface. AFM analysis was employed to confirm the high surface roughness and porosity of the material. The photocatalytic activity of the prepared ZnO was evaluated by the degradation of benzene-1,4-diol (hydroquinone), under visible light irradiation. Preliminary experiments showed the catalyst to be effective at neutral pH with an optimum catalyst dosage of 4g/L. Kinetic studies showed the degradation reaction to follow pseudo-first-order kinetics. In the presence of commonly used industrial electrolytes, the catalyst exhibited a decrease in efficiency. Reusability studies showed the catalytic efficiency of ZnO to diminish marginally after the third cycle of reuse.

UD and UDL: Paving the Way toward Inclusion and Independence in the School Library

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blue, Elfreda V.; Pace, Darra

2011-01-01

Universal Design (UD) is widely used in architecture. It is evidenced in public and private spaces to ensure environmental access (facilities and equipment) to the broadest range of users. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a research-based set of principles that provide a practical framework for using technology to maximize learning…

Multiple Pathways to Learning: An Examination of Universal Design and Online Strategic Learning in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hicks, Maryruth Wilks

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of universally designed (UD) instruction on strategic learning in an online, interactive learning environment (ILE). The research focused on the premise that the customizable, media-based framework of UD instruction might influence diverse online learning strategies. This study…

Econometric Estimation of the Economic Impact of a University. AIR 1993 Annual Forum Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gana, Rajaram

This study conducted an econometric analysis of the impact of the University of Delaware (UD), a public, doctoral level institution, on the Delaware economy, particularly the impact of nonresident students. To construct a model the study used historical institutional data from the Office of Institutional Research and Planning at UD and…

Predicting the tensile strength of A UD basalt/ epoxy composite used for the confinement of concrete structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciniņa, I.; Zīle, O.; Andersons, J.

2013-01-01

The principal aim of the present research was to predict the strength of UD basalt fiber/epoxy matrix composites in tension along the reinforcement direction. Tension tests on single basalt fibers were performed to determine the functional form of their strength distribution and to evaluate the parameters of the distribution. Also, microbond tests were carried out to assess the interfacial shear strength of the fibers and polymer matrix. UD composite specimens were produced and tested for the longitudinal tensile strength. The predicted strength of the composite was found to exceed the experimental values by ca. 20%, which can be explained by imperfections in the fiber alignment, impregnation, and adhesion in the composite specimens.

The correlation between structural properties, geometrical features, and photoactivity of freestanding TiO2 nanotubes in comparative degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenol and methylene blue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vahabzadeh Pasikhani, Javad; Gilani, Neda; Ebrahimian Pirbazari, Azadeh

2018-02-01

Freestanding TiO2 nanotubes (FSNTs) with various physical dimensions were fabricated by two-step anodization process with different voltages and anodization times. The detachment method employed in this study involved voltage reduction at the end of the second step and ultrasonic chemical treatment. The results demonstrated that this detachment method is a beneficial technique to create thin open-mouthed and closed-end FSNTs (with lengths of 6-14 μm). Moreover, the influences of anodization conditions on photocatalytic activity, structural properties and geometrical features of FSNTs in comparative degradation of two non-colored (2,4-dichlorophenol) and colored (methylene blue) pollutants were investigated. Findings revealed that the quantity of the photocatalyst utilized is an effective parameter and using the optimum weight (10 mg/100 ml of 2,4-dichlorophenol) could increase the efficiency of the process up to 21%. Further, the results demonstrated that if equal optimum weights of FSNTs are chosen, decreases in voltage and anodization time significantly influence the structural properties, geometrical features, and photodegradation efficiency. The enhancement achieved in the degradation of both 2,4-dichlorophenol and methylene blue using the nanotubes with the shortest diameter (54 nm) and length (6.5 μm), which possess the lowest porosity (0.5) and also the highest surface area (0.53 m2 g-1), nanotubes’ density (19 cm2 cm-2) and wall thickness to length ratio (2). In addition, the results obtained indicated that the degradation reactions follow first-order kinetics in the degradation of the both pollutants. The apparent degradation rate constant of methylene blue was approximately 1.2 times greater than of the 2,4-dichlorophenol due to the negative charge of the nanotubes’ surface and electrostatic adsorptions.

0D/2D Z-Scheme Heterojunctions of Bismuth Tantalate Quantum Dots/Ultrathin g-C3N4 Nanosheets for Highly Efficient Visible Light Photocatalytic Degradation of Antibiotics.

PubMed

Wang, Kai; Zhang, Gaoke; Li, Jun; Li, Yuan; Wu, Xiaoyong

2017-12-20

Constructing 0D/2D Z-scheme photocatalysts is a great promising path to improve photocatalytic activity by  efficiently enhancing charge separation. Herein, we fabricated a visible-light-responsive Bi 3 TaO 7 quantum dots (QDs)/g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets (NSs) 0D/2D Z-scheme composite via a facile ultrasound method, and Bi 3 TaO 7 QDs could be interspersed on the surface of g-C 3 N 4 NSs uniformly. Furthermore, the strong interaction between Bi 3 TaO 7 QDs and g-C 3 N 4 NSs disturbed the CN heterocycles by forming C═O bonds between C atoms of the N-(C) 3 group and O atoms of the Ta-O bond. The optimum composite with 20 wt % g-C 3 N 4 NSs showed the superior photocatalytic activity for degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) over the composites prepared by mechanical mixing and solid-state methods, the photocatalytic efficiency of which were 4 and 12.2 times higher than those of bare Bi 3 TaO 7 and g-C 3 N 4 . Photoluminescence (PL), time-resolved transient PL decay spectra, and photocurrent together verify that the photogenerated hole-electron pairs in this 0D/2D Z-scheme composite have been effectively separated. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of as-synthesized photocatalysts could be attributed to the synergistic effect of efficient Z-scheme charge separation, highly dispersed 0D Bi 3 TaO 7 nanocrystals, coordinating sites of 2D g-C 3 N 4 NSs and the strong coupling between them. This study might pave the way toward designing novel visible-light-induced 0D/2D photocatalyst systems for highly efficient degradation of antibiotics.

Degradation of anti-inflammatory drugs in municipal wastewater by heterogeneous photocatalysis and electro-Fenton process.

PubMed

Villanueva-Rodríguez, Minerva; Bello-Mendoza, Ricardo; Hernández-Ramírez, Aracely; Ruiz-Ruiz, Edgar J

2018-03-01

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) are compounds frequently found in municipal wastewater and their degradation by conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) is generally incomplete. This study compared the efficiency of two advanced oxidation processes (AOP), namely heterogeneous photocatalysis (HP) and electro-Fenton (EF), in the degradation of a mixture of common NSAID (diclofenac, ibuprofen and naproxen) dissolved in either deionized water or effluent from a WWTP. Both processes were effective in degrading the NSAID mixture and the trend of degradation was as follows, diclofenac > naproxen > ibuprofen. EF with a current density of 40 mA cm -2 and 0.3 mmol Fe 2+  L -1 was the most efficient process to mineralize the organic compounds, achieving up to 92% TOC removal in deionized water and 90% in the WWTP effluent after 3 h of reaction. HP with 1.4 g TiO 2  L -1 at pH 7 under sunlight, produced 85% TOC removal in deionized water and 39% in WWTP effluent also after 3 h treatment. The lower TOC removal efficiency shown by HP with the WWTP effluent was attributed mainly to the scavenging of reactive species by background organic matter in the wastewater. On the contrary, inorganic ions in the wastewater may produce oxidazing species during the EF process, which contributes to a higher degradation efficiency. EF is a promising option for the treatment of anti-inflammatory pharmaceuticals in municipal WWTP at competitive electrical energy efficiencies.

Efficient Solar Energy Conversion Using CaCu3Ti4O12 Photoanode for Photocatalysis and Photoelectrocatalysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kushwaha, H. S.; Madhar, Niyaz A.; Ilahi, B.; Thomas, P.; Halder, Aditi; Vaish, Rahul

2016-01-01

A highly efficient third generation catalyst, CaCu3Ti4O12 (CCTO) shows excellent photoelectrochemical (PEC) and photocatalytic ability. As only 4% part of the solar spectrum covers UV light, thus it is highly desirable to develop visible light active photocatalyst materials like CCTO for effective solar energy conversion. A direct band transition with a narrow band gap (1.5 eV) was observed. Under light irradiation, high photocurrent density was found to be 0.96 mA/cm2, indicating the visible light induced photocatalytic ability of CCTO. Visible light mediated photocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic degradation efficiency of CaCu3Ti4O12 pellets (CCTO) was investigated for three classes of pharmaceutical waste: erythrosin (dye), ciprofloxacin (antibiotic) and estriol (steroid). It is found that the degradation process follows first order kinetic reaction in electrocatalysis, photocatalysis and photoelectrocatalysis and high kinetic rate constant was observed in photoelectrocatalysis. This was quite high in comparison to previously reported methods.

Efficient Solar Energy Conversion Using CaCu3Ti4O12 Photoanode for Photocatalysis and Photoelectrocatalysis.

PubMed

Kushwaha, H S; Madhar, Niyaz A; Ilahi, B; Thomas, P; Halder, Aditi; Vaish, Rahul

2016-01-04

A highly efficient third generation catalyst, CaCu3Ti4O12 (CCTO) shows excellent photoelectrochemical (PEC) and photocatalytic ability. As only 4% part of the solar spectrum covers UV light, thus it is highly desirable to develop visible light active photocatalyst materials like CCTO for effective solar energy conversion. A direct band transition with a narrow band gap (1.5 eV) was observed. Under light irradiation, high photocurrent density was found to be 0.96 mA/cm(2), indicating the visible light induced photocatalytic ability of CCTO. Visible light mediated photocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic degradation efficiency of CaCu3Ti4O12 pellets (CCTO) was investigated for three classes of pharmaceutical waste: erythrosin (dye), ciprofloxacin (antibiotic) and estriol (steroid). It is found that the degradation process follows first order kinetic reaction in electrocatalysis, photocatalysis and photoelectrocatalysis and high kinetic rate constant was observed in photoelectrocatalysis. This was quite high in comparison to previously reported methods.

Efficient Solar Energy Conversion Using CaCu3Ti4O12 Photoanode for Photocatalysis and Photoelectrocatalysis

PubMed Central

Kushwaha, H. S.; Madhar, Niyaz A; Ilahi, B.; Thomas, P.; Halder, Aditi; Vaish, Rahul

2016-01-01

A highly efficient third generation catalyst, CaCu3Ti4O12 (CCTO) shows excellent photoelectrochemical (PEC) and photocatalytic ability. As only 4% part of the solar spectrum covers UV light, thus it is highly desirable to develop visible light active photocatalyst materials like CCTO for effective solar energy conversion. A direct band transition with a narrow band gap (1.5 eV) was observed. Under light irradiation, high photocurrent density was found to be 0.96 mA/cm2, indicating the visible light induced photocatalytic ability of CCTO. Visible light mediated photocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic degradation efficiency of CaCu3Ti4O12 pellets (CCTO) was investigated for three classes of pharmaceutical waste: erythrosin (dye), ciprofloxacin (antibiotic) and estriol (steroid). It is found that the degradation process follows first order kinetic reaction in electrocatalysis, photocatalysis and photoelectrocatalysis and high kinetic rate constant was observed in photoelectrocatalysis. This was quite high in comparison to previously reported methods. PMID:26725655

Degradation of low rank coal by Trichoderma atroviride ES11.

PubMed

Silva-Stenico, M Estela; Vengadajellum, Caryn J; Janjua, Hussnain A; Harrison, Sue T L; Burton, Stephanie G; Cowan, Don A

2007-09-01

A new isolate of Trichoderma atroviride has been shown to grow on low rank coal as the sole carbon source. T. atroviride ES11 degrades approximately 82% of particulate coal (10 g l(-1)) over a period of 21 days with 50% reduction in 6 days. Glucose (5 g l(-1)) as a supplemented carbon source enhanced the coal solubilisation efficiency of T. atroviride ES11, while 10 and 20 g l(-1) glucose decrease coal solubilisation efficiency. Addition of nitrogen [1 g l(-1) (NH(4))(2)SO(4)] to the medium also increased the coal solubilisation efficiency of T. atroviride ES11. Assay results from coal-free and coal-supplemented cultures suggested that several intracellular enzymes are possibly involved in coal depolymerisation processes some of which are constitutive (phenol hydroxylase) and others that were activated or induced in the presence of coal (2,3-dihydrobiphenyl-2,3-diol dehydrogenase, 3,4-dihydro phenanthrene-3,4-diol dehydrogenase, 1,2-dihydro-1,2-dihydroxynaphthalene dehydrogenase, 1,2-dihydro-1,2-dihydroxyanthracene dehydrogenase). GC-MS analysis of chloroform extracts obtained from coal degrading T. atroviride ES11 cultures showed the formation of only a limited number of specific compounds (4-hydroxyphenylethanol, 1,2-benzenediol, 2-octenoic acid), strongly suggesting that the intimate association between coal particles and fungal mycelia results in rapid and near-quantitative transfer of coal depolymerisation products into the cell.

Non-thermal plasma-induced photocatalytic degradation of 4-chlorophenol in water.

PubMed

Hao, Xiao Long; Zhou, Ming Hua; Lei, Le Cheng

2007-03-22

TiO(2) photocatalyst (P-25) (50mgL(-1)) was tentatively introduced into pulsed high-voltage discharge process for non-thermal plasma-induced photocatalytic degradation of the representative mode organic pollutant parachlorophenol (4-CP), including other compounds phenol and methyl red in water. The experimental results showed that rate constant of 4-CP degradation, energy efficiency for 4-CP removal and TOC removal with TiO(2) were obviously increased. Pulsed high-voltage discharge process with TiO(2) had a promoted effect for the degradation of these pollutants under a broad range of liquid conductivity. Furthermore, the apparent formation rates of chemically active species (e.g., ozone and hydrogen peroxide) were increased, the hydrogen peroxide formation rate from 1.10x10(-6) to 1.50x10(-6)Ms(-1), the ozone formation rate from 1.99x10(-8) to 2.35x10(-8)Ms(-1), respectively. In addition, this process had no influence on the photocatalytic properties of TiO(2). The introduction of TiO(2) photocatalyst into pulsed discharge plasma process in the utilizing of ultraviolet radiation and electric field in pulsed discharge plasma process enhanced the yields of chemically active species, which were available for highly efficient removal and mineralization of organic pollutants.

H2O2/TiO2 photocatalytic oxidation of metol. Identification of intermediates and reaction pathways.

PubMed

Aceituno, Mónica; Stalikas, Constantine D; Lunar, Loreto; Rubio, Soledad; Pérez-Bendito, Dolores

2002-08-01

The applicability of H2O2 to increase the efficiency of TiO2 photocatalytic degradations was investigated. The photographic developer metol [N-methyl-p-aminophenol] that does not adsorb on the surface of TiO2 particulates was used as a model for this purpose. It was proved that metol was mineralised under oxidation with H2O2/TiO2/UV through different thermal and photochemical reactions. Identification of intermediates by both HPLC-electron impact-MS and HPLC-electrospray ionisation-MS helped to elucidate the role of H2O2 and TiO2 in the degradation process and to establish degradation pathways. Intermediates yielded were partially oxygenated aromatic species and dimers, which were amenable to oxidation. The optimal degradation conditions found for mineralisation were 0.4 M H2O2, 5 mg/ml TiO2, pH 9 and irradiation centred at 360 nm (4.9 mW/cm2). The use of oxidants opens an interesting medium to the treatment of effluents containing a diversity of organics since they increase substantially the efficiency of TiO2 photocatalytic degradations.

Sunlight-driven photocatalytic degradation of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug based on TiO₂ quantum dots.

PubMed

Kaur, Amandeep; Umar, Ahmad; Kansal, Sushil Kumar

2015-12-01

This paper reports the facile synthesis, characterization and solar-light driven photocatalytic degradation of TiO2 quantum dots (QDs). The TiO2 QDs were synthesized by a facile ultrasonic-assisted hydrothermal process and characterized in terms of their structural, morphological, optical and photocatalytic properties. The detailed studies confirmed that the prepared QDs are well-crystalline, grown in high density and exhibiting good optical properties. Further, the prepared QDs were efficiently used as effective photocatalyst for the sun-light driven photocatalytic degradation of ketorolac tromethamine, a well-known non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). To optimize the photocatalytic degradation conditions, various dose-dependent, pH-dependent, and initial drug-concentration dependent experiments were performed. The detailed solar-light driven photocatalytic experiments revealed that ∼99% photodegradation of ketorolac tromethamine drug solution (10 mg L(-1)) was observed with optimized amount of TiO2 QDs and pH (0.5 g L(-1) and 4.4, respectively) under solar-light irradiations. The observed results demonstrate that simply synthesized TiO2 QDs can efficiently be used for the solar-light driven photocatalytic degradation of harmful drugs and chemicals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Efficient peroxydisulfate activation process not relying on sulfate radical generation for water pollutant degradation.

PubMed

Zhang, Tao; Chen, Yin; Wang, Yuru; Le Roux, Julien; Yang, Yang; Croué, Jean-Philippe

2014-05-20

Peroxydisulfate (PDS) is an appealing oxidant for contaminated groundwater and toxic industrial wastewaters. Activation of PDS is necessary for application because of its low reactivity. Present activation processes always generate sulfate radicals as actual oxidants which unselectively oxidize organics and halide anions reducing oxidation capacity of PDS and producing toxic halogenated products. Here we report that copper oxide (CuO) can efficiently activate PDS under mild conditions without producing sulfate radicals. The PDS/CuO coupled process is most efficient at neutral pH for decomposing a model compound, 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP). In a continuous-flow reaction with an empty-bed contact time of 0.55 min, over 90% of 2,4-DCP (initially 20 μM) and 90% of adsorbable organic chlorine (AOCl) can be removed at the PDS/2,4-DCP molar ratio of 1 and 4, respectively. Based on kinetic study and surface characterization, PDS is proposed to be first activated by CuO through outer-sphere interaction, the rate-limiting step, followed by a rapid reaction with 2,4-DCP present in the solution. In the presence of ubiquitous chloride ions in groundwater/industrial wastewater, the PDS/CuO oxidation shows significant advantages over sulfate radical oxidation by achieving much higher 2,4-DCP degradation capacity and avoiding the formation of highly chlorinated degradation products. This work provides a new way of PDS activation for contaminant removal.

Solar TiO2-assisted photocatalytic degradation of IGCC power station effluents using a Fresnel lens.

PubMed

Monteagudo, J M; Durán, A; Guerra, J; García-Peña, F; Coca, P

2008-03-01

The heterogeneous TiO2 assisted photocatalytic degradation of wastewater from a thermoelectric power station under concentrated solar light irradiation using a Fresnel lens has been studied. The efficiency of photocatalytic degradation was determined from the analysis of cyanide and formate removal. Firstly, the influence of the initial concentration of H2O2 and TiO2 on the degradation kinetics of cyanides and formates was studied based on a factorial experimental design. Experimental kinetic constants were fitted using neural networks. Results showed that the photocatalytic process was effective for cyanides destruction (mainly following a molecular mechanism), whereas most of formates (degraded mainly via a radical path) remained unaffected. Finally, to improve formates degradation, the effect of lowering pH on their degradation rate was evaluated after complete cyanide destruction. The photooxidation efficiency of formates reaches a maximum at pH around 5-6. Above pH 6, formate anion is subjected to electrostatic repulsion with the negative surface of TiO2. At pH<4.5, formate adsorption and photon absorption are reduced due to some catalyst agglomeration.

Photocatalytic degradation kinetics and mechanism of phenobarbital in TiO(2) aqueous solution.

PubMed

Cao, Hua; Lin, Xiulian; Zhan, Haiying; Zhang, Hong; Lin, Jingxin

2013-01-01

5-Ethyl-5-phenylpyrimidine-2,4,6(1H, 3H, 5H)-trione is an anti-convulsant used to treat disorders of movement, e.g. tremors. This work deals with the transformation of phenobarbital by UV/TiO(2) heterogeneous photocatalysis, to assess the decomposition of the pharmaceutical compound, to identify intermediates, as well as to elucidate some mechanistic details of the degradation. The photocatalytic removal efficiency of 100 μm phenobarbital is about 80% within 60 min, while the degradation efficiency of phenobarbital was better in alkaline solution. The study on contribution of reactive oxidative species (ROSs) has shown that ()OH is responsible for the major degradation of phenobarbital, while the photohole, photoelectrons and the other ROSs have the minor contribution to the degradation. Finally, based on the identification of degradation intermediates, two main photocatalytic degradation pathways have been tentatively proposed, including the hydroxylation and cleavage of pyrimidine ring in the phenobarbital molecule respectively. Certainly, the phenobarbital can be mineralized when the photocatalytic reaction time prolongs. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Efficient transformation of DDT by peroxymonosulfate activated with cobalt in aqueous systems: Kinetics, products, and reactive species identification.

PubMed

Qin, Wenxiu; Fang, Guodong; Wang, Yujun; Wu, Tongliang; Zhu, Changyin; Zhou, Dongmei

2016-04-01

Recently, sulfate radical ( [Formula: see text] ) based-advanced oxidation technologies (AOTs) have been attracted great attention in the remediation of contaminated soil and groundwater. In the present study, Co(2+) ions activated peroxymonosulfate (PMS) system was used to degrade 1, 1, 1-trichloro-2, 2'bis(p-chlorophenyl) ethane (DDT) in aqueous solutions. It was found that DDT was efficiently degraded in the PMS/Co(II) solutions within several hours, and the degradation efficiency of DDT was dependent on the concentrations of PMS and Co(II), and the optimum molar ratio of PMS and Co(II) was 50:1. The degradation kinetics of DDT were well described with pseudo-first-order equations over a range of temperature (10-40 °C), and the activation energy that was calculated with Arrhenius equation was 72.3 ± 2.6 kJ/mol. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and GC-MS techniques were applied to identify the intermediates and reactive species for DDT degradation. The results indicated that [Formula: see text] and OH were the main reactive species accounting for DDT degradation. Dichlorobenzophenone, 4-chlorobenzoic acid and benzylalcohol were the dominant intermediates for DDT degradation, and the likely degradation pathway of DDT was proposed on the basis of these identified products. Increasing pH inhibited the formation of [Formula: see text] and OH, and thus decreased the catalytic degradation of DDT. Cl(-) ion was found to significantly inhibit, while [Formula: see text] and dissolved oxygen had limited effects on DDT degradation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copper-promoted circumneutral activation of H2O2 by magnetic CuFe2O4 spinel nanoparticles: Mechanism, stoichiometric efficiency, and pathway of degrading sulfanilamide.

PubMed

Feng, Yong; Liao, Changzhong; Shih, Kaimin

2016-07-01

To evaluate the heterogeneous degradation of sulfanilamide by external energy-free Fenton-like reactions, magnetic CuFe2O4 spinel nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized and used as catalysts for activation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The physicochemical properties of the CuFe2O4 NPs were characterized with several techniques, including X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and magnetometry. In the catalytic experiments, CuFe2O4 NPs/H2O2 oxidation showed the best degradation performance in the circumneutral conditions that resulted from the presence of Cu(II) on the surface of the CuFe2O4 NPs. The surface area-normalized pseudo-first-order rate constants were calculated as 2.60 × 10(-2) L m(-1) min(-1), 2.58 × 10(-3) L m(-1) min(-1), 1.92 × 10(-3) L m(-1) min(-1), and 7.30 × 10(-4) L m(-1) min(-1) for CuO, CuFe2O4 NPs, Fe3O4, and α-Fe2O3 catalysts, respectively. Thus, solid state Cu(II) was more reactive and efficient than Fe(III) in the circumneutral activation of H2O2; this finding was further supported by the results regarding the stoichiometric efficiency of H2O2. The effects of experimental parameters such as the oxidant dosage and catalyst loading were investigated. The mechanism for H2O2 activation on the spinel surface was explored and could be explained by the solid redox cycles of Fe(II)/Fe(III) and Cu(II)/Cu(I). Based on the products detected, a degradation pathway via the CS bond cleavage is proposed for the degradation of sulfanilamide. The findings of this study suggest that copper can be used as a doping metal to improve the reactivity and expand the effective pH range of iron oxides. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The different paths and potential risks of photo(-electro)-catalytic degradation for rhodamine B in water by graphene/TiO2 membrane.

PubMed

Ren, Miao; Liu, Haiyang; Qu, Jiao; Zhang, Yanan; Ma, Ying; Yuan, Xing

2018-03-07

The graphene (GR)/TiO 2 membrane was prepared by the sol-gel method and coated on the indium tin oxide (ITO) conductive glass, which showed high and stable photo(-electro)-catalytic activities to rhodamine B (Rh-B) in water. Characterization results showed that the GR was dispersed and wrapped in the needle-like TiO 2 . With GR/TiO 2 membrane and simulated sunlight irradiation, the removal efficiency of Rh-B (10 mg l -1 and pH at 5.4) arrived at 87.6% within 300 min. However, the higher removal efficiency for Rh-B reached to 97.8% by the photo-electro-catalytic degradation with the applied voltage 4 v for 30 min. The ·OH that generated in the photo-catalytic degradation process were responsible for Rh-B decomposition. The ·O 2 - played the significant role in the photo-electro-catalytic degradation of Rh-B. Furthermore, the decarboxylation was also occurred in the photo-electro-catalytic degradation for the Rh-B in water except for the deethylation and hydroxylation in the photo-catalytic degradation. In addition, the toxicities of the intermediates were calculated using the ECOSAR program and the EPIWIN software. The results indicated that the toxicities of intermediates from photo-electro-catalytic degradation for the Rh-B were higher than photo-catalytic degradation, due to the generation of decarboxylate.

Application of contact glow discharge electrolysis method for degradation of batik dye waste Remazol Red by the addition of Fe2+ ion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saksono, Nelson; Puspita, Indah; Sukreni, Tulus

2017-03-01

Contact Glow Discharge Electrolysis (CGDE) has been shown to degrade much weight organic compounds such as dyes because the production of hydroxil radical (•OH) is excess. This research aims to degrade batik dye waste Remazol Red, using CGDE method with the addition of Fe2+ ion. The addition of iron salt compounds has proven to increase process efficiency. Dye degradation is known by measure its absorbances with Spectrophotometer UV-Vis. The result of study showed that percentage degradation was 99.92% in 20 minutes which obtained by using Na2SO4 0.01 M, with addition FeSO4 0,1 gram, applied voltage 860 volt, and 1 wolfram anode 5 mm depth.

A novel ZrHIO6ṡ4H2O catalyst for degradation of organic dyes at room temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jiayin; Ma, Xinping; Qian, Meifan; Liu, Haoran; Liu, Qiying; Zhao, Caixian; Tian, Li; Chen, Lijuan; Tang, Jianting

It is interesting to obtain catalysts to degrade organic dye pollutants at room temperature for simultaneous purposes of environment-treating and energy-saving. In this work, a novel ZrHIO6ṡ4H2O catalyst was synthesized by reacting ZrO(NO3)2 with H5IO6 in aqueous nitric acid. The catalyst was found effective in degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) or methylene blue (MB) dyes at room temperature without light illumination. We used the ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption spectra of dye solution as well as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) of ZrHIO6ṡ4H2O to confirm that the dye degradation was due to its catalytic role. Importantly, the ZrHIO6ṡ4H2O catalyst can be recycled five times without obvious activity loss and it achieved higher mineralization efficiency than the previously reported analogue in the degradation experiments.

Can Listening to Music Decrease Pain, Anxiety, and Stress During a Urodynamic Study? A Randomized Prospective Trial Focusing on Gender Differences.

PubMed

Shim, Ji Sung; Chae, Ji Yun; Kang, Sung Gu; Park, Jae Young; Bae, Jae Hyun; Kang, Seok Ho; Park, Hong Seok; Moon, Du Geon; Cheon, Jun; Lee, Jeong Gu; Kim, Je Jong; Oh, Mi Mi

2017-06-01

To evaluate the effect of listening to music on pain, anxiety, or stress during a urodynamic study (UDS). A total of 74 female and 74 male patients who underwent UDS between March 2013 and October 2013 were prospectively randomized. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to gender (female, n = 74 vs male, n = 74) and into 2 subgroups according to whether they listened to music or not. Music group subjects played their preferred music during UDS. Before and after UDS, all subjects completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) form and their degree of pain, anxiety, and satisfaction during examination were assessed by the visual analog scale (VAS, 0-10). Basic vital signs were also checked before and after the procedure. In the analysis of anxiety, pain, and stress scores, the mean shame, discomfort, and satisfaction scores (VAS) were significantly higher in female patients, whereas the mean score of willingness to retry the procedure was higher in male patients whether listening to music or not (P < .001). In the analysis of differences of STAI total, state anxiety, and trait anxiety, there were no statistical significances between the music group and the no-music group in either gender. In our study, music during UDS did not reduce anxiety, pain, and stress in either gender. In the analysis focusing on gender difference, female patients showed statistically higher levels of pain, anxiety, and stress scores than male patients whether listening to music or not. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A micro-scale cutting model for UD CFRP composites with thermo-mechanical coupling

DOE PAGES

Cheng, Hui; Gao, Jiaying; Kafka, Orion Landauer; ...

2017-09-23

Cutting a unidirectional carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (UD CFRP) structure is the basic unit for CFRP machining, which is a complex thermal-mechanically coupled process. To reveal the deformation mechanism and predict cutting force in UD CFRP micro cutting, a micro-scale fracture model for UD CFRP cutting with thermal-mechanical coupling is demonstrated in this paper, which captures the failure modes for fibers, matrix and the interface based on a micro-level RVE using a relatively simple damage based fracture method. The thermal-mechanical coupling model at the micro scale is developed on the basis of the plastic energy dissipation and frictional heating during cutting.more » Failure models for the fiber, matrix and interface region are applied depending on the material properties of each of these three phases. Numerical simulations based on the above model with different fiber orientations were performed to predict the deformation and forces of different components in UD CFRP. Cutting experiments with the same fiber orientations as considered in the simulations were carried out to validate the force and deformation results. The predicted force and deformation patterns match well with evidence from our experiments. In general, the cutting force is larger than the thrust force regardless of fiber orientation. The cutting force reaches a maximum as the fiber orientation approaches 90 , but thrust forces do not vary substantially across cases. When the fiber orientation is acute, the deformation of fibers is much smaller than when the cutting angle is obtuse. Surface roughness follows the same trend with cutting angle as fiber deformation.« less

A micro-scale cutting model for UD CFRP composites with thermo-mechanical coupling

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

Cheng, Hui; Gao, Jiaying; Kafka, Orion Landauer

Cutting a unidirectional carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (UD CFRP) structure is the basic unit for CFRP machining, which is a complex thermal-mechanically coupled process. To reveal the deformation mechanism and predict cutting force in UD CFRP micro cutting, a micro-scale fracture model for UD CFRP cutting with thermal-mechanical coupling is demonstrated in this paper, which captures the failure modes for fibers, matrix and the interface based on a micro-level RVE using a relatively simple damage based fracture method. The thermal-mechanical coupling model at the micro scale is developed on the basis of the plastic energy dissipation and frictional heating during cutting.more » Failure models for the fiber, matrix and interface region are applied depending on the material properties of each of these three phases. Numerical simulations based on the above model with different fiber orientations were performed to predict the deformation and forces of different components in UD CFRP. Cutting experiments with the same fiber orientations as considered in the simulations were carried out to validate the force and deformation results. The predicted force and deformation patterns match well with evidence from our experiments. In general, the cutting force is larger than the thrust force regardless of fiber orientation. The cutting force reaches a maximum as the fiber orientation approaches 90 , but thrust forces do not vary substantially across cases. When the fiber orientation is acute, the deformation of fibers is much smaller than when the cutting angle is obtuse. Surface roughness follows the same trend with cutting angle as fiber deformation.« less

The assessment of schizotypy by the O-LIFE (Oxford-Liverpool Inventory for Feelings and Experiences) in patients with schizophrenia and affective disorders.

PubMed

Dembińska-Krajewska, Daria; Rybakowski, Janusz

2016-12-23

The aim of the study was to assess schizotypy by using the Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences (O-LIFE), in the groups of patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder (BD) and unipolar (recurrent) depression (UD). An important element of the study was to compare - in terms of similarity - the results obtained in schizophrenia and BD, and - in terms of differences - the results obtained in BD and UD. The study involved 58 patients with schizophrenia (35 men, 23 women, mean age = 34.0, SD = 9.8), 52 patients with BD (22 men, 30 women, mean age = 40.3, SD = 13.6) and 57 UD patients (24 men, 33 women, mean age = 50.2, SD = 11.9), treated in the Department of Adult Psychiatry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences. For the assessment of schizotypy, the full version of the O-LIFE questionnaire (104 questions) was used, including such dimensions as: unusual experiences, cognitive disorganization, introvertive anhedonia and impulsive nonconformity. The biggest differences between diagnostic groups were found in the dimensions of unusual experiences and impulsive nonconformity. Similarities between schizophrenia and BD were found for unusual experiences, cognitive disorganization and introvertive anhedonia. Differences between BD and UD were obtained for unusual experiences and impulsive nonconformity. The assessment of schizotypy in three diagnostic groups (it was the first study in patients with UD), allowed to address contemporary pathogenic and clinical concepts pertaining to similarities between schizophrenia and BD as well as to differences between two types of affective disorders.

High-antibacterial activity of Urtica spp. seed extracts on food and plant pathogenic bacteria.

PubMed

Körpe, Didem Aksoy; İşerı, Özlem Darcansoy; Sahin, Feride Iffet; Cabi, Evren; Haberal, Mehmet

2013-05-01

The aim of this study was to comparatively evaluate antibacterial activities of methanol (MetOH) and aqueous (dw) leaf (L), root (R) and seed (S) extracts of Urtica dioica L. (Ud; stinging nettle) and Urtica pilulifera L. (Up; Roman nettle) on both food- and plant-borne pathogens, with total phenolic contents and DPPH radical scavenging activities (DRSA). MetOH extracts of leaves and roots of U. dioica had the highest DRSA. Extracts with high antibacterial activity were in the order Up-LMetOH (13/16) > Ud-SMetOH (11/16) > Up-SMetOH (9/16). Results obtained with Up-SMetOH against food spoiling Bacillus pumilus, Shigella spp. and Enterococcus gallinarum with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) in 128-1024 μg/ml range seem to be promising. Up-SMetOH also exerted strong inhibition against Clavibacter michiganensis with a considerably low MIC (32 μg/ml). Ud-SMetOH and Up-LMetOH were also effective against C. michiganensis (MIC = 256 and 1024 μg/ml, respectively). Ud-SMetOH and Ud-RMetOH had also antimicrobial activity against Xanthomonas vesicatoria (MIC = 512 and 1024 μg/ml, respectively). Results presented here demonstrate high-antibacterial activity of U. pilulifera extracts and U. dioica seed extract against phytopathogens for the first time, and provide the most comprehensive data on the antibacterial activity screening of U. pilulifera against food-borne pathogens. Considering limitations in plant disease control, antibacterial activities of these extracts would be of agricultural importance.

Comparison of ultrasound imaging in transverse median and parasagittal oblique planes for thoracic epidurals: A pilot study.

PubMed

Khemka, Rakhi; Rastogi, Sonal; Desai, Neha; Chakraborty, Arunangshu; Sinha, Subir

2016-06-01

The use of ultrasound (US) scanning to assess the depth of epidural space to prevent neurological complications is established in current practice. In this study, we hypothesised that pre-puncture US scanning for estimating the depth of epidural space for thoracic epidurals is comparable between transverse median (TM) and paramedian sagittal oblique (PSO) planes. We performed pre-puncture US scanning in 32 patients, posted for open abdominal surgeries. The imaging was done to detect the depth of epidural space from skin (ultrasound depth [UD]) and needle insertion point, in parasagittal oblique plane in PSO group and transverse median plane in TM group. Subsequently, epidural space was localised through the predetermined insertion point by 'loss of resistance' technique and needle depth (ND) to the epidural space was marked. Correlation between the UD and actual ND was calculated and concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) was used to determine the degree of agreement between UD and ND in both the planes. The primary outcome, i.e., the comparison between UD and ND, done using Pearson correlation coefficient, was 0.99 in both PSO and TM groups, and the CCC was 0.93 (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.81-0.97) and 0.90 (95% CI: 0.74-0.96) in PSO and TM groups respectively, which shows a strong positive association between UD and ND in both groups. The use of pre-puncture US scanning in both PSO and TM planes for estimating the depth of epidural space at the level of mid- and lower-thoracic spine is comparable.

One-step solvothermal synthesis of magnetic Fe3O4-graphite composite for Fenton-like degradation of levofloxacin.

PubMed

Wang, Long; Zhao, Qi; Hou, Juan; Yan, Jin; Zhang, Fengshuang; Zhao, Jiahui; Ding, Hong; Li, Yi; Ding, Lan

2016-01-01

A novel Fe3O4-graphite composite was prepared, characterized, and investigated as a heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst for the degradation of levofloxacin (LEV) in an aqueous solution. The results revealed that the Fe3O4-graphite composite exhibited excellent properties for the degradation and mineralization of LEV, achieving a nearly complete degradation of 50 mg L(-1) LEV in 15 min and 48% of total organic carbon removal in 60 min under optimal conditions. A large electronic conjugation structure exists in graphite, which may lead to the fast production of •OH radical species because of the easy reduction of Fe(III) to Fe(II). In addition, we observed that the graphite can degrade LEV in the presence of H2O2. Therefore, the synergistic results of the graphite structure and Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) may contribute to the high catalytic activity of the Fe3O4-graphite composite. Compared with pure Fe3O4 MNPs, lesser iron leaching of the Fe3O4-graphite composite was observed during the degradation of LEV. The degradation efficiency of LEV remained approximately 80% at the fifth recycling run, which indicates that the Fe3O4-graphite composite has potential applications in water treatment for removing organic pollutants.

Degradation of clofibric acid in acidic aqueous medium by electro-Fenton and photoelectro-Fenton.

PubMed

Sirés, Ignasi; Arias, Conchita; Cabot, Pere Lluís; Centellas, Francesc; Garrido, José Antonio; Rodríguez, Rosa María; Brillas, Enric

2007-01-01

Acidic aqueous solutions of clofibric acid (2-(4-chlorophenoxy)-2-methylpropionic acid), the bioactive metabolite of various lipid-regulating drugs, have been degraded by indirect electrooxidation methods such as electro-Fenton and photoelectro-Fenton with Fe(2+) as catalyst using an undivided electrolytic cell with a Pt anode and an O(2)-diffusion cathode able to electrogenerate H(2)O(2). At pH 3.0 about 80% of mineralization is achieved with the electro-Fenton method due to the efficient production of oxidant hydroxyl radical from Fenton's reaction between Fe(2+) and H(2)O(2), but stable Fe(3+) complexes are formed. The photoelectro-Fenton method favors the photodecomposition of these species under UVA irradiation, reaching more than 96% of decontamination. The mineralization current efficiency increases with rising metabolite concentration up to saturation and with decreasing current density. The photoelectro-Fenton method is then viable for treating acidic wastewaters containing this pollutant. Comparative degradation by anodic oxidation (without Fe(2+)) yields poor decontamination. Chloride ion is released during all degradation processes. The decay kinetics of clofibric acid always follows a pseudo-first-order reaction, with a similar rate constant in electro-Fenton and photoelectro-Fenton that increases with rising current density, but decreases at greater metabolite concentration. 4-Chlorophenol, 4-chlorocatechol, 4-chlororesorcinol, hydroquinone, p-benzoquinone and 1,2,4-benzenetriol, along with carboxylic acids such as 2-hydroxyisobutyric, tartronic, maleic, fumaric, formic and oxalic, are detected as intermediates. The ultimate product is oxalic acid, which forms very stable Fe(3+)-oxalato complexes under electro-Fenton conditions. These complexes are efficiently photodecarboxylated in photoelectro-Fenton under the action of UVA light.

A recyclable and highly active Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles/titanate nanowire catalyst for organic dyes degradation with peroxymonosulfate

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

Chen, Zhili; Chen, Shihua; Li, Yonghe

2014-09-15

Sodium ions of TNWs were exchanged with hydrogen ions, and this protocol was very suitable for capturing high density of cobalt ions. Meanwhile, the fabricated Co{sub 3}O{sub 4}/TNWs nano-material presented a highly catalytic and stable activity for dye degradation. - Highlights: • Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles were deposited on the pretreated TNWs surface. • The TNWs treated by hydrogen ions captures higher density of cobalt ions. • The Co{sub 3}O{sub 4}/TNWs catalyst possesses highly efficiency for dyes degradation with oxone. - Abstract: In this paper, we reported a recyclable and highly active porous catalyst of titanate nanowires (TNWs) coated withmore » well-distributed Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles (NPs) (Co{sub 3}O{sub 4}/TNWs). Sodium ions of TNWs were exchanged with hydrogen ions in the dilute nitric acid, and this protocol was very suitable for capturing cobalt ions. X-ray diffraction (XRD) demonstrated the existence of Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} phase with unique lattice planes, such as (2 2 0), (3 1 1) and (5 1 1). Electron microscopes (FE-SEM and TEM) indicated that the Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} NPs with an average diameter of 22 ± 3 nm were coated uniformly on TNWs surface (average diameter: 37 ± 5.5 nm), and the Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} NPs mainly exposed their (2 2 0) and (2 2 2) active planes. XPS analysis confirms the formation of Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} phase by the presence of Co 2p peaks at 780.1 eV (2p 3/2) and 795.5 eV (2p 1/2). Methylene blue (MB) and other organic dyes (rhodamine B (RhB) and methyl orange (MO)) were chosen as target compounds for catalytic degradation under indoor scattering light. Compared to the original Co{sub 3}O{sub 4}/TNWs catalyst, the catalytic efficiency of nanoscaled catalyst with oxone for MB was about 15 times higher, and the MB solution (10 mg L{sup −1}) was completely degraded within 8 min. The catalytic activity of recycled catalyst used in the sixth run still remained very active, and the degradation time for MB was only 16 min. The nanosized catalyst also had a high activity for dyes of RhB (10 mg L{sup −1}) and MO (10 mg L{sup −1}), as the degradation efficiencies of RhB and MO after 10 min of contact time were about 90.2% and 92.6%, respectively.« less

Udorn RTAFB, Udon Thani, Thailand. Revised Uniform Summary of Surface Weather Observations (RUSSWO). Parts A-F

DTIC Science & Technology

1973-09-05

DIRECTION AND SPEED (FROM HOURLY OBSERVATIONS) 4105L UOUN THAN! T%4AND/UD"RN RTAFB 66,72 AUG STATIEN T N NANE YEARS NONIN 4 ALL WEATHER 0900.11,00 CUSS...92,6 󈧐.6 92.6 S400 9 s9 9 1 V1 .7 93. 9 9 9.1 9. qI .9 1 93 9 1 93. 9 993. S 300 94,.4 9415 9590 95,t 95o,4 954 9594 95,4 95*4 95,4 95s4 93.4 95*4

University of Dayton: Documentation of the Teachers for a New Era Learning Network. Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Academy for Educational Development, 2012

2012-01-01

The Academy for Educational Development (AED) sent a research team to the University of Dayton (UD) on November 5-7, 2008, to conduct interviews with individuals who played significant roles in the university's teacher preparation program (see Appendix A). These interviews, along with additional materials provided by UD and identified by the AED…

Universal Design for Learning: Application for Technology-Enhanced Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morra, Thom; Reynolds, Jim

2010-01-01

The construct of Universal Design (UD) has been used in a number of fields such as engineering and architecture to design and produce products and services that are usable by people with a wide variety of characteristics. The field of UD supports a framework that can also be used to enhance the field of education. A number of constructs have been…

Effect of Urtica dioica on memory dysfunction and hypoalgesia in an experimental model of diabetic neuropathy.

PubMed

Patel, Sita Sharan; Udayabanu, M

2013-09-27

Diabetic neuropathy is considered as a disease of the peripheral nervous system, but recent evidences suggest the involvement of central nervous system as well. In this study we evaluated the effect of Urtica dioica (UD) extract against memory dysfunction and hypoalgesia on a mouse model of streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic neuropathy. STZ (50 mg/kg, i.p. consecutively for 5 days) was used to induce diabetes, followed by treatment with the UD extract (50 mg/kg, oral) and rosiglitazone (5 mg/kg, oral) for 8 weeks. Cognitive functions were evaluated using Morris water maze and passive avoidance step through task. Pain thresholds were measured using thermal, mechanical and chemical induced hyperalgesia. We observed that chronic diabetes resulted in a decline in circulating insulin level, elevated blood glucose, reduced body weight, increased water intake, cognitive impairment and hypoalgesia. UD significantly reduced the blood glucose and polydypsia, as well as improved the body weight, insulin level, cognition and insensate neuropathy. In conclusion, UD showed results comparable to rosiglitazone in reversing the long standing diabetes induced complications such as central and peripheral neuronal dysfunction. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling utilization distributions in space and time

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keating, K.A.; Cherry, S.

2009-01-01

W. Van Winkle defined the utilization distribution (UD) as a probability density that gives an animal's relative frequency of occurrence in a two-dimensional (x, y) plane. We extend Van Winkle's work by redefining the UD as the relative frequency distribution of an animal's occurrence in all four dimensions of space and time. We then describe a product kernel model estimation method, devising a novel kernel from the wrapped Cauchy distribution to handle circularly distributed temporal covariates, such as day of year. Using Monte Carlo simulations of animal movements in space and time, we assess estimator performance. Although not unbiased, the product kernel method yields models highly correlated (Pearson's r - 0.975) with true probabilities of occurrence and successfully captures temporal variations in density of occurrence. In an empirical example, we estimate the expected UD in three dimensions (x, y, and t) for animals belonging to each of two distinct bighorn sheep {Ovis canadensis) social groups in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA. Results show the method can yield ecologically informative models that successfully depict temporal variations in density of occurrence for a seasonally migratory species. Some implications of this new approach to UD modeling are discussed. ?? 2009 by the Ecological Society of America.

Efficient degradation of lignin in raw wood via pretreatment with heteropoly acids in γ-valerolactone/water.

PubMed

Zhang, Libo; Zheng, Wenxiu; Wang, Ziming; Ma, Yubo; Jiang, Ling; Wang, Tianfu

2018-08-01

The aim of this work was to study the degradation of lignin in raw wood via pretreatment with heteropoly acids as substitutes for traditional H 2 SO 4 in γ-valerolactone/water. By optimizing catalyst concentration, reaction time and temperature, the optimal lignin degradation conditions are obtained (130 °C, 3 h and 20 mM silicotungstic acid). SEM and FTIR measurements demonstrated the efficient lignin degradation ability of HPAs in the GVL/H 2 O solvent, with negligible damage to cellulose within the raw wood. Furthermore, an elaborated enzymatic hydrolysis study of the thus obtained cellulosic feedstock revealed its suitability for enzymatic digestion, with great potential as starting material for the production of fermentable sugar from biomass in future biorefinery applications. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Research on denitrification efficiency of three types of solid carbon source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Y.; Zhang, J. D.; Li, F.; Cao, Y. X.; Zhu, L. Y.; Xiao, M. S.

2018-01-01

C/N rates can greatly influence efficiency of denitrification. It is difficult for current treated effluent to reach GB18918-2002 primary effluent standard because of its low C/N rate. To improve the efficiency of denitrification, the quality of effluent, and realize the waste recycling, this article selected magnolia leaves, loofah and degradable meal box as the solid carbon source and set different solid-liquid ratio of magnolia leaves for periodic denitrification stage to study the change of NO3 --N, TN, COD, NO2 --N, NH4 +, PO4 3- and color. The results showed that in the condition of influent nitrate concentration of 40 mg/L, carbon dosage of 10 g, the reaction temperature of 25°C, the nitrate removal rates of magnolia leaves and loofah reached 89.0% and 96.8% respectively, rather higher than degradable meal box (56.3%). The TN removal rates of magnolia leaves (91.7%) and loofah (77.7%) were both higher than degradable meal box (53.9%), and the effluent TN concentration of loofah and degradable meal box reached 25.4 mg/L and 21.1 mg/L respectively, which couldn’t be discharged according to the primary effluent concentration standard of GB18918-2002. The released concentration of ammonia nitrogen and phosphate: loofah> magnolia> degradable meal box. The high solid-liquid ratio of magnolia leaves helped to improve the TN removal rate, which reached 75.0% (1:200) and 91.7% (1:100), but it caused higher released concentration of carbon, ammonia nitrogen and phosphate to effect system heavily. Under the integrated analysis, the low solid-liquid ratio (1:200) of magnolia leaves was more suitable to be the denitrification external carbon source.

VA and DoD Operating as One

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-25

Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide U UD ŕ RFO DoD Menthol + Cetylpyridinium Chloride, lozenge, I USE AS DIRECTED FOR COUGH I DoD ACETAMINOPHEN. 325 MG. TABLET...ORAL TAKE 1·2 TABS EVERY 4-6HOUR DoD BISMUTH SU8SAUCYLATE. 262 MG. TAB C~ CHEW 2 TABS EVERY 1/2 HOUR DoD Menthol + Cetylpyridinium Chloride

Preparation of ZnO Photocatalyst for the Efficient and Rapid Photocatalytic Degradation of Azo Dyes.

PubMed

Chen, Xiaoqing; Wu, Zhansheng; Liu, Dandan; Gao, Zhenzhen

2017-12-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) photocatalysts were synthesized by sol-gel method using zinc acetate as precursor for degradation of azo dyes under UV irradiation. The resultant samples were characterized by different techniques, such as XRD, SEM, and EDX. The influence of preparation conditions such as calcination temperature and composite ratio on the degradation of methyl orange (MO) was investigated. ZnO prepared with a composite ratio of 4:1 and calcination temperature of 400 °C exhibited 99.70% removal rate for MO. The effect of operation parameters on the degradation was also studied. Results showed that the removal rate of azo dyes increased with the increased dosage of catalyst and decreased initial concentration of azo dyes and the acidic condition is favorable for degradation. Furthermore, the kinetics and scavengers of the reactive species during the degradation were also investigated. It was found that the degradation of azo dyes fitted the first-order kinetics and superoxide ions were the main species. The proposed photocatalyst can efficiently and rapidly degrade azo dyes; thus, this economical and environment-friendly photocatalyst can be applied to the treatment of wastewater contaminated with synthetic dyes.

Ag-ligand modified tungstovandates and their efficient catalysis degradation properties for methylene blue

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

Zheng, Ran; Zhang, Huixia; Liu, Yunping

Two polytungstovandates [Ag(mbpy){sub 2}][Ag{sub 2}(mbpy){sub 3}][VW{sub 5}O{sub 19}]·H{sub 2}O (1) and [Ag(mbpy)]{sub 2}[Ag(mbpy){sub 2}]{sub 4}[VW{sub 12}O{sub 40}] (2) (mbpy =4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridyl), had been hydrothermally synthesized and characterized by IR, TG, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. Single-crystal structural analysis revealed that the polyanionic clusters in two compounds are different: Lindqvist-type in 1 and α-Keggin-type in 2, respectively, while the cationic moieties in them are Ag-mbpy units. The experiments showed that this kind of hybrid crystal materials possesses more efficiently catalytic performance for the degradation of organic dye methylene blue (MB) in water solution under the UV irradiation. The significant degradation rate ofmore » MB can reach 89.9%, 94.9% by crystals 1 and 2 (40 mg) in the course of about 5 min. - Graphical abstract: Two Ag-ligand modified polytungstovandates had been synthesized and characterized, which were active in the catalytic degradation of organic dye methylene blue under the UV irradiation. - Highlights: • Two Ag-ligand modified tungstovandates were synthesized and characterized. • Weak interactions play important roles in constructing crystal frameworks. • Compounds are active to catalyze the degradation of methylene blue.« less

Study on the treatment of 2-sec-butyl-4,6-dinitrophenol (DNBP) wastewater by ClO2 in the presence of aluminum oxide as catalyst.

PubMed

Wang, Hui-Long; Dong, Jing; Jiang, Wen-Feng

2010-11-15

The chlorine dioxide (ClO(2)) oxidative degradation of 2-sec-butyl-4,6-dinitrophenol (DNBP) in aqueous solution was studied in detail using Al(2)O(3) as a heterogeneous catalyst. The operating parameters such as the ClO(2) concentration, catalyst dosage, initial DNBP concentration, reaction time and pH were evaluated. Compared with the conventional ClO(2) oxidation process without the catalyst, the ClO(2) catalytic oxidation system could significantly enhance the degradation efficiency. Under the optimal condition (DNBP concentration 39 mg L(-1), ClO(2) concentration 0.355 g L(-1), reaction time 60 min, catalyst dosage 10.7 g L(-1) and pH 4.66), degradation efficiency approached 99.1%. The catalyst was used at least 8 cycles without any appreciable loss of activity. The kinetic studies revealed that the ClO(2) catalytic oxidation degradation of DNBP followed pseudo-first-order kinetics with respect to DNBP concentration. The ClO(2) catalytic oxidation process was found to be very effective in the decolorization and COD(Cr) reduction of real wastewater from DNBP manufacturing. Thus, this study showed potential application of ClO(2) catalytic oxidation process in degradation of organic contaminants and industrial effluents. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Investigation of Ground Water Pollution at Air Force Plant Number 4, Fort Worth Texas

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-10-01

Dbtibz~o Ud~mxtm!UCTtq! - INVESTIGATION OF GROUND WATER POLLUTION AT - AIR FORCE PLANT NO. 4 FORT WORTH, TEXAS REPORT TO - UNITED STATES AIR FORCE...performed at the plant : Three pairs of Paluxy monitoring wells weze drilled along the south boundary of the plant to determine if pollutants discovered in...a nonhazardous dye tracer in selected wells. v U, INVESTIGATION OF POLLUTION OF GROUND WATER IN THE PALUXY AQUIFER AT AIR FORCE PLANT NO. 4, FORT

An Adaptive Approach to a 2.4 kb/s LPC Speech Coding System.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-07-01

laryngeal cancer ). Spectral estimation is at the foundation of speech analysis for all these goals and accurate AR model estimation in noise is...S ,5 mWnL NrinKt ) o ,-G p (d va Rmea.imn flU: 5() WOM Lu M(G)INUNM 40 4KeemS! MU= 1 UD M5) SIGHSM A SO= WAGe . M. (d) I U NS maIm ( IW vis MAMA

Copper Phthalocyanine-Functionalized Graphitic Carbon Nitride: A Hybrid Heterostructure toward Photoelectrochemical and Photocatalytic Degradation Applications.

PubMed

Liu, Zhong-Guo; Wan, Jia-Yun; Yang, Ze; Wang, Shi-Quan; Wang, Hang-Xing

2016-07-05

In this work, alcian blue 8GX (AB), a copper(II) phthalocyanine derivative, was employed to functionalize graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3 N4 ) for the preparation of a highly efficient photocatalyst. The approach relies on a facile AB-assisted ethanol/water mixed-solvent exfoliation of bulk g-C3 N4 . The as-prepared g-C3 N4 /AB hybrid possesses significantly enhanced solution dispersibility and photoelectrochemical performance resulting from the synergistic effect between g-C3 N4 and AB, which involves the optimization of intimate interfacial contact, extension of light absorption range, and enhancement of charge-transfer efficiency. This synergy contributes enormously to the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine 6G (R6G) under light irradiation. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Inhibition of MMP-9-dependent Degradation of Gelatin, but Not Other MMP-9 Substrates, by the MMP-9 Hemopexin Domain Blades 1 and 4*

PubMed Central

Ugarte-Berzal, Estefanía; Vandooren, Jennifer; Bailón, Elvira; Opdenakker, Ghislain; García-Pardo, Angeles

2016-01-01

Degradation and remodeling of the extracellular matrix by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) plays important roles in normal development, inflammation, and cancer. MMP-9 efficiently degrades the extracellular matrix component gelatin, and the hemopexin domain of MMP-9 (PEX9) inhibits this degradation. To study the molecular basis of this inhibition, we generated GST fusion proteins containing PEX9 or truncated forms corresponding to specific structural blades (B1–B4) of PEX9. GST-PEX9 inhibited MMP-9-driven gelatin proteolysis, measured by gelatin zymography, FITC-gelatin conversion, and DQ-gelatin degradation assays. However, GST-PEX9 did not prevent the degradation of other MMP-9 substrates, such as a fluorogenic peptide, αB crystalline, or nonmuscular actin. Therefore, PEX9 may inhibit gelatin degradation by shielding gelatin and specifically preventing its binding to MMP-9. Accordingly, GST-PEX9 also abolished the degradation of gelatin by MMP-2, confirming that PEX9 is not an MMP-9 antagonist. Moreover, GST-B4 and, to a lesser extent, GST-B1 also inhibited gelatin degradation by MMP-9, indicating that these regions are responsible for the inhibitory activity of PEX9. Accordingly, ELISAs demonstrated that GST-B4 and GST-B1 specifically bound to gelatin. Our results establish new functions of PEX9 attributed to blades B4 and B1 and should help in designing specific inhibitors of gelatin degradation. PMID:27044750

Co-occurring psychiatric symptoms in opioid-dependent women: the prevalence of antenatal and postnatal depression.

PubMed

Holbrook, Amber; Kaltenbach, Karol

2012-11-01

Despite the high prevalence of psychiatric symptoms in substance-dependent women, little evidence is available on postpartum depression in this population. To determine whether demographic variables and prenatal depression predict postpartum depression and select substance abuse treatment outcomes in a sample of pregnant women. A retrospective chart review was conducted on 125 pregnant women enrolled in a comprehensive substance abuse treatment program. Data on demographic variables, prenatal care attendance, urine drug screen (UDS) results, and psychiatric symptoms were abstracted from patient medical and substance abuse treatment charts. The Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS) was administered 6 weeks post-delivery. Multiple linear regression was conducted to identify predictors of prenatal care attendance and total PDSS scores at 6 weeks postpartum. Multiple logistic regression was used to examine predictors of positive UDS at delivery. Nearly one-third (30.4%) of the sample screened positive for moderate or severe depression at treatment entry. Psychiatric symptoms did not predict either prenatal care compliance or UDS results at delivery. Almost half of the sample (43.7%) exhibited postpartum depression at 6 weeks post-delivery. No demographic variables correlated with incidence of postnatal depression. Only antenatal depression at treatment entry predicted PDSS scores. Prevalence of antenatal psychiatric disorders and postpartum depression was high in this sample of women seeking substance abuse treatment. Results support prior history of depression as a predictor of risk for developing postpartum depression. Routine screening for perinatal and postpartum depression is indicated for women diagnosed with substance abuse disorders.

A novel two-level dielectric barrier discharge reactor for methyl orange degradation.

PubMed

Tao, Xumei; Wang, Guowei; Huang, Liang; Ye, Qingguo; Xu, Dongyan

2016-12-15

A novel pilot two-level dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor has been proposed and applied for degradation of continuous model wastewater. The two-level DBD reactor was skillfully realized with high space utilization efficiency and large contact area between plasma and wastewater. Various conditions such as applied voltage, initial concentration and initial pH value on methyl orange (MO) model wastewater degradation were investigated. The results showed that the appropriate applied voltage was 13.4 kV; low initial concentration and low initial pH value were conducive for MO degradation. The percentage removal of 4 L MO with concentration of 80 mg/L reached 94.1% after plasma treatment for 80min. Based on ultraviolet spectrum (UV), Infrared spectrum (IR), liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis of degradation intermediates and products, insights in the degradation pathway of MO were proposed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Storage and computationally efficient permutations of factorized covariance and square-root information matrices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Muellerschoen, R. J.

1988-01-01

A unified method to permute vector-stored upper-triangular diagonal factorized covariance (UD) and vector stored upper-triangular square-root information filter (SRIF) arrays is presented. The method involves cyclical permutation of the rows and columns of the arrays and retriangularization with appropriate square-root-free fast Givens rotations or elementary slow Givens reflections. A minimal amount of computation is performed and only one scratch vector of size N is required, where N is the column dimension of the arrays. To make the method efficient for large SRIF arrays on a virtual memory machine, three additional scratch vectors each of size N are used to avoid expensive paging faults. The method discussed is compared with the methods and routines of Bierman's Estimation Subroutine Library (ESL).

Presence or Absence of mlr Genes and Nutrient Concentrations Co-Determine the Microcystin Biodegradation Efficiency of a Natural Bacterial Community.

PubMed

Lezcano, María Ángeles; Morón-López, Jesús; Agha, Ramsy; López-Heras, Isabel; Nozal, Leonor; Quesada, Antonio; El-Shehawy, Rehab

2016-11-03

The microcystin biodegradation potential of a natural bacterial community coexisting with a toxic cyanobacterial bloom was investigated in a water reservoir from central Spain. The biodegradation capacity was confirmed in all samples during the bloom and an increase of mlr A gene copies was found with increasing microcystin concentrations. Among the 24 microcystin degrading strains isolated from the bacterial community, only 28% showed presence of mlr A gene, strongly supporting the existence and abundance of alternative microcystin degradation pathways in nature. In vitro degradation assays with both mlr ⁺ and mlr - bacterial genotypes (with presence and absence of the complete mlr gene cluster, respectively) were performed with four isolated strains ( Sphingopyxis sp. IM-1, IM-2 and IM-3; Paucibacter toxinivorans IM-4) and two bacterial degraders from the culture collection ( Sphingosinicella microcystinivorans Y2; Paucibacter toxinivorans 2C20). Differences in microcystin degradation efficiencies between genotypes were found under different total organic carbon and total nitrogen concentrations. While mlr ⁺ strains significantly improved microcystin degradation rates when exposed to other carbon and nitrogen sources, mlr - strains showed lower degradation efficiencies. This suggests that the presence of alternative carbon and nitrogen sources possibly competes with microcystins and impairs putative non- mlr microcystin degradation pathways. Considering the abundance of the mlr - bacterial population and the increasing frequency of eutrophic conditions in aquatic systems, further research on the diversity of this population and the characterization and conditions affecting non- mlr degradation pathways deserves special attention.

A facile route to the synthesis of magnetically separable BiOBr/NiFe2O4 composites with enhanced photocatalytic performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiaowei; Wang, Li; Zhang, Lei; Zhuo, Shuping

2017-10-01

Novel magnetically separable BiOBr/NiFe2O4 composite photocatalysts with different mass ratios were fabricated through a facile hydrothermal treatment. The phases, morphologies and photophysical properties of the as-obtained samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microcopy (TEM) and diffuse reflection spectroscopy (DRS). Their visible light photocatalytic performances were examined by degradation of methylene blue (MB) and phenol. Compared with bare BiOBr and NiFe2O4, all heterostructured BiOBr/NiFe2O4 nanocomposites exhibited significantly enhanced photocatalytic efficiency. The BiOBr/NiFe2O4-20% composite showed the highest photodegradation capacity, which was about 3.2 and 22.4 times greater than that of individual BiOBr and NiFe2O4, respectively. The degradation efficiency of BiOBr/NiFe2O4-20% in the degradation of MB dye hardly changed after five cycles, signifying that the BiOBr/NiFe2O4-20% photocatalyst had excellent recyclability. In addition, BiOBr/NiFe2O4 composite photocatalysts could be easily separated from contaminant solution by using a magnet and recycled, exhibiting great potential for application in the fields of environmental purification of organic pollutants and wastewater treatment. In the light of experimental results, we proposed a photocatalytic mechanism which confirmed that the enhancement of photocatalytic performance for BiOBr/NiFe2O4 composites was mainly ascribed to the efficient separation of photo-induced charges resulting from the well-known "heterostructure effect" between NiFe2O4 nanorods and BiOBr nanosheets.

Efficient visible-light photocatalytic and enhanced photocorrosion inhibition of Ag2WO4 decorated MoS2 nanosheets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thangavel, Sakthivel; Thangavel, Srinivas; Raghavan, Nivea; Alagu, Raja; Venugopal, Gunasekaran

2017-11-01

The use of two-dimensional nanomaterials as co-catalysts in the photodegradation of toxic compounds using light irradiation is an attractive ecofriendly process. In this study, we prepared a novel MoS2/Ag2WO4 nanohybrid via a one-step hydrothermal approach and the photocatalytic properties were investigated by the degradation of methyl-orange under stimulated irradiation. The nanohybrid exhibits enhanced efficiency in dye degradation compared to the bare Ag2WO4 nanorods; the same has been evidently confirmed with UV-visible spectra and total organic carbon removal analysis. The pseudo-first order rate constant of the nanohybrid is nearly 1.8 fold higher than that of the bare Ag2WO4 nanorods. With the aid of classical radical quenching and photoluminescence spectral analysis, a reasonable mechanism has been derived for the addition of MoS2 to nanohybrids to enhance the photocatalytic efficiency. MoS2 prevents photocorrosion of Ag2WO4 and also diminishes the number of photogenerated electron-hole recombination. Our findings could provide new insights in understanding the mechanism of the MoS2/Ag2WO4 nanohybrid as an efficient photocatalyst suitable for waste-water treatment and remedial applications.

Unrelated donor versus matched sibling donor in adults with acute myeloid leukemia in first relapse: an ALWP-EBMT study.

PubMed

Ruggeri, Annalisa; Battipaglia, Giorgia; Labopin, Myriam; Ehninger, Gerhard; Beelen, Dietrich; Tischer, Johanna; Ganser, Arnold; Schwerdtfeger, Rainer; Glass, Bertram; Finke, Jurgen; Michallet, Mauricette; Stelljes, Matthias; Jindra, Pavel; Arnold, Renate; Kröger, Nicolaus; Mohty, Mohamad; Nagler, Arnon

2016-09-17

Allogeneic stem cell transplantation is the only curative option for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) experiencing relapse. Either matched sibling donor (MSD) or unrelated donor (UD) is indicated. We analyzed 1554 adults with AML transplanted from MSD (n = 961) or UD (n = 593, HLA-matched 10/10, n = 481; 9/10, n = 112). Compared to MSD, UD recipients were older (49 vs 52 years, p = 0.001), transplanted more recently (2009 vs 2006, p = 0.001), and with a longer interval to transplant (10 vs 9 months, p = 0.001). Conditioning regimen was more frequently myeloablative for patients transplanted with a MSD (61 vs 46 %, p = 0.001). Median follow-up was 28 (range 3-157) months. Cumulative incidence (CI) of neutrophil engraftment (p = 0.07), grades II-IV acute GVHD (p = 0.11), chronic GVHD (p = 0.9), and non-relapse mortality (NRM, p = 0.24) was not different according to the type of donor. At 2 years, CI of relapse (relapse incidence (RI)) was 57 vs 49 % (p = 0.001). Leukemia-free survival (LFS) at 2 years was 21 vs 26 % (p = 0.001), and overall survival (OS) was 26 vs 33 % (p = 0.004) for MSD vs UD, respectively. Chronic GVHD as time-dependent variable was associated with lower RI (HR 0.78, p = 0.05), higher NRM (HR 1.71, p = 0.001), and higher OS (HR 0.69, p = 0.001). According to HLA match, RI was 57 vs 50 vs 45 %, (p = 0.001) NRM was 23 vs 23 vs 29 % (p = 0.26), and LFS at 2 years was 21 vs 27 vs 25 % (p = 0.003) for MSD, 10/10, and 9/10 UD, respectively. In multivariate analysis adjusted for differences between the two groups, UD was associated with lower RI (HR 0.76, p = 0.001) and higher LFS (HR 0.83, p = 0.001) compared to MSD. Interval between diagnosis and transplant was the other factor associated with better outcomes (RI (HR 0.62, p < 0.001) and LFS (HR 0.67, p < 0.001)). Transplantation using UD was associated with better LFS and lower RI compared to MSD for high-risk patients with AML transplanted in first relapse.

Interaction of ultra-depleted MORBs with plagioclase: implications for CO2/Ba ratios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimizu, K.; Hauri, E.; Saal, A. E.; Perfit, M. R.; Hekinian, R.

2017-12-01

Carbon in Earth's upper mantle can significantly reduce its solidus temperature, which in turn can affect other physical properties through generation of partial melt. Carbon content in the depleted upper mantle can be estimated using ultra-depleted mid-ocean ridge basalt (UD-MORB) glasses and melt inclusions that are undersaturated in CO2. CO2 has been shown to behave as a highly incompatible element during mantle melting both through natural samples and experiments. Given its highly incompatible behavior, CO2/Ba and CO2/Nb ratios in CO2 undersaturated UD-MORBs have been used to estimate the CO2/Ba and CO2/Nb ratios and carbon content in Earth's upper mantle. A potential issue with part of this approach is the effect of melt-plagioclase chemical interaction on the CO2/Ba ratios in UD-MORBs. Plagioclase is ubiquitous in the oceanic crust and is enriched in Ba relative to other phases. Chemical interactions (assimilation and/or diffusion) between MORB melts and plagioclase bearing rocks have been shown to affect the Ba (and Sr and Eu) concentrations in MORBs, implying that such processes may also affect their CO2/Ba ratio. Hence, understanding the effect of chemical interaction between plagioclase and UD-MORBs is important for having better constraints on CO2/Ba ratio and carbon content in Earth's upper mantle. In this study, we report on the compositions of olivine-hosted melt inclusions and glasses from the Siqueiros and Garrett transform faults. A subset of melt inclusions in lavas from both transform faults show potential signatures of chemical interaction with plagioclase such as low CO2/Ba, Nb/Ba, and Nd/Sr. CO2 degassing cannot explain the low CO2/Ba ratio in the samples as they are undersaturated in CO2. To better understand the effect of chemical interaction with plagioclase on the composition of UD-MORBs, we model end-member scenarios, which are (1) assimilation of plagioclase and (2) diffusion of elements from plagioclase into the UD-MORBs. In general, the trends produced by these end-member scenarios bracket those observed in the samples (trends between CO2/Ba, Nb/Ba, and Nd/Sr as well as between Al2O3, FeO, and MgO). Hence, chemical interaction with plagioclase may affect the CO2/Ba ratio in UD-MORBs, and care should be taken to evaluate this effect using Nd/Sr and Nb/Ba ratios.

Osmolarity of prevalent eye drops, side effects, and therapeutic approaches.

PubMed

Dutescu, Ralf M; Panfil, Claudia; Schrage, Norbert

2015-05-01

Little is known about how the osmolarity of ophthalmic formulations affects the ocular surface. Because hyperosmolar eye drops could be therapeutic for treating corneal edema, this article presents an ex vivo model of corneal edema for testing ophthalmic drugs based on their osmolarity. The respective osmolarity of common eye drops found in the German market is also analyzed here. For modeling corneal edema, an Ex Vivo Eye Irritation Test was used to simulate an ocular anterior chamber with a physiological corneal barrier. To induce corneal edema, the anterior chamber was supplied with a hypoosmolar medium (148 mOsm/L) for 24 hours. Preserved and preservative-free 5% sodium chloride (hyperosmolar Omnisorb and Ocusalin 5% UD) were used for 1 hour, on 5 corneas each, to test their efficiency to reduce corneal edema in this model. Corneal thickness was determined by optical coherence tomography. Osmolarity of 87 common eye drops was measured by freezing point osmometry. Ex vivo, the tested hypoosmolar condition induced corneal edema from 450 μm (±50 μm) at baseline to 851 μm (±94 μm, P < 0.0001). Omnisorb and Ocusalin 5% UD significantly reduced the corneal thickness by 279 μm (±28 μm, P < 0.001) for Omnisorb and 258 μm (±29 μm, P < 0.001) for Ocusalin 5% UD. Forty-three (49%) of the tested products had an osmolarity below and 44 (51%) above the physiological tear osmolarity of 289 mOsm/L. Osmolarity values of less than 200 mOsm/L were found in lubricant drops. The highest osmolarity was detected in Omnisorb (1955 mOsm/L). The Ex Vivo Eye Irritation Test has proven to be a reliable novel model of corneal edema for evaluating osmotic eye drops. Osmolarity measurements revealed a wide range from hypotonic to hypertonic formulations for commonly marketed ophthalmic drugs.

[A prediction model for the activity of insecticidal crystal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis based on support vector machine].

PubMed

Lin, Yi; Cai, Fu-Ying; Zhang, Guang-Ya

2007-01-01

A quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) model in terms of amino acid composition and the activity of Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal crystal proteins was established. Support vector machine (SVM) is a novel general machine-learning tool based on the structural risk minimization principle that exhibits good generalization when fault samples are few; it is especially suitable for classification, forecasting, and estimation in cases where small amounts of samples are involved such as fault diagnosis; however, some parameters of SVM are selected based on the experience of the operator, which has led to decreased efficiency of SVM in practical application. The uniform design (UD) method was applied to optimize the running parameters of SVM. It was found that the average accuracy rate approached 73% when the penalty factor was 0.01, the epsilon 0.2, the gamma 0.05, and the range 0.5. The results indicated that UD might be used an effective method to optimize the parameters of SVM and SVM and could be used as an alternative powerful modeling tool for QSPR studies of the activity of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) insecticidal crystal proteins. Therefore, a novel method for predicting the insecticidal activity of Bt insecticidal crystal proteins was proposed by the authors of this study.

Applying Universal Design to Disability Service Provision: Outcome Analysis of a Universal Design (UD) Audit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beck, Tanja; Diaz del Castillo, Patricia; Fovet, Frederic; Mole, Heather; Noga, Brodie

2014-01-01

This article presents out an outcome analysis of a Universal Design (UD) audit to the various professional facets of a disability service (DS) provider's office on a large North American campus. The context of the audit is a broad campus-wide drive to implement Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in teaching practices. In an effort for consistency…

Elimination of Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minority Communities: Developing Data Indicators To Assess the Progress of Community-Based Efforts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edberg, Mark C.; Wong, Frank Y.; Woo, Violet; Doong, Tuei

2003-01-01

Describes the development of a pilot uniform data set (UDS) intended to serve as the primary data collection mechanism for all grants and standard cooperative agreements funded by the U.S. Office of Minority Health. The UDS is the product of a formative research project with implications for other program evaluations. (SLD)

Level of Need for Cognition and Metacognitive Thinking among Undergraduate Kindergarten Female Students at King Sa'ud University in Sa'udi Arabia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daghistani, Bulquees

2015-01-01

This study aims at examining the level of need for cognition and metacognitive thinking among undergraduate kindergarten female students in Education Faculty at King Sa'ud University in Sa'udi Arabia from their own perceptions. Results showed that the need for the cognition level was moderate, but metacognitive thinking level was high. In…

Implementing Universal Design in Higher Education: Moving beyond the Built Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Sally S.; Loewen, Gladys; Funckes, Carol; Kroeger, Sue

2003-01-01

Universal Design (UD) is a new approach to educational access that is receiving a great deal of attention. At this point, it is in its exploratory stages in the context of higher education. In recognition of the potential importance of this new paradigm and the need for focused initiatives in the field, a UD Think Tank was formulated and hosted by…

Sonocatalytic performance of magnetically separable CuS/CoFe2O4 nanohybrid for efficient degradation of organic dyes.

PubMed

Siadatnasab, Firouzeh; Farhadi, Saeed; Khataee, Alireza

2018-06-01

The sonocatalytic activity of the magnetic CuS/CoFe 2 O 4 (CuS/CFO) nanohybrid was studied through the H 2 O 2 -assisted system for degradation of water soluble organic pollutants such as methylene blue (MB), rhodamine B (RhB) and methyl orange (MO). The CuS/CFO nanohybrid was fabricated at 200 °C by hydrothermal method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV-Vis spectroscopy, magnetic measurements, and Brunauere-Emmette-Teller (BET) were employed for the characterizing the structure and morphology of the so-synthesized nanohybrid. Compared with sonolysis/H 2 O 2 , the higher degradation of MB (25 mg/L) was achieved via sonocatalytic process. The degradation efficiency of sonolysis/H 2 O 2 , sonocatalysis using CuS/H 2 O 2 , CFO/H 2 O 2 and CuS/CFO/H 2 O 2 systems was 6%, 62%, 23% and 100% within reaction time of 30 min for MB, respectively. The integration of H 2 O 2 and catalyst dosage intensified the sonocatalytic degradation of MB. On the other hand, adding a hydroxyl radical (OH) scavenger (tert-butyl alcohol) and a hole scavenger (disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate) decreased the degradation efficiency from 100% to 35% and 72% within 30 min, indicating the OH radicals as prominent oxidizing agent of this process. Furthermore, the magnetic property of the sample helped for easier separation of the nanohybrid, made it recyclable with a negligible decline in the performance even after four consecutive runs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Degradation of learned skills: Effectiveness of practice methods on visual approach and landing skill retention

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sitterley, T. E.; Zaitzeff, L. P.; Berge, W. A.

1972-01-01

Flight control and procedural task skill degradation, and the effectiveness of retraining methods were evaluated for a simulated space vehicle approach and landing under instrument and visual flight conditions. Fifteen experienced pilots were trained and then tested after 4 months either without the benefits of practice or with static rehearsal, dynamic rehearsal or with dynamic warmup practice. Performance on both the flight control and procedure tasks degraded significantly after 4 months. The rehearsal methods effectively countered procedure task skill degradation, while dynamic rehearsal or a combination of static rehearsal and dynamic warmup practice was required for the flight control tasks. The quality of the retraining methods appeared to be primarily dependent on the efficiency of visual cue reinforcement.

An Interactive Code for a Pressurized Water Reactor Incorporating Temperature and Xenon Feedback.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-06-01

z2~ 0 z Zzc 0 z zc 0 V) W zAW 22 9- 2 9- 49 8. SMULTI WFFR P𔄂RRA RCWTERRERCT OR - REACTIVITT RESPONSE LGN a RHif a £owt uflif CL TEMPERRTURE...Y .W07l-LltUjW-"UD L-A .4 W 1- *S. l- li -11 0f .. it-4 000 011 4 .WC04LJ W L’ 0 au . U tUN ... ’U * ’.O - J4I 0 S -. I-~- -.44JIUOI I- .,.41..TX...J0

Popcorn balls-like ZnFe2O4-ZrO2 microsphere for photocatalytic degradation of 2,4-dinitrophenol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xi; Liu, Yutang; Xia, Xinnian; Wang, Longlu

2017-06-01

In this paper, novel popcorn balls-like ZnFe2O4-ZrO2 composite microspheres were successfully fabricated by a simple hydrothermal method. The morphology, structure and optical property of the microspheres were characterized. The microspheres were used as the photocatalysts to degrade 2,4-dinitrophenol, and exhibited superior photocatalytic performance. Under simulated solar visible light irradiation, the degradation rate of ZnFe2O4-ZrO2 photocatalyst (mass ratio of ZnFe2O4/ZrO2 = 2:1) was almost 7.4 and 2.4 times higher than those of pure ZnFe2O4 and ZrO2. The enhancement could attribute to stronger light absorption, lower carrier recombination and multi-porous structure of the microspheres. Moreover, the popcorn balls-like photocatalysts can be easily separated, because of the magnetism of the samples. After five times runs, the photocatalyst still showed 90% of its photocatalytic degradation efficiency. This work demonstrated a good prospect for removing organic pollutants in water.

Visible light driven photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B using Mg doped cobalt ferrite spinel nanoparticles synthesized by microwave combustion method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sundararajan, M.; John Kennedy, L.; Nithya, P.; Judith Vijaya, J.; Bououdina, M.

2017-09-01

Co1-xMgxFe2O4 (0≤x≤0.5) spinel nanoparticles were synthesized by a simple microwave combustion method. The characterization of the samples were performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, scanning electron (SEM) microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, UV-visible and diffuse reflectance (DRS) spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, Fourier transformed infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) analysis. The XRD patterns indicate the formation of cubic inverse spinel structure. The calculated average crystallite size using Debye Scherrer's equation is found to be around 46-38 nm. The morphology of spinel nanoparticles was observed from SEM images and the elemental mapping of magnesium doped cobalt ferrite was obtained by using energy dispersive X-ray technique. Optical studies were carried out for the deeper understanding of the conduction band (CB) and valence band (VB) edges of the synthesized nanoparticles. The intrinsic stretching vibrations of Fe3+-O2- in tetrahedral sites leads to the appearance of IR band at around 573 cm-1. The magnetic properties such as remanence magnetization (Mr), coercivity (Hc) and saturation magnetization (Ms) were calculated from the hysteresis curves. The maximum photocatalytic degradation efficiency for Co0.6Mg0.4Fe2O4 is around (99.5%) when compared to that of CoFe2O4 whose efficiency is around (73.0%). The improvement in photocatalytic degradation efficiency is due to the effective separation and prevention of electron-hole pair recombination. The R2 values for the first order rate kinetics are found to be better than R2 values for the second order rate kinetics and this proves that photocatalytic degradation of RhB dye follows first order kinetics. The probable mechanism for the photocatalytic degradation of RhB dye is proposed.

Polymer non-fullerene solar cells of vastly different efficiencies for minor side-chain modification: impact of charge transfer, carrier lifetime, morphology and mobility

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

Awartani, Omar M.; Gautam, Bhoj; Zhao, Wenchao

The performance of the 11.25% efficient PBDB-T : ITIC system degraded to 4.35% after a minor side-chain modification in PBDB-O : ITIC. In this study, the underlying reasons behind this vast difference in efficiencies are investigated.

Polymer non-fullerene solar cells of vastly different efficiencies for minor side-chain modification: impact of charge transfer, carrier lifetime, morphology and mobility

DOE PAGES

Awartani, Omar M.; Gautam, Bhoj; Zhao, Wenchao; ...

2018-01-01

The performance of the 11.25% efficient PBDB-T : ITIC system degraded to 4.35% after a minor side-chain modification in PBDB-O : ITIC. In this study, the underlying reasons behind this vast difference in efficiencies are investigated.

Catalytic degradation of picric acid by heterogeneous Fenton-based processes.

PubMed

Dulova, Niina; Trapido, Marina; Dulov, Aleksandr

2011-01-01

The efficiency of goethite, magnetite and iron powder (Fe0) in catalysing the Fenton-based oxidation of picric acid (PA) in aqueous solution was studied. The effect of pH, hydrogen peroxide concentration, and catalyst type and dosage on treatment efficacy was investigated. The adsorption of PA from aqueous solution by heterogeneous catalysts was also examined. The results demonstrated negligible PA removal in H2O2/alpha-FeOOH and H2O2/Fe3O4 systems independent of process pH, and hydrogen peroxide and catalyst dosage. The PA adsorption effects of both iron oxides turned out to be insignificant for all studied pH values and catalyst dosages. The H2O2/Fe0 system proved efficient at degrading PA, but only under acidic conditions (pH 3). The results indicated that, due to rather fast leaching of ferrous ions from the iron powder surface, PA degradation was carried out mainly by the classic Fenton oxidation mechanism in the bulk solution. The adsorption of PA onto the iron powder surface may also contribute to the overall efficiency of PA degradation.

Analysis of radical cystectomy and urinary diversion complications with the Clavien classification system in an Italian real life cohort.

PubMed

De Nunzio, C; Cindolo, L; Leonardo, C; Antonelli, A; Ceruti, C; Franco, G; Falsaperla, M; Gallucci, M; Alvarez-Maestro, M; Minervini, A; Pagliarulo, V; Parma, P; Perdonà, S; Porreca, A; Rocco, B; Schips, L; Serni, S; Serrago, M; Simeone, C; Simone, G; Spadavecchia, R; Celia, A; Bove, P; Zaramella, S; Crivellaro, S; Nucciotti, R; Salvaggio, A; Frea, B; Pizzuti, V; Salsano, L; Tubaro, A

2013-07-01

Standardized methods of reporting complications after radical cystectomy (RC) and urinary diversions (UD) are necessary to evaluate the morbidity associated with this operation to evaluate the modified Clavien classification system (CCS) in grading perioperative complications of RC and UD in a real life cohort of patients with bladder cancer. A consecutive series of patients treated with RC and UD from April 2011 to March 2012 at 19 centers in Italy was evaluated. Complications were recorded according to the modified CCS. Results were presented as complication rates per grade. Univariate and binary logistic regression analysis were used for statistical analysis. 467 patients were enrolled. Median age was 70 years (range 35-89). UD consisted in orthotopic neobladder in 112 patients, ileal conduit in 217 patients and cutaneous ureterostomy in 138 patients. 415 complications were observed in 302 patients and were classified as Clavien type I (109 patients) or II (220 patients); Clavien type IIIa (45 patients), IIIb (22 patients); IV (11 patients) and V (8 patients). Patients with cutaneous ureterostomy presented a lower rate (8%) of CCS type ≥IIIa (p = 0.03). A longer operative time was an independent risk factor of CCS ≥III (OR: 1.005; CI: 1.002-1.007 per minute; p = 0.0001). In our study, RC is associated with a significant morbidity (65%) and a reduced mortality (1.7%) when compared to previous experiences. The modified CCS represents an easily applicable tool to classify the complications of RC and UD in a more objective and detailed way. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multi-institutional Outcomes of Endoscopic Management of Stricture Recurrence after Bulbar Urethroplasty.

PubMed

Sukumar, Shyam; Elliott, Sean P; Myers, Jeremy B; Voelzke, Bryan B; Smith, Thomas G; Carolan, Alexandra Mc; Maidaa, Michael; Vanni, Alex J; Breyer, Benjamin N; Erickson, Bradley A

2018-05-03

Approximately 10-20% of patients will have a recurrence after urethroplasty. Initial management of these recurrences is often with urethral dilation (UD) or direct vision internal urethrotomy (DVIU). In the current study, we describe outcomes of endoscopic management of stricture recurrence after bulbar urethroplasty. We retrospectively reviewed bulbar urethroplasty data from 5 surgeons from the Trauma and Urologic Reconstruction Network of Surgeons. Men who underwent UD or DVIU for urethroplasty recurrence were identified. Recurrence was defined as inability to pass a 17Fr cystoscope through the area of reconstruction. The primary outcome was the success rate of recurrence management. Comparisons were made between UD and DVIU and then between endoscopic management of recurrences after excision and primary anastomosis urethroplasty (EPA) versus substitutional repairs using time-to-event statistics. There were 53 men with recurrence that were initially managed endoscopically. Median time to urethral stricture recurrence after urethroplasty was noted to be 5 months. At a median follow-up of 5 months, overall success was 42%. Success after UD (n=1/10, 10%) was significantly lower than after DVIU (n=21/43, 49%; p < 0.001) with a hazard ratio of failure of 3.15 (p=0.03). DVIU was more effective after substitutional failure than after EPA (53% vs.13%, P=0.005). DVIU is more successful than UD in the management of stricture recurrence after bulbar urethroplasty. DVIU is more successful for patients with a recurrence after a substitution urethroplasty compared to after EPA, perhaps indicating a different mechanism of recurrence for EPA (ischemic) versus substitution urethroplasty (non-ischemic). Copyright © 2018 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Relationship between Retinal Ganglion Cell Axon Constituents and Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Birefringence in the Primate

PubMed Central

Pocock, Ginger M.; Aranibar, Roberto G.; Kemp, Nate J.; Specht, Charles S.; Markey, Mia K.; Rylander, H.G.

2009-01-01

Purpose To determine the degree of correlation between spatial characteristics of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) birefringence (ΔnRNFL) surrounding the optic nerve head (ONH) with the corresponding anatomy of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons and their respective organelles. Methods RNFL phase retardation per unit depth (PR/UD, proportional to ΔnRNFL) was measured in two cynomolgus monkeys using enhanced polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (EPS-OCT). The monkeys were perfused with glutaraldehyde and eyes were enucleated and prepared for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) histological analysis. Morphological measurements from TEM images were used to estimate values of neurotubule density (ρRNFL), axoplasmic area (Ax) mode, axon area (Aa) mode, slope (u) of neurotubule number versus axoplasmic area [neurotubule packing density], fractional area of axoplasm in the nerve fiber bundle (f), mitochondrial fractional area in the nerve fiber bundle (xm), mitochondriated axon profile fraction (mp), and length of axonal membrane profiles per unit nerve fiber bundle area (Lam/Ab). Registered PR/UD and morphological parameters from corresponding angular sections were then correlated using Pearson’s correlation and multi-level models. Results In one eye, there was a statistically significant correlation between PR/UD and ρRNFL (r = 0.67, P =0.005) and between PR/UD and neurotubule packing density (r = 0.70, P = 0.002). Correlation coefficients of r = 0.81 (P=0.01) and r = 0.50 (P = 0.05) were observed between PR/UD and (Ax) mode for each respective subject. Conclusion Neurotubules are the primary source of birefringence in the RNFL of the primate retina. PMID:19494208

Sonochemical and photosonochemical degradation of 4-chlorophenol in aqueous media.

PubMed

Hamdaoui, Oualid; Naffrechoux, Emmanuel

2008-09-01

The degradation of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) in aqueous media by 516 kHz ultrasonic irradiation was investigated in order to clarify the degradation mechanism. The degradation of concentrated 4-CP solution by means of ultrasound, UV irradiation and their combined application was also studied. The obtained results indicate that *OH radical are the primary reactive species responsible for 4-CP ultrasonic degradation. Very little 4-CP degradation occurs if the sonolysis is carried out in the presence of the *OH radical scavenger tert-butyl alcohol, also indicating that little or no pyrolysis of the compound occurs. The dominant degradation mechanism is the reaction of substrate with *OH radicals at the gas bubble-liquid interface rather than high temperature direct pyrolysis in ultrasonic cavities. This mechanism can explain the lower degradation rate of the ionic form of 4-CP that is partly due to the rapid dissociation of *OH radicals in alkaline solutions. The sonochemical destruction of concentrated 4-CP aqueous solution is obtained with low rate. Coupling photolysis with ultrasound irradiation results in increased efficiency compared to the individual processes operating at common conditions. Interestingly, the photosonochemical decomposition rate constant is greater than the additive rate constants of the two processes. This may be the result of three different oxidative processes direct photochemical action, high frequency sonochemistry and reaction with ozone produced by UV irradiation of air, dissolved in liquid phase because of the geyser effect of ultrasound streaming. Additionally, the photodecomposition, at 254 nm, of hydrogen peroxide produced by ultrasound generating *OH radical can partly explain the destruction enhancement.

Graphene oxide (rGO)-metal oxide (TiO2/Fe3O4) based nanocomposites for the removal of methylene blue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banerjee, Soma; Benjwal, Poonam; Singh, Milan; Kar, Kamal K.

2018-05-01

Herein, ternary nanocomposites based on titanium dioxide, ferric oxide and reduced graphene oxide (GO) have been developed for photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue. The nanocomposites are prepared by simple sol-gel and wet assembly methods with varying weight ratio of each components to obtain efficient photocatalytic degradation. Due to the synergistic effect among the three components, a swift removal of methylene blue becomes possible under visible and UV light. The rGO-Fe3O4-TiO2 nanocomposite having composition 1:1:2 has achieved maximum degradation of methylene blue from the aqueous solution. About 99% of the dye has been removed within 6 min under UV irradiation, while in presence of visible light, 94% has been degraded from the wastewater. The enhancement of photocatalytic activity in this ternary system is attributed to the efficient separation of charge carriers from TiO2 to rGO under the exposure of light and the initiation of photo-Fenton reaction due to the incorporated Fe3O4 nanoparticles in presence of H2O2, which provides highly reactive hydroxyl ions that mineralize the pollutants. All these results indicate that these ternary nanocomposites possess great potential for both UV and visible light driven methylene blue destruction from the wastewater.

Pulsed discharge plasma induced Fenton-like reactions for the enhancement of the degradation of 4-chlorophenol in water.

PubMed

Hao, Xiaolong; Zhou, Minghua; Xin, Qing; Lei, Lecheng

2007-02-01

To sufficiently utilize chemically active species and enhance the degradation rate and removal efficiency of toxic and biorefractory organic pollutant para-chlorophenol (para-CP), the introductions of iron metal ions (Fe2+/Fe3+) into either pulsed discharge plasma (PDP) process or the PDP process with TiO2 photo-catalyst were tentatively performed. The experimental results showed that under the same experimental condition, the degradation rate and removal efficiency of para-CP were greatly enhanced by the introduction of iron ions (Fe2+/Fe3+) into the PDP process. Moreover, when iron ions and TiO2 were added together in the PDP process, the degradation rate and removal energy of para-CP further improved. The possible mechanism was discussed that the obvious promoting effects were attributed to ferrous ions via plasma induced Fenton-like reactions by UV light irradiation excited and hydrogen peroxide formed in pulsed electrical discharge, resulting in a larger amount of hydroxyl radicals produced from the residual hydrogen peroxide. In addition, the regeneration of ferric ions to ferrous ions facilitates the progress of plasma induced Fenton-like reactions by photo-catalytic reduction of UV light, photo-catalytic reduction on TiO2 surface and electron transfer of quinone intermediates, i.e. 1,4-hydroquinone and 1,4-benzoquinone.

Biodegradation of phthalic acid esters by a newly isolated Mycobacterium sp. YC-RL4 and the bioprocess with environmental samples.

PubMed

Ren, Lei; Jia, Yang; Ruth, Nahurira; Qiao, Cheng; Wang, Junhuan; Zhao, Baisuo; Yan, Yanchun

2016-08-01

Bacterial strain YC-RL4, capable of utilizing phthalic acid esters (PAEs) as the sole carbon source for growth, was isolated from petroleum-contaminated soil. Strain YC-RL4 was identified as Mycobacterium sp. by 16S rRNA gene analysis and Biolog tests. Mycobacterium sp. YC-RL4 could rapidly degrade dibutyl phthalate (DBP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dimethyl phthalate (DMP), dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP), and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) under both individual and mixed conditions, and all the degradation rates were above 85.0 % within 5 days. The effects of environmental factors which might affect the degrading process were optimized as 30 °C and pH 8.0. The DEHP metabolites were detected by HPLC-MS and the degradation pathway was deduced tentatively. DEHP was transformed into phthalic acid (PA) via mono (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) and PA was further utilized for growth via benzoic acid (BA) degradation pathway. Cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH) assays illuminated that the strain YC-RL4 was of higher hydrophobicity while grown on DEHP and CSH increased with the higher DEHP concentration. The degradation rates of DEHP by strain YC-RL4 in different environmental samples was around 62.0 to 83.3 % and strain YC-RL4 survived well in the soil sample. These results suggested that the strain YC-RL4 could be used as a potential and efficient PAE degrader for the bioremediation of contaminated sites.

Comparison of different advanced oxidation processes for the degradation of two fluoroquinolone antibiotics in aqueous solutions.

PubMed

Bobu, Maria; Yediler, Ayfer; Siminiceanu, Ilie; Zhang, Feifang; Schulte-Hostede, Sigurd

2013-01-01

In this study a comparative assessment using various advanced oxidation processes (UV/H(2)O(2), UV/H(2)O(2)/Fe(II), O(3), O(3)/UV, O(3)/UV/H(2)O(2) and O(3)/UV/H(2)O(2)/Fe(II)) was attempted to degrade efficiently two fluoroquinolone drugs ENR [enrofloxacin (1-Cyclopropyl-7-(4-ethyl-1-piperazinyl)-6-fluoro-1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-3-quinolonecarboxylic acid)] and CIP [ciprofloxacin (1-cyclopropyl-6-fluoro-4-oxo-7-(piperazin-1-yl)-quinoline-3-carboxylic acid)] in aqueous solutions at a concentrations of 0.15 mM for each drug. The efficiency of the applied oxidation processes (AOPs) has been estimated by the conversion of the original substrate (X(ENR) and X(CIP)) and the reduction of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total organic carbon (TOC). Special emphasis was laid on the effect of varying reaction pH as well as of the applied oxidant doses on the observed reaction kinetics for each advanced oxidation processes. High degradation efficiencies, particularly in terms of rates of TOC and COD abatement, were obtained for photo-Fenton assisted ozonation [O(3)/UV/H(2)O(2)/Fe(II)], compared to other advanced oxidation processes. At pH 3 and 25°C best results for the degradation of both investigated drugs were achieved when 10 mM H(2)O(2), 0.5 mM Fe(II) and an initial dose of 8.5 mg L(-1) ozone were applied. In addition, the evolution of toxicity of the reaction mixtures for different AOPs has been studied by the bioluminescence test (LUMIStox 300).

Interrange Scheduling and Universal Documentation System (UDS) Document Development and Transmission.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-01-01

Missile Range, NM 8800217 -󈧒. MONITORING AGENCY NAME & ADDRESS(if different from Controlling Office) IS. SECURITY CLASS. (of this report) *Same as...UNLIMITED. 17. DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT (of the abstrt entered In Block 20, If different from Report) -4 ~NOV 4 1983 1 I8. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES New...if author prefers, J. Robert Doe). In addition, list thle affiliation of an author if it differs from that of the performing organization. .1’ Block 8

Degradation of pyridine and quinoline in aqueous solution by gamma radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Libing; Yu, Shaoqing; Wang, Jianlong

2018-03-01

In present work, the degradation of two N-heteroaromatic pollutants, i.e., pyridine and quinoline was investigated by gamma irradiation in the presence of TiO2 nanoparticle. The experimental results showed that quinoline has a higher degradation rate than pyridine. The removal efficiency of the pollutants, TOC and TN reached 93.0%, 11.9% and 12.0% for quinoline, 71.0%, 10.6% and 4.4% for pyridine, respectively at 7.0 kGy and initial concentration of 50 mg/L. Ammonium was detected for both pyridine and quinoline within the absorbed doses, suggesting that the organic nitrogen was transformed into ammonium. The degradation rate constant of pyridine and quinoline was increased by 1.1-1.5 times with addition of TiO2. TiO2 nanoparticles were especially effective to enhance the mineralization. The removal efficiency of TOC and TN was increased by 15-12% for pyridine and 23-25% for quinoline, respectively in the presence of 2.0 g/L TiO2. Following gamma irradiation, 2-hydroxypyridine, 3-hydroxypyridine, oxalic acid and formic acid were identified for pyridine and the hydroxyl quinoline and formic acid were detected for quinoline. Accordingly, the degradation mechanism of pyridine and quinoline by gamma irradiation was tentatively proposed.

Electrochemical Degradation of Rhodamine B over Ti/SnO2-Sb Electrode.

PubMed

Maharana, Dusmant; Niu, Junfeng; Gao, Ding; Xu, Zesheng; Shi, Jianghong

2015-04-01

Electrochemical degradation of rhodamine B (C28H31ClN2O3) over Ti/SnO2-Sb anode was investigated in a rectangular cell. The degradation reaction follows pseudo-first-order kinetics. The degradation efficiency of rhodamine B attained >90.0% after 20 minutes of electrolysis at initial concentrations of 5 to 200 mg/L at a constant current density of 20 mA/cm2 with a 10 mmol/L Na2SO4 supporting electrolyte solution. Rhodamine B (50 mg/L) degradation and total organic carbon (TOC) removal ratio achieved 99.9 and 86.7%, respectively, at the optimal conditions after 30 minutes of electrolysis. The results showed that the energy efficiency of rhodamine B (50 mg/L) degradation at the optimal current densities from 2 to 30 mA/cm2 were 23.2 to 84.6 Wh/L, whereas the electrolysis time for 90% degradation of rhodamine B with Ti/SnO2-Sb anode was 36.6 and 7.3 minutes, respectively. The electrochemical method can be an advisable option for the treatment of dyes such as rhodamine B in wastewater.

Friction in Forming of UD Composites

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

Sachs, U.; Haanappel, S. P.; Akkerman, R.

2011-05-04

Inter-ply and tool/ply friction play a dominant role in hot stamp forming of UD fiber-reinforced thermoplastic laminates. This research treats friction measurements of a PEEK-AS4 composite system. To this end, an in-house developed friction tester is utilized to pull a laminate through two heat controlled clamping platens. The friction coefficient is determined by relating the clamp force to the pull force. The geometry of the gap between the clamping platens is monitored with micrometer accuracy. A first approach to describe the relation between the geometry and frictional behavior is undertaken by applying a standard thin-film theory for hydrodynamic lubrication. Experimentalmore » measurements showed that the thin-film theory does not entirely cover the underlying physics. Thus a second model is utilized, which employs a Leonov-model to describe the shear deformation of the matrix material, while its viscosity is described with a multi-mode Maxwell model. The combination of both models shows the potential to capture the complete frictional behavior.« less

Formaldehyde removal from air by a biodegradation system.

PubMed

Xu, Zhongjun; Hou, Haiping

2010-07-01

A biodegradation system was used for the treatment of formaldehyde-polluted air. Air pressure dropped 12 mm water in the trickling biofilter during the experiment of about 4 months. In the range 20-300 mg m(-3) influent formaldehyde, this biodegradation system obtained 4.0-40.0 mg h(-1) degradation capacity, with 100%-66.7% degradation efficiency. The amount of formaldehyde degraded by the trickling biofilter was more than that by the activated sludge bioreactor below 200 mg m(-3) influent gaseous formaldehyde while the amount by the trickling biofilter was less than that by the activated sludge bioreactor over 200 mg m(-3) influent gaseous formaldehyde.

Enhanced degradation of 4-nitrophenol by microwave assisted Fe/EDTA process.

PubMed

Liu, Bo; Li, Song; Zhao, Yongjun; Wu, Wenfei; Zhang, Xuxiang; Gu, Xueyuan; Li, Ruihua; Yang, Shaogui

2010-04-15

A microwave assisted zero-valent iron oxidation process was studied in order to investigate the synergetic effects of MW irradiation on Fe/EDTA system (Fe/EDTA/MW) treated 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) from aqueous solution. The results indicated that the thermal effect of microwave improved the removal effect of 4-NP and TOC through raising the temperature of the system, as well as the non-thermal effect generated by the interaction between the microwave and the Fe resulting in an increase in the hydrophobic character of Fe surface. During the degradation of 4-NP in Fe/EDTA/MW system, the optimum value for MW power, Fe, EDTA dosage was 400 W, 2 g and 0.4 mM, respectively. The possible pathway for degrading the 4-NP was proposed based on GC/MS and HPLC analysis of the degradation intermediates. The concentration change course of the main bio-refractory by-products, the aminophenol formed in the degradation of 4-NP suggested a more efficient degradation and mineralization in Fe/EDTA/MW system. Finally, BOD(5)/COD(Cr) of the solution increased from 0.237 to 0.635 after reaction for 18 min, indicating that the biodegradability of wastewater was greatly improved by Fe/EDTA/MW system and would benefit to further treatment by biochemical methods. Crown Copyright 2009. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reduced graphene oxide-mediated Z-scheme BiVO4/CdS nanocomposites for boosted photocatalytic decomposition of harmful organic pollutants.

PubMed

Clament Sagaya Selvam, N; Kim, Yeong Gyeong; Kim, Dong Jin; Hong, Won-Hwa; Kim, Woong; Park, Sung Hyuk; Jo, Wan-Kuen

2018-09-01

The efficient photocatalytic degradation of harmful organic pollutants (isoniazid (ISN) and 1,4-dioxane (DX)) via the Z-scheme electron transfer mechanism was accomplished using a photostable composite photocatalyst consisting of BiVO 4 , CdS, and reduced graphene oxide (RGO). Compared to their pristine counterparts, the RGO-mediated Z-scheme CdS/BiVO 4 (CdS/RGO-BiVO 4 ) nanocomposites exhibited superior degradation activities, mainly attributed to the prolonged charge separation. RGO was found to be involved in visible-light harvesting and acted as a solid-state electron mediator at the CdS/BiVO 4 interface to realize an effective Z-scheme electron transfer pathway, avoid photocatalyst self-oxidation, and lengthen the life span of charge carriers. The results of reactive species scavenging experiments, photoluminescence measurements, and transient photocurrent measurements, as well as the calculated band potentials of the synthesized photocatalysts, supported the Z-scheme electron/hole pair separation mechanism. Additionally, the intermediates formed during the degradation of ISN and DX were identified, and a possible fragmentation pattern was proposed. This systematic work aims to develop photostable Z-scheme composites as unique photocatalytic systems for the efficient removal of harmful organic pollutants. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Microwave-assisted in situ synthesis of reduced graphene oxide-BiVO4 composite photocatalysts and their enhanced photocatalytic performance for the degradation of ciprofloxacin.

PubMed

Yan, Yan; Sun, Shaofang; Song, Yang; Yan, Xu; Guan, Weisheng; Liu, Xinlin; Shi, Weidong

2013-04-15

To improve the photodegradation efficiency for ciprofloxacin (CIP), a new-type microwave-assisted in situ growth method is developed for the preparation of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) -BiVO4 composite photocatalysts. The as-produced RGO-BiVO4 composite photocatalysts show extremely high enhancement of CIP degradation ratio over the pure BiVO4 photocatalyst under visible light. Specially, the 2 wt% RGO-BiVO4 composite photocatalyst exhibits the highest CIP degradation ratio (68.2%) in 60 min, which is over 3 times than that (22.7%) of the pure BiVO4 particles. The enhancement of photocatalytic activities of RGO-BiVO4 photocatalysts can be attributed to the effective separation of electron-hole pairs rather than the improvement of light absorption. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Numerical Modeling of High Irradiance Electromagnetic Beam Effects on Composite and Polymer Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-05-10

propelled away from the surface as a jet due to their rapid production [19]. Higher energy UV radiation produced by excimer lasers has the required...5) ∑ ∑ ( ) (6) Pan determined that the shape (usually elliptical ) of an HAZ in a UD...radii of an elliptical HAZ in the parallel and perpendicular to fiber directions. In UD composites the HAZ is elliptical because of the higher

Collaborative Interactive Visualization Exploratory Concept

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-01

the FIAC concepts. It consists of various DRDC-RDDC-2015-N004 intelligence analysis web services build of top of big data technologies exploited...sits on the UDS where validated common knowledge is stored. Based on the Lumify software2, this important component exploits big data technologies such...interfaces. Above this database resides the Big Data Manager responsible for transparent data transmission between the UDS and the rest of the S3

Preferential recognition of undisruptable dimers of inducible nitric oxide synthase by a monoclonal antibody directed against an N-terminal epitope.

PubMed

Mazumdar, Tuhina; Eissa, N Tony

2005-02-15

Overproduction of NO by inducible NO synthase (iNOS) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of many diseases. iNOS is active only as a homodimer in which the subunits align in a head-to-head manner, with the N-terminal oxygenase domains forming the dimer interface and a zinc metal center stabilizing the dimer. Thus, dimerization represents a critical locus for therapeutic interventions for regulation of NO synthesis. We have recently shown that intracellular iNOS forms dimers that are "undisruptable (UD)" by heat, SDS, strong denaturants, and/or reducing agents. Our data further suggest that the zinc metal center plays a role in forming and/or stabilizing iNOS undisruptable dimers (UD-dimers). In this study, we show that a mAb directed against a unique epitope at the oxygenase domain of human iNOS preferentially recognizes UD-dimers. This observation has implications for the mechanism of formation and regulation of dimer formation of iNOS. Our data suggest that UD-dimers of iNOS, in spite of SDS-PAGE denaturation, still maintain features of the quaternary structure of iNOS particularly at its N-terminal end and including head-to-head contact of the oxygenase domains.

Topical issues in unrelated donor haematopoietic stem cell transplants: a report from a workshop convened by the Anthony Nolan Trust in London - 2005.

PubMed

Duarte, R F; Pamphilon, D; Cornish, J; Shaw, B E; Samson, D; Craddock, C; Marks, D; Mufti, G J; Powles, R L; Apperley, J F; Madrigal, J A; Goldman, J M

2006-05-01

Over more than three decades, The Anthony Nolan Trust (ANT) has provided an unrelated donor (UD) for over 4000 children and adults lacking a suitable family member donor, and has remained at the forefront of developments in haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and bone marrow register management. These three decades have seen major changes in clinical practice of UD-HSCT, including new indications, increased use of alternative haematopoietic cell sources, significant improvement of the outcome as a result of better support care, less-toxic conditioning regimens, and better donor selection, and expansion to older patients with higher comorbidities. In order to foster our goal of improving UD-HSCT availability and outcome in a progressively more complex clinical scenario, a new initiative from ANT was launched in 2005 to convene an experts workshop to address the topical issues in this field. Four consecutive panels addressed factors influencing donor selection and transplant outcome, the use of cord blood, regulatory and accreditation issues, and future developments in this field. This report summarizes the discussions held in this workshop, which will likely develop into a periodic event where transplant clinicians, scientists and registry members will meet to share their experience and vision in the field of UD-HSCT.

Habitat use and movement patterns of Northern Pintails during spring in northern Japan: the importance of agricultural lands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yamaguchi, Noriyuki M.; Hupp, Jerry W.; Flint, Paul L.; Pearce, John M.; Shigeta, Yusuke; Shimada, Tetsuo; Hiraoka, Emiko N.; Higuchi, Hiroyoshi

2012-01-01

From 2006 to 2009, we marked 198 Northern Pintails (Anas acuta) with satellite transmitters on their wintering areas in Japan to study their migration routes and habitat use in spring staging areas. We hypothesized that the distribution of pintails during spring staging was influenced by patterns of land use and expected that the most frequently used areas would have more agricultural habitat than lesser-used areas. We obtained 3031 daily locations from 163 migrant pintails marked with satellite transmitters and identified 524 stopover sites. Based on a fixed kernel home range analysis of stopover utilization distribution (UD), core staging areas (areas within the 50% UD) were identified in northern Honshu and western Hokkaido, and were used by 71% of marked pintails. Core staging areas had a greater proportion of rice fields than peripheral (51–95% UD) and rarely used (outside the 95% UD) staging areas. Stopover sites also contained more rice fields and other agricultural land than were available at regional scales, indicating that pintails selected rice and other agricultural habitats at regional and local scales. Pintails remained at spring staging areas an average of 51 d. Prolonged staging in agricultural habitats of northern Japan was likely necessary for pintails to prepare for transoceanic migration to Arctic nesting areas in eastern Russia.

Inhibition of MMP-9-dependent Degradation of Gelatin, but Not Other MMP-9 Substrates, by the MMP-9 Hemopexin Domain Blades 1 and 4.

PubMed

Ugarte-Berzal, Estefanía; Vandooren, Jennifer; Bailón, Elvira; Opdenakker, Ghislain; García-Pardo, Angeles

2016-05-27

Degradation and remodeling of the extracellular matrix by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) plays important roles in normal development, inflammation, and cancer. MMP-9 efficiently degrades the extracellular matrix component gelatin, and the hemopexin domain of MMP-9 (PEX9) inhibits this degradation. To study the molecular basis of this inhibition, we generated GST fusion proteins containing PEX9 or truncated forms corresponding to specific structural blades (B1-B4) of PEX9. GST-PEX9 inhibited MMP-9-driven gelatin proteolysis, measured by gelatin zymography, FITC-gelatin conversion, and DQ-gelatin degradation assays. However, GST-PEX9 did not prevent the degradation of other MMP-9 substrates, such as a fluorogenic peptide, αB crystalline, or nonmuscular actin. Therefore, PEX9 may inhibit gelatin degradation by shielding gelatin and specifically preventing its binding to MMP-9. Accordingly, GST-PEX9 also abolished the degradation of gelatin by MMP-2, confirming that PEX9 is not an MMP-9 antagonist. Moreover, GST-B4 and, to a lesser extent, GST-B1 also inhibited gelatin degradation by MMP-9, indicating that these regions are responsible for the inhibitory activity of PEX9. Accordingly, ELISAs demonstrated that GST-B4 and GST-B1 specifically bound to gelatin. Our results establish new functions of PEX9 attributed to blades B4 and B1 and should help in designing specific inhibitors of gelatin degradation. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Catalytic degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) by nano-Fe2O3 activated peroxymonosulfate: Influential factors and mechanism determination.

PubMed

Jaafarzadeh, Nematollah; Ghanbari, Farshid; Ahmadi, Mehdi

2017-02-01

2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) is one of the most applicable herbicides in the world. Therefore, its residue in aquatic environment threatens the human health and ecosystems. In this study, Fe 2 O 3 (hematite) nanoparticles (HNPs) were synthesized, and the characteristics of the obtained HNPs were determined using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) technique, and particle size analyzer (PSA). The catalytic activity of HNPs was evaluated for the activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for the degradation of 2,4-D. The effects of the operating parameters were studied for the PMS/HNPs system. The results showed that the acidic condition provided higher efficiency, while overdosing of PMS had a scavenging effect. The PMS/HNPs showed high efficiency in comparison with the homogeneous forms of iron (Fe 2+ and Fe 3+ ). Reusability of HNPs was studied in five consequent usages. The presence of the anions (chloride, nitrate, and hydrogen phosphate) reduced the 2,4-D degradation. Moreover, the catalytic activity of HNPs was also investigated in the presence of other oxidants. UV irradiation increased the function of PMS/HNPs and its mechanism was described. The order of 2,4-D removal for the oxidants was PMS > persulfate > H 2 O 2  > percarbonate. A total of 29.7% of 2,4-D chlorine content was released during the destruction of 2,4-D. The quenching study showed that sulfate radical was the major agent in the degradation of 2,4-D. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Kinetic study of acetaminophen degradation by visible light photocatalysis.

PubMed

Gotostos, Mary Jane N; Su, Chia-Chi; De Luna, Mark Daniel G; Lu, Ming-Chun

2014-01-01

In this work, a novel photocatalyst K3[Fe(CN)6]/TiO2 synthesized via a simple sol-gel method was utilized to degrade acetaminophen (ACT) under visible light with the use of blue and green LED lights. Parameters (medium pH, initial concentration of reactant, catalyst concentration, temperature, and number of blue LED lights) affecting photocatalytic degradation of ACT were also investigated. The experimental result showed that compared to commercially available Degussa P-25 (DP-25) photocatalyst, K3[Fe(CN)6]/TiO2 gave higher degradation efficiency and rate constant (kapp) of ACT. The degradation efficiency or kapp decreased with increasing initial ACT concentration and temperature, but increased with increased number of blue LED lamps. Additionally, kapp increased as initial pH was increased from 5.6 to 6.9, but decreased at a high alkaline condition (pH 8.3). Furthermore, the degradation efficiency and kapp of ACT increased as K3[Fe(CN)6]/TiO2 loading was increased to 1 g L(-1) but decreased and eventually leveled off at photocatalyst loading above this value. Photocatalytic degradation of ACT in K3[Fe(CN)6]/TiO2 catalyst system follows a pseudo-first-order kinetics. The Langmuir-Hinshelwood equation was also satisfactorily used to model the degradation of ACT in K3[Fe(CN)6]/TiO2 catalyst system indicated by a satisfactory linear correlation between 1/kapp and Co, with kini = 6.54 × 10(-4) mM/min and KACT = 17.27 mM(-1).

Robust and Comprehensive Analysis of 20 Osteoporosis Candidate Genes by Very High-Density Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism Screen Among 405 White Nuclear Families Identified Significant Association and Gene–Gene Interaction

PubMed Central

Xiong, Dong-Hai; Shen, Hui; Zhao, Lan-Juan; Xiao, Peng; Yang, Tie-Lin; Guo, Yan; Wang, Wei; Guo, Yan-Fang; Liu, Yong-Jun; Recker, Robert R; Deng, Hong-Wen

2007-01-01

Many “novel” osteoporosis candidate genes have been proposed in recent years. To advance our knowledge of their roles in osteoporosis, we screened 20 such genes using a set of high-density SNPs in a large family-based study. Our efforts led to the prioritization of those osteoporosis genes and the detection of gene–gene interactions. Introduction We performed large-scale family-based association analyses of 20 novel osteoporosis candidate genes using 277 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for the quantitative trait BMD variation and the qualitative trait osteoporosis (OP) at three clinically important skeletal sites: spine, hip, and ultradistal radius (UD). Materials and Methods One thousand eight hundred seventy-three subjects from 405 white nuclear families were genotyped and analyzed with an average density of one SNP per 4 kb across the 20 genes. We conducted association analyses by SNP- and haplotype-based family-based association test (FBAT) and performed gene–gene interaction analyses using multianalytic approaches such as multifactor-dimensionality reduction (MDR) and conditional logistic regression. Results and Conclusions We detected four genes (DBP, LRP5, CYP17, and RANK) that showed highly suggestive associations (10,000-permutation derived empirical global p ≤ 0.01) with spine BMD/OP; four genes (CYP19, RANK, RANKL, and CYP17) highly suggestive for hip BMD/OP; and four genes (CYP19, BMP2, RANK, and TNFR2) highly suggestive for UD BMD/OP. The associations between BMP2 with UD BMD and those between RANK with OP at the spine, hip, and UD also met the experiment-wide stringent criterion (empirical global p ≤ 0.0007). Sex-stratified analyses further showed that some of the significant associations in the total sample were driven by either male or female subjects. In addition, we identified and validated a two-locus gene–gene interaction model involving GCR and ESR2, for which prior biological evidence exists. Our results suggested the prioritization of osteoporosis candidate genes from among the many proposed in recent years and revealed the significant gene–gene interaction effects influencing osteoporosis risk. PMID:17002564

Probing actin polymerization by intermolecular cross-linking.

PubMed

Millonig, R; Salvo, H; Aebi, U

1988-03-01

We have used N,N'-1,4-phenylenebismaleimide, a bifunctional sulfhydryl cross-linking reagent, to probe the oligomeric state of actin during the early stages of its polymerization into filaments. We document that one of the first steps in the polymerization of globular monomeric actin (G-actin) under a wide variety of ionic conditions is the dimerization of a significant fraction of the G-actin monomer pool. As polymerization proceeds, the yield of this initial dimer ("lower" dimer with an apparent molecular mass of 86 kD by SDS-PAGE [LD]) is attenuated, while an actin filament dimer ("upper" dimer with an apparent molecular mass of 115 kD by SDS-PAGE [UD] as characterized [Elzinga, M., and J. J. Phelan. 1984. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 81:6599-6602]) is formed. This shift from LD to UD occurs concomitant with formation of filaments as assayed by N-(1-pyrenyl)iodoacetamide fluorescence enhancement and electron microscopy. Isolated cross-linked LD does not form filaments, while isolated cross-linked UD will assemble into filaments indistinguishable from those polymerized from unmodified G-actin under typical filament-forming conditions. The presence of cross-linked LD does not effect the kinetics of polymerization of actin monomer, whereas cross-linked UD shortens the "lag phase" of the polymerization reaction in a concentration-dependent fashion. Several converging lines of evidence suggest that, although accounting for a significant oligomeric species formed during early polymerization, the LD is incompatible with the helical symmetry defining the mature actin filament; however, it could represent the interfilament dimer found in paracrystalline arrays or filament bundles. Furthermore, the LD is compatible with the unit cell structure and symmetry common to various types of crystalline actin arrays (Aebi, U., W. E. Fowler, G. Isenberg, T. D. Pollard, and P. R. Smith. 1981. J. Cell Biol. 91:340-351) and might represent the major structural state in which a mutant beta-actin (Leavitt, J., G. Bushar, T. Kakunaga, H. Hamada, T. Hirakawa, D. Goldman, and C. Merril. 1982. Cell. 28:259-268) is arrested under polymerizing conditions.

Efficient degradation of trichloroethylene in water using persulfate activated by reduced graphene oxide-iron nanocomposite.

PubMed

Ahmad, Ayyaz; Gu, Xiaogang; Li, Li; Lv, Shuguang; Xu, Yisheng; Guo, Xuhong

2015-11-01

Graphene oxide (GO) and nano-sized zero-valent iron-reduced graphene oxide (nZVI-rGO) composite were prepared. The GO and nZVI-rGO composite were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and Raman spectroscopy. The size of nZVI was about 6 nm as observed by TEM. The system of nZVI-rGO and persulfate (PS) was used for the degradation of trichloroethylene (TCE) in water, and showed 26.5% more efficiency as compared to nZVI/PS system. The different parameters were studied to determine the efficiency of nZVI-rGO to activate the PS system for the TCE degradation. By increasing the PS amount, TCE removal was also improved while no obvious effect was observed by varying the catalyst loading. Degradation was decreased as the TCE initial concentration was increased from 20 to 100 mg/L. Moreover, when initial solution pH was increased, efficiency deteriorated to 80%. Bicarbonate showed more negative effect on TCE removal among the solution matrix. To better understand the effects of radical species in the system, the scavenger tests were performed. The •SO4(-) and •O2(-) were predominant species responsible for TCE removal. The nZVI-rGO-activated PS process shows potential applications in remediation of highly toxic organic contaminants such as TCE present in the groundwater. Graphical abstract Persulfate activated by reduced graphene oxide and nano-sized zero-valent iron composite can be used for efficient degradation of trichloroethylene (TCE) in water.

Synthesis and characterization of titanate nanotube/single-walled carbon nanotube (TNT/SWCNT) porous nanocomposite and its photocatalytic activity on 4-chlorophenol degradation under UV and solar irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Payan, A.; Fattahi, M.; Jorfi, S.; Roozbehani, B.; Payan, S.

2018-03-01

The titanate nanotube/single-wall carbon nanotube (TNT/SWCNT) nanocomposites from different titania precursors were prepared by a two-step hydrothermal process. These nanocomposites were characterized by XRD, BET, Raman, FESEM, TEM, EDX, EDS, EIS, UV-vis DRS and FTIR techniques. The FESEM and TEM images showed the high porous nanocomposites with two types of tubular structure relating to TNTs and SWCNTs which were interwoven together uniformly. The XRD and Raman analysis further corroborated the chemical interaction between the SWCNT and the TNT in the nanocomposites. The photocatalytic performance of the as-synthesized composites were examined by the photodegradation of 4-CP under solar and UV illumination. The results revealed an impressive enhancement in photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposites under both irradiation conditions comparison to bare TNPs and TNTs. Amongst the TNT/SWCNT nanocomposites, 10% loading of SWCNT under UV irradiation and 5% loading of SWCNT under solar irradiation exhibited the maximum photocatalytic performance while the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of nanocomposites were not affected considerably by the type of precursor. Moreover, the mechanism and role of SWCNT were investigated and the plausible degradation pathways of 4-CP was suggested. TOC analyses was performed for determination of 4-CP mineralization rate and results showed complete mineralization after 240 and 390 min under UV and solar irradiation, respectively. The trapping experiments corroborated the O2- and OH radicals as the main reactive species in 4-CP degradation process. Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic model was fittingly matched with the experimental data (R2: 0.9218 and 0.9703 for UV and solar irradiation). Additionally, the stability of the nanocomposites were investigated and revealed 8% decrease in degradation efficiency after four cycles.

Efficacy of Ganoderma sp. JAS4 in bioremediation of chlorpyrifos and its hydrolyzing metabolite TCP from agricultural soil.

PubMed

Silambarasan, Sivagnanam; Abraham, Jayanthi

2014-01-01

A novel fungal strain JAS4 was isolated from agricultural soil and was found to be highly effective in degrading chlorpyrifos and its major degradation product 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP). The molecular characterization based on 18S rRNA sequence analysis, revealed strain JAS4 as Ganoderma sp. which could able to degrade chlorpyrifos and its metabolite in an aqueous medium with rate constant of 0.8460 day(-1), following first order rate kinetics, and the time in which the initial insecticide concentration was reduced by 50% (DT(50)) was 0.81 days. Studies on biodegradation in soil with nutrients showed that JAS4 strain exhibited efficient degradation of insecticide with a rate constant of 0.9 day(-1), and DT(50) was 0.73 day. In contrast, degradation of insecticide in soil without nutrients was characterized by a rate constant of 0.7576 day(-1) and the DT(50) was 0.91 day. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Enhanced degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid by pre-magnetization Fe-C activated persulfate: Influential factors, mechanism and degradation pathway.

PubMed

Li, Xiang; Zhou, Minghua; Pan, Yuwei

2018-07-05

2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) is one of the most applicable herbicides in the world, its residue in aquatic environment threatens the human health and ecosystems. In this study, for the first time, inexpensive Fe-C after pre-magnetization (Pre-Fe-C) was used as the heterogeneous catalyst to activate persulfate (PS) for 2,4-D degradation, proving that Pre-Fe-C could significantly improve the degradation and dechlorination. The results indicated the stability and reusability of Pre-Fe-C were much better than pre-magnetization Fe 0 (Pre-Fe 0 ), while the leaching iron ion was lower, indicating that using Pre-Fe-C not only reduced the post-treatment cost, but also enhanced the removal and dechlorination efficiency of 2,4-D. Several important parameters including initial pH, Fe-C dosage, PS concentration affecting 2,4-D degradation and dechlorination by Pre-Fe-C/PS were investigated and compared with that of Fe-C/PS, observing a 1.2-2.7 fold enhancement in the degradation rate of 2,4-D. The Fe-C and Pre-Fe-C were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and SEM-EDX-mapping, suggesting that the content of Fe and O changed more obviously after magnetization. The degradation intermediates, such as chloroquinol, 2-chlorophenol, were identified by a gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and an ion chromatography (IC), and a possible degradation pathway was proposed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Solution processable RGO-CdZnS composite for solar light responsive photocatalytic degradation of 4-Nitrophenol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibrahim, Sk; Chakraborty, Koushik; Pal, Tanusri; Ghosh, Surajit

2017-05-01

We report the one pot single step synthesis and characterization of solution processable reduced graphene oxide (RGO) - cadmium zinc sulfide (CdZnS) nanocomposite materials. The composite was characterized structurally and morphologically by XRD and TEM studies. The reduction of GO in RGO-CdZnS composite, was confirmed by XPS and Raman spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of the RGO-CdZnS composite was investigated towards the degradation of 4-Nitrophenol. A notable increase of photocatalytic efficiency of RGO-CdZnS compare to controlled CdZnS was observed. Here RGO plays a crucial role to efficient photo induced charge separation from the CdZnS, and decreases the electron-hole recombination probability and subsequently enhanced the photocatalytic activity of the RGO-CdZnS composite material under simulated solar light irradiation. This work highlights the potential application of RGO-based materials in the field of photocatalytic degradation of organic water pollutant.

Optimization and application of TiO₂/Ti-Pt photo fuel cell (PFC) to effectively generate electricity and degrade organic pollutants simultaneously.

PubMed

Li, Kan; Zhang, Hongbo; Tang, Tiantian; Xu, Yunlan; Ying, Diwen; Wang, Yalin; Jia, Jinping

2014-10-01

A TiO2/Ti-Pt photo fuel cell (PFC) was established to generate electricity and degrade organic pollutants simultaneously. The electricity generation was optimized through investigation the influences of photoanode calcination temperature and dissolve oxygen on the resistances existing in PFC. TiO2 light quantum yield was also improved in PFC which resulted in a higher PC degradation efficiency. Two kinds of real textile wastewaters were also employed in this PFC system, 62.4% and 50.0% Coulombic efficiency were obtained for 8 h treatment. These refractory wastewaters with high salinity may become good fuels in PFC because a) TiO2 has no selectivity and can degrade nearly any organic substance, b) no more electrolyte is needed due to the high salinity, c) the energy in wastes can be recovered to generate electricity. The electricity generated by the PFC was further applied on a TiO2/Ti rotating disk photoelectrocatalytic reactor. A bias voltage between 0.6 and 0.75 V could be applied and the PC degradation efficiency was significantly improved. This result was similar with that obtained by a 0.7 V DC power. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microbial degradation of 4-monobrominated diphenyl ether in an aerobic sludge and the DGGE analysis of diversity.

PubMed

Chen, Chun-Yao; Wang, Chun-Kang; Shih, Yang-Hsin

2010-07-01

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were applied as flame retardant additives in polymers for many plastic and electronic products. Due to their ubiquitous distribution in the environment, potential toxicity to human and tendency for bioaccumulation, PBDEs have raised public safety concern. In this study we examined the degradation of 4-monobrominated diphenyl ether (4-BDE) in aerobic sludge, as a model for PBDE biodegradation. Degradation of 4-BDE was observed in aerobic sludge. Co-metabolism with toluene or diphenyl ether facilitated 4-BDE biodegradation in terms of kinetics and efficiency. Diphenyl ether seems to perform slightly better as an auxiliary carbon source than toluene in facilitating 4-BDE degradation. During the experiment we identified diphenyl ether by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry(GC/MS), which indicates that an anaerobic debromination has occurred. Bacterial community composition was monitored with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. The fragments enriched in 4-BDE-degrading aerobic sludge samples belong to presumably a novel anaerobic Clostridiales species distantly related to all known debrominating microbes. This suggests that 4-BDE biodegradation can occur in anaerobic micro-niche in an apparently aerobic environment, by a previously unknown bacterial species. These findings can provide better understandings of biodegradation of brominated diphenyl ethers and can facilitate the prediction of the fate of PBDEs in the environment.

An AgI@g-C3N4 hybrid core@shell structure: Stable and enhanced photocatalytic degradation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Li; Qi, Yuehong; Yang, Jinyi; Cui, Wenquan; Li, Xingang; Zhang, Zisheng

2015-12-01

A novel visible-light-active material AgI@g-C3N4 was prepared by ultrasonication/chemisorption method. The core@shell structure AgI@g-C3N4 catalyst showed high efficiency for the degradation of MB under visible light irradiation (λ > 420 nm). Nearly 96.5% of MB was degraded after 120 min of irradiation in the presence of the AgI@g-C3N4 photocatalyst. Superior stability was also observed in the cyclic runs indicating that the as prepared hybrid composite is highly desirable for the remediation of organic contaminated wastewaters. The improved photocatalytic performance is due to synergistic effects at the interface of AgI and g-C3N4 which can effectively accelerate the charge separation and reinforce the photostability of hybrid composite. The possible mechanism for the photocatalytic activity of AgI@g-C3N4 was tentatively proposed.

Mixed micelles of 7,12-dioxolithocholic acid and selected hydrophobic bile acids: interaction parameter, partition coefficient of nitrazepam and mixed micelles haemolytic potential.

PubMed

Poša, Mihalj; Tepavčević, Vesna

2011-09-01

The formation of mixed micelles built of 7,12-dioxolithocholic and the following hydrophobic bile acids was examined by conductometric method: cholic (C), deoxycholic (D), chenodeoxycholic (CD), 12-oxolithocholic (12-oxoL), 7-oxolithocholic (7-oxoL), ursodeoxycholic (UD) and hiodeoxycholic (HD). Interaction parameter (β) in the studied binary mixed micelles had negative value, suggesting synergism between micelle building units. Based on β value, the hydrophobic bile acids formed two groups: group I (C, D and CD) and group II (12-oxoL, 7-oxoL, UD and HD). Bile acids from group II had more negative β values than bile acids from group I. Also, bile acids from group II formed intermolecular hydrogen bonds in aggregates with both smaller (2) and higher (4) aggregation numbers, according to the analysis of their stereochemical (conformational) structures and possible structures of mixed micelles built of these bile acids and 7,12-dioxolithocholic acid. Haemolytic potential and partition coefficient of nitrazepam were higher in mixed micelles built of the more hydrophobic bile acids (C, D, CD) and 7,12-dioxolithocholic acid than in micelles built only of 7,12-dioxolithocholic acid. On the other hand, these mixed micelles still had lower values of haemolytic potential than micelles built of C, D or CD. The mixed micelles that included bile acids: 12-oxoL, 7-oxoL, UD or HD did not significantly differ from the micelles of 7,12-dioxolithocholic acid, observing the values of their haemolytic potential. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Degradation of Diuron by Phanerochaete chrysosporium: Role of Ligninolytic Enzymes and Cytochrome P450

PubMed Central

Coelho-Moreira, Jaqueline da Silva; de Souza, Aline Cristine da Silva; Oliveira, Roselene Ferreira; de Sá-Nakanishi, Anacharis Babeto; de Souza, Cristina Giatti Marques; Peralta, Rosane Marina

2013-01-01

The white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium was investigated for its capacity to degrade the herbicide diuron in liquid stationary cultures. The presence of diuron increased the production of lignin peroxidase in relation to control cultures but only barely affected the production of manganese peroxidase. The herbicide at the concentration of 7 μg/mL did not cause any reduction in the biomass production and it was almost completely removed after 10 days. Concomitantly with the removal of diuron, two metabolites, DCPMU [1-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-3-methylurea] and DCPU [(3,4-dichlorophenyl)urea], were detected in the culture medium at the concentrations of 0.74 μg/mL and 0.06 μg/mL, respectively. Crude extracellular ligninolytic enzymes were not efficient in the in vitro degradation of diuron. In addition, 1-aminobenzotriazole (ABT), a cytochrome P450 inhibitor, significantly inhibited both diuron degradation and metabolites production. Significant reduction in the toxicity evaluated by the Lactuca sativa L. bioassay was observed in the cultures after 10 days of cultivation. In conclusion, P. chrysosporium can efficiently metabolize diuron without the accumulation of toxic products. PMID:24490150

CXB and CIB joint fluctuations in COSMOS, EGS, UDS and HDFN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cappelluti, Nico; Li, Yanxia; Cooper, Rachel Ann; Guo, Joyce; Urry, C. Megan; Hasinger, Guenther; Arendt, Richard G.; Kashlinsky, Alexander

2017-01-01

I will present new results on the joint CIB and CXB joint fluctuations in the COSMOS, EGS, UDS and HDFN surveys. We used the deepest wide Chandra, XMM and Spitzer data available so far and cross-correlate with known optical galaxies. We demonstrate that the these joint fluctuations are produced by extremely faint sources mAB>28. We tested the hypothesis that early supermassive black holes could produce the observed signal

Quark Matter May Not Be Strange.

PubMed

Holdom, Bob; Ren, Jing; Zhang, Chen

2018-06-01

If quark matter is energetically favored over nuclear matter at zero temperature and pressure, then it has long been expected to take the form of strange quark matter (SQM), with comparable amounts of u, d, and s quarks. The possibility of quark matter with only u and d quarks (udQM) is usually dismissed because of the observed stability of ordinary nuclei. However, we find that udQM generally has lower bulk energy per baryon than normal nuclei and SQM. This emerges in a phenomenological model that describes the spectra of the lightest pseudoscalar and scalar meson nonets. Taking into account the finite size effects, udQM can be the ground state of baryonic matter only for baryon number A>A_{min} with A_{min}≳300. This ensures the stability of ordinary nuclei and points to a new form of stable matter just beyond the periodic table.

Evaluation of the Huawei UDS cloud storage system for CERN specific data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zotes Resines, M.; Heikkila, S. S.; Duellmann, D.; Adde, G.; Toebbicke, R.; Hughes, J.; Wang, L.

2014-06-01

Cloud storage is an emerging architecture aiming to provide increased scalability and access performance, compared to more traditional solutions. CERN is evaluating this promise using Huawei UDS and OpenStack SWIFT storage deployments, focusing on the needs of high-energy physics. Both deployed setups implement S3, one of the protocols that are emerging as a standard in the cloud storage market. A set of client machines is used to generate I/O load patterns to evaluate the storage system performance. The presented read and write test results indicate scalability both in metadata and data perspectives. Futher the Huawei UDS cloud storage is shown to be able to recover from a major failure of losing 16 disks. Both cloud storages are finally demonstrated to function as back-end storage systems to a filesystem, which is used to deliver high energy physics software.

Ultra-Deep Drilling Cost Reduction; Design and Fabrication of an Ultra-Deep Drilling Simulator (UDS)

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

Lindstrom, Jason

2010-01-31

Ultra-deep drilling, below about 20,000 ft (6,096 m), is extremely expensive and limits the recovery of hydrocarbons at these depths. Unfortunately, rock breakage and cuttings removal under these conditions is not understood. To better understand and thus reduce cost at these conditions an ultra-deep single cutter drilling simulator (UDS) capable of drill cutter and mud tests to sustained pressure and temperature of 30,000 psi (207 MPa) and 482 °F (250 °C), respectively, was designed and manufactured at TerraTek, a Schlumberger company, in cooperation with the Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory. UDS testing under ultra-deep drilling conditions offers anmore » economical alternative to high day rates and can prove or disprove the viability of a particular drilling technique or fluid to provide opportunity for future domestic energy needs.« less

High-energy anomalies in covalent high-Tc cuprates with large Hubbard Ud on copper

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barišić, O. S.; Barišić, S.

2015-03-01

A large Ud theory is constructed for the metallic state of high-Tc cuprates. The Emery three-band model, extended with Ox-Oy hopping tpp, and with Ud → ∞, is mapped on slave fermions. The Dyson time-dependent diagrammatic theory in terms of the Cu-O hopping tpd, starting from the nondegenerate unperturbed ground state, is translationally and asymptotically locally gauge invariant. The small parameter of the theory is the average hole occupation of Cu sites nd. The lowest order of the theory generates the single particle propagators of the hybridized pdp- and dpd-fermions with the exact covalent three band structure. The leading many-body effect is band narrowing, accompanied by Landau-like damping of the single particle propagation, due to incoherent local charge Cu-O fluctuations. The corresponding continuum is found below and above the Fermi level.

Superelastic SMA U-shaped dampers with self-centering functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Bin; Zhu, Songye

2018-05-01

As high-performance metallic materials, shape memory alloys (SMAs) have been investigated increasingly by the earthquake engineering community in recent years, because of their remarkable self-centering (SC) and energy-dissipating capabilities. This paper systematically presents an experimental study on a novel superelastic SMA U-shaped damper (SMA-UD) with SC function under cyclic loading. The mechanical properties, including strength, SC ability, and energy-dissipating capability with varying loading amplitudes and strain rates are evaluated. Test results show that excellent and stable flag-shaped hysteresis loops are exhibited in multiple loading cycles. Strain rate has a negligible effect on the cyclic behavior of the SMA-UD within the dynamic frequency range of typical interest in earthquake engineering. Furthermore, a numerical investigation is performed to understand the mechanical behavior of the SMA-UD. The numerical model is calibrated against the experimental results with reasonable accuracy. Then, the stress–strain states with different phase transformations are also discussed.

Characterization of methyl parathion degradation by a Burkholderia zhejiangensis strain, CEIB S4-3, isolated from agricultural soils.

PubMed

Popoca-Ursino, Elida C; Martínez-Ocampo, Fernando; Dantán-González, Edgar; Sánchez-Salinas, Enrique; Ortiz-Hernández, Ma Laura

2017-12-01

Through the use of an enrichment technique, we isolated from the agricultural soils of Morelos in central México a strain of Burkholderia zhejiangensis identified as CEIB S4-3, it's could use the pesticide methyl parathion (MP) as the only source of carbon and degrade completely p-nitrophenol (PNP). For more efficient MP and PNP degradation by the CEIB S4-3 strain, the absence of an extra carbon source, a large inoculum and an MP concentration up to 50 mg/l are required. Sequence and annotation analysis of the draft genome, showed presence of mpd functional gene, which was expressed and its activity on the MP was confirmed. Additionally, the genes coding for enzymes in the benzoquinone pathway (conducted by Gram-negative bacteria) and the benzenotriol pathway (conducted by Gram-positive bacteria) were found, which was corroborated by identification of intermediary metabolites by HPLC. Thus, we propose that B. zhejiangensis CEIB S4-3 uses both degradation pathways.

On the Sensitivity of Solutions of Parametrized Equations

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-03-22

that the mapping 0 Sd -+ R’, ~()=y is of class C’ on Sd. Evidently, we have I b(0) =0 and (2.10) 4bD : Sd C Rd +R’, (D(r) =xo±+V-r +Vm(-r), V7 CSd, j...ran~k td d there exists some A C Isomn Rd Such that, I I d LA whence 3n VLd(VdT L’d)’ V~dAA1 d Ud) d(rndd d) 4. Some Geometrical Aspects As, lbefore

The Processing and Mechanical Properties of High Temperature/High Performance Composites. Book 3. Constituent Properties and Macroscopic Performance: MMCs

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-04-01

re - expressed as, v .= hCSw (C3) Combining Eqns. (C2) and C3) yields, Se = - ’. S (C4...of vi( s ) or v ’( s ). Substituting eq. (B10) into eq. (25), one finds the finite element method expression for functional Ud [ v ] which is U, d [] = v , K...Measurements 1- D 2- D S ,_DL 4 Constitutive W Constitutive Laws Laws Matrix Cracking Labor Models Models Stress Redistribution Numerical Calculations

Degradation of methadone by the sunlight/FC process: Kinetics, radical species participation and influence of the water matrix.

PubMed

Hsieh, Ming-Chi; Panchangam, Sri Chandana; Lai, Webber Wei-Po; Lin, Angela Yu-Chen

2018-06-12

Free chlorine sunlight photolysis (sunlight/FC) markedly enhances the degradation rate of methadone, a synthetic opioid used medically, over that obtained using sunlight alone. The pseudo-first-order rate constants of methadone degradation under acidic conditions ([methadone] = 0.2 μM, [free chlorine] = 4 μM, and pH = 4) for sunlight/FC and sunlight photolysis are 7.0 ± 1.1 × 10 -2  min -1 and 1.4 ± 0.2 × 10 -2  min -1 , respectively. The improved methadone degradation can be attributed to the production of HO and reactive chlorine species (RCS) during sunlight/FC photolysis. HO and RCS predominantly accounted for degradation during sunlight/FC photolysis under acidic and neutral conditions, while direct photolysis was the major contributor towards methadone degradation in alkaline conditions. The initial pH (pH 4-11) and free chlorine concentration (1-6 μM) significantly influenced the overall degradation efficiency of methadone. The presence of HCO 3 - , Cl - and dissolved organic matters, which may competitively react with HO and RCS, retard the degradation of methadone in synthetic wastewater. Consequently, a 50% lower methadone degradation rate was observed when deionized (DI) water was replaced with tap water. These results emphasize the need to consider different water matrices when applying sunlight/FC photolysis for water treatment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

By-product identification and phytotoxicity of biodegraded Direct Yellow 4 dye.

PubMed

Nouren, Shazia; Bhatti, Haq Nawaz; Iqbal, Munawar; Bibi, Ismat; Kamal, Shagufta; Sadaf, Sana; Sultan, Misbah; Kausar, Abida; Safa, Yusra

2017-02-01

Citrus limon peroxidase mediated decolourization of Direct Yellow 4 (DY4) was investigated. The process variables (pH, temperature, incubation time, enzyme dose, H 2 O 2 amount, dye concentration, co-metal ions and surfactants) were optimized for maximum degradation of dye. Maximum dye decolourization of 89.47% was achieved at pH 5.0, temperature 50 °C, enzyme dose 24 U/mL, H 2 O 2 concentration 0.25 mM and DY4 concentration 18.75 mg/L and incubation time 10 min. The co-metal ions and surfactants did not affect the dye decolourization significantly. Response surface analysis revealed that predicted values were in agreement with experimentally determined responses. The degradation products were identified by UPLC/MS analysis and degradation pathway was proposed. Besides, phytotoxicity assay revealed a considerable detoxification in response of biodegradation of DY4 dye. C. limon showed promising efficiency for DY4 degradation and could possibly be used for the remediation of textile effluents. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of matrix components on UV/H2O2 and UV/S2O8(2-) advanced oxidation processes for trace organic degradation in reverse osmosis brines from municipal wastewater reuse facilities.

PubMed

Yang, Yi; Pignatello, Joseph J; Ma, Jun; Mitch, William A

2016-02-01

When reverse osmosis brines from potable wastewater reuse plants are discharged to poorly-flushed estuaries, the concentrated organic contaminants are a concern for receiving water ecosystems. UV/hydrogen peroxide (UV/H2O2) and UV/persulfate (UV/S2O8(2-)) advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) may reduce contaminant burdens prior to discharge, but the effects of the high levels of halide, carbonate and effluent organic matter (EfOM) normally present in these brines are unclear. On the one hand, these substances may reduce process efficiency by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS), hydroxyl (OH) and sulfate (SO4(-) radicals. On the other, the daughter radicals generated by halide and carbonate scavenging may themselves degrade organics, offsetting the effect of ROS scavenging. UV/H2O2 and UV/S2O8(2-) AOPs were compared for degradation of five pharmaceuticals spiked into brines obtained from two reuse facilities and the RO influent from one of them. For UV/H2O2, EfOM scavenged ∼75% of the OH, reducing the degradation efficiency of the target contaminants to a similar extent; halide and carbonate scavenging and the reactivities of associated daughter radicals were less important. For UV/S2O8(2-), anions (mostly Cl(-)) scavenged ∼93% of the SO4(-). Because daughter radicals of Cl(-) contributed to contaminant degradation, the reduction in contaminant degradation efficiency was only ∼75-80%, with the reduction driven by daughter radical scavenging by EfOM. Conversion of SO4(-) to more selective halogen and carbonate radicals resulted in a wider range of degradation efficiencies among the contaminants. For both AOPs, 250 mJ/cm(2) average fluence achieved significant removal of four pharmaceuticals, with significantly better performance by UV/S2O8(2-) treatment for some constituents. Accounting for the lower brine flowrates, the energy output to achieve this fluence in brines is comparable to that often applied to RO permeates. However, much higher fluence was required for the least reactive pharmaceutical. Comparing AOP application to the RO influent or brine, equal or greater removal was achieved for brine treatment for comparable energy input. AOP treatment of brines could be applied to reduce, but not eliminate, contaminant burdens prior to discharge. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Heterogeneous electro-Fenton using modified iron-carbon as catalyst for 2,4-dichlorophenol degradation: influence factors, mechanism and degradation pathway.

PubMed

Zhang, Chao; Zhou, Minghua; Ren, Gengbo; Yu, Xinmin; Ma, Liang; Yang, Jie; Yu, Fangke

2015-03-01

Modified iron-carbon with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) was firstly investigated as heterogeneous electro-Fenton (EF) catalyst for 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) degradation in near neutral pH condition. The catalyst was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the effects of some important operating parameters such as current intensity and pH on the 2,4-DCP degradation were investigated. After the catalyst modification with 20% PTFE, the degradation performance maintained well with much lower iron leaching, and at current intensity 100 mA, initial pH 6.7, catalyst loading 6 g/L, the degradation efficiency of 2,4-DCP could exceed 95% within 120 min treatment. Two-stage pseudo first-order kinetics of 2,4-DCP degradation was observed, including a slow anodic oxidation stage (first-stage) and much faster heterogeneous EF oxidation (second-stage), in which the automatic drop of pH in the first-stage initiated the Fe(2+) release from micro-electrolysis and thus benefited to the subsequent EF reaction. Aromatic intermediates such as 3,5-dichlorocatechol, 4,6-dichlororesorcinol and 2-chlorohydroquinone were detected by GC-MS. Oxalic acid, acetic acid, formic acid and Cl(-) were quantified by ion chromatograph. Based on these analysis as well as the detection of H₂O₂ and OH, a possible mechanism and degradation pathway for 2,4-DCP were proposed. This work demonstrated that such a heterogeneous EF using cheap modified Fe-C catalyst was promising for organic wastewater treatment in initial neutral pH condition. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On-line monitoring of the photocatalytic degradation of 2,4-D and dicamba using a solid-phase extraction-multisyringe flow injection system.

PubMed

Chávez-Moreno, Carmín; Ferrer, Laura; Hinojosa-Reyes, Laura; Hernández-Ramírez, Aracely; Cerdà, Víctor; Guzmán-Mar, Jorge

2013-11-15

A fully automated on-line system for monitoring the photocatalytic degradation of herbicides was developed using multisyringe flow injection analysis (MSFIA) coupled to a solid phase extraction (SPE) unit with UV detection. The calibration curves were linear in the concentration range of 100-1000 μg L(-1) for 3,6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid (dicamba) and 500-3000 μg L(-1) for 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), while the detection limits were 30 and 135 μg L(-1) for dicamba and 2,4-D, respectively. The monitoring of the photocatalytic degradation (TiO2 anatase/UV 254 nm) of these two herbicides was performed by MSFIA-SPE system using a small sample volume (2 mL) in a fully automated approach. The degradation was assessed in ultrapure and drinking water with initial concentrations of 1000 and 2000 μg L(-1) for dicamba and 2,4-D, respectively. Degradation percentages of approximately 85% were obtained for both herbicides in ultrapure water after 45 min of photocatalytic treatment. A similar degradation efficiency in drinking water was observed for 2,4-D, whereas dicamba exhibited a lower degradation percentage (75%), which could be attributed to the presence of inorganic species in this kind of water. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Drug-drug interaction predictions with PBPK models and optimal multiresponse sampling time designs: application to midazolam and a phase I compound. Part 1: comparison of uniresponse and multiresponse designs using PopDes.

PubMed

Chenel, Marylore; Bouzom, François; Aarons, Leon; Ogungbenro, Kayode

2008-12-01

To determine the optimal sampling time design of a drug-drug interaction (DDI) study for the estimation of apparent clearances (CL/F) of two co-administered drugs (SX, a phase I compound, potentially a CYP3A4 inhibitor, and MDZ, a reference CYP3A4 substrate) without any in vivo data using physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) predictions, population PK modelling and multiresponse optimal design. PBPK models were developed with AcslXtreme using only in vitro data to simulate PK profiles of both drugs when they were co-administered. Then, using simulated data, population PK models were developed with NONMEM and optimal sampling times were determined by optimizing the determinant of the population Fisher information matrix with PopDes using either two uniresponse designs (UD) or a multiresponse design (MD) with joint sampling times for both drugs. Finally, the D-optimal sampling time designs were evaluated by simulation and re-estimation with NONMEM by computing the relative root mean squared error (RMSE) and empirical relative standard errors (RSE) of CL/F. There were four and five optimal sampling times (=nine different sampling times) in the UDs for SX and MDZ, respectively, whereas there were only five sampling times in the MD. Whatever design and compound, CL/F was well estimated (RSE < 20% for MDZ and <25% for SX) and expected RSEs from PopDes were in the same range as empirical RSEs. Moreover, there was no bias in CL/F estimation. Since MD required only five sampling times compared to the two UDs, D-optimal sampling times of the MD were included into a full empirical design for the proposed clinical trial. A joint paper compares the designs with real data. This global approach including PBPK simulations, population PK modelling and multiresponse optimal design allowed, without any in vivo data, the design of a clinical trial, using sparse sampling, capable of estimating CL/F of the CYP3A4 substrate and potential inhibitor when co-administered together.

Synthesis of zinc ferrite/silver iodide composite with enhanced photocatalytic antibacterial and pollutant degradation ability.

PubMed

Xu, Yuanguo; Liu, Qingqing; Xie, Meng; Huang, Shuquan; He, Minqiang; Huang, Liying; Xu, Hui; Li, Huaming

2018-05-22

ZnFe 2 O 4 /AgI composites were first prepared successfully with a hydrothermal method, and ZnFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles were uniformly decorated on the surface of AgI particles. The photocatalytic activities of the obtained ZnFe 2 O 4 /AgI composites were investigated by the degradation of organic pollutants and the inactivation of bacteria under visible light irradiation. The results showed that the introduction of ZnFe 2 O 4 greatly enhanced the light harvesting ability and improved the separation efficiency of the photogenerated charge carriers, which contributed to the enhanced generation of reactive species and thus promoted the photocatalytic performance. The 5% ZnFe 2 O 4 /AgI composite exhibited the optimal photocatalytic disinfection of E. coli (100% removal efficiency in 80 min) as well as the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) (98.5% removal rate in 40 min). Furthermore, four consecutive cycles also demonstrated the stable photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared ZnFe 2 O 4 /AgI composites. In addition, H 2 O 2 was identified as the predominant active species in the photocatalytic inactivation of bacteria. This study indicated that ZnFe 2 O 4 /AgI composites are a promising candidate for the treatment of wastewater. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Roaming behaviour and home range estimation of domestic dogs in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in northern Australia using four different methods.

PubMed

Dürr, Salome; Ward, Michael P

2014-11-15

Disease transmission parameters are the core of epidemic models, but are difficult to estimate, especially in the absence of outbreak data. Investigation of the roaming behaviour, home range (HR) and utilization distribution (UD) can provide the foundation for such parameter estimation in free-ranging animals. The objectives of this study were to estimate HR and UD of 69 domestic dogs in six Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in northern Australia and to compare four different methods (the minimum convex polygon, MCP; the location-based kernel density estimation, LKDE; the biased random bridge, BRB; and Time Local Convex Hull, T-LoCoH) for investigation of UD and estimating HR sizes. Global positioning system (GPS) collars were attached to community dogs for a period of 1-3 days and positions (fixes) were recorded every minute. Median core HRs (50% isopleth) of the 69 dogs were estimated to range from 0.2 to 0.4 ha and the more extended HR (95% isopleth) to range from 2.5 to 5.3 ha, depending on the method used. The HR and UD shapes were found to be generally circular around the dog owner's house. However, some individuals were found to roam much more with a HR size of 40-104 ha and cover large areas of their community or occasionally beyond. These far roaming dogs are of particular interest for infectious disease transmission. Occasionally, dogs were taken between communities and out of communities for hunting, which enables the contact of dogs between communities and with wildlife (such as dingoes). The BRB and T-LoCoH are the only two methods applied here which integrate the consecutiveness of GPS locations into the analysis, a substantial advantage. The recently developed BRB method produced significantly larger HR estimates than the other two methods; however, the variability of HR sizes was lower compared to the other methods. Advantages of the BRB method include a more realistic analytical approach (kernel density estimation based on movements rather than on locations), possibilities to deal with irregular time periods between consecutive GPS fixes and parameter specification which respects the characteristics of the GPS unit used to collect the data. The BRB method was therefore the most suitable method for UD estimation in this dataset. The results of this study can further be used to contact rates between the dogs within and between communities, a foundation for estimating transmission parameters for canine infectious disease models, such as a rabies spread model in Australia. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Magnetic resonance imaging in assessment of stress urinary incontinence in women: Parameters differentiating urethral hypermobility and intrinsic sphincter deficiency.

PubMed

Macura, Katarzyna Jadwiga; Thompson, Richard Eugene; Bluemke, David Alan; Genadry, Rene

2015-11-28

To define the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameters differentiating urethral hypermobility (UH) and intrinsic sphincter deficiency (ISD) in women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI). The static and dynamic MR images of 21 patients with SUI were correlated to urodynamic (UD) findings and compared to those of 10 continent controls. For the assessment of the urethra and integrity of the urethral support structures, we applied the high-resolution endocavitary MRI, such as intraurethral MRI, endovaginal or endorectal MRI. For the functional imaging of the urethral support, we performed dynamic MRI with the pelvic phased array coil. We assessed the following MRI parameters in both the patient and the volunteer groups: (1) urethral angle; (2) bladder neck descent; (3) status of the periurethral ligaments, (4) vaginal shape; (5) urethral sphincter integrity, length and muscle thickness at mid urethra; (6) bladder neck funneling; (7) status of the puborectalis muscle; (8) pubo-vaginal distance. UDs parameters were assessed in the patient study group as follows: (1) urethral mobility angle on Q-tip test; (2) Valsalva leak point pressure (VLPP) measured at 250 cc bladder volume; and (3) maximum urethral closure pressure (MUCP). The UH type of SUI was defined with the Q-tip test angle over 30 degrees, and VLPP pressure over 60 cm H2O. The ISD incontinence was defined with MUCP pressure below 20 cm H2O, and VLPP pressure less or equal to 60 cm H2O. We considered the associations between the MRI and clinical data and UDs using a variety of statistical tools to include linear regression, multivariate logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. All statistical analyses were performed using STATA version 9.0 (StataCorp LP, College Station, TX). In the incontinent group, 52% have history of vaginal delivery trauma as compared to none in control group (P < 0.001). There was no difference between the continent volunteers and incontinent patients in body habitus as assessed by the body mass index. Pubovaginal distance and periurethral ligament disruption are significantly associated with incontinence; periurethral ligament symmetricity reduces the odds of incontinence by 87%. Bladder neck funneling and length of the suprapubic urethral sphincter are significantly associated with the type of incontinence on UDs; funneling reduced the odds of pure UH by almost 95%; increasing suprapubic urethral sphincter length at rest is highly associated with UH. Both MRI variables result in a predictive model for UDs diagnosis (area under the ROC = 0.944). MRI may play an important role in assessing the contribution of hypermobility and sphincteric dysfunction to the SUI in women when considering treatment options.

Magnetic resonance imaging in assessment of stress urinary incontinence in women: Parameters differentiating urethral hypermobility and intrinsic sphincter deficiency

PubMed Central

Macura, Katarzyna Jadwiga; Thompson, Richard Eugene; Bluemke, David Alan; Genadry, Rene

2015-01-01

AIM: To define the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameters differentiating urethral hypermobility (UH) and intrinsic sphincter deficiency (ISD) in women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI). METHODS: The static and dynamic MR images of 21 patients with SUI were correlated to urodynamic (UD) findings and compared to those of 10 continent controls. For the assessment of the urethra and integrity of the urethral support structures, we applied the high-resolution endocavitary MRI, such as intraurethral MRI, endovaginal or endorectal MRI. For the functional imaging of the urethral support, we performed dynamic MRI with the pelvic phased array coil. We assessed the following MRI parameters in both the patient and the volunteer groups: (1) urethral angle; (2) bladder neck descent; (3) status of the periurethral ligaments, (4) vaginal shape; (5) urethral sphincter integrity, length and muscle thickness at mid urethra; (6) bladder neck funneling; (7) status of the puborectalis muscle; (8) pubo-vaginal distance. UDs parameters were assessed in the patient study group as follows: (1) urethral mobility angle on Q-tip test; (2) Valsalva leak point pressure (VLPP) measured at 250 cc bladder volume; and (3) maximum urethral closure pressure (MUCP). The UH type of SUI was defined with the Q-tip test angle over 30 degrees, and VLPP pressure over 60 cm H2O. The ISD incontinence was defined with MUCP pressure below 20 cm H2O, and VLPP pressure less or equal to 60 cm H2O. We considered the associations between the MRI and clinical data and UDs using a variety of statistical tools to include linear regression, multivariate logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. All statistical analyses were performed using STATA version 9.0 (StataCorp LP, College Station, TX). RESULTS: In the incontinent group, 52% have history of vaginal delivery trauma as compared to none in control group (P < 0.001). There was no difference between the continent volunteers and incontinent patients in body habitus as assessed by the body mass index. Pubovaginal distance and periurethral ligament disruption are significantly associated with incontinence; periurethral ligament symmetricity reduces the odds of incontinence by 87%. Bladder neck funneling and length of the suprapubic urethral sphincter are significantly associated with the type of incontinence on UDs; funneling reduced the odds of pure UH by almost 95%; increasing suprapubic urethral sphincter length at rest is highly associated with UH. Both MRI variables result in a predictive model for UDs diagnosis (area under the ROC = 0.944). CONCLUSION: MRI may play an important role in assessing the contribution of hypermobility and sphincteric dysfunction to the SUI in women when considering treatment options. PMID:26644825

Combination of bioaugmentation and biostimulation for remediation of paddy soil contaminated with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid.

PubMed

Yang, Zhiman; Xu, Xiaohui; Dai, Meng; Wang, Lin; Shi, Xiaoshuang; Guo, Rongbo

2018-04-22

The batch and fed-batch tests were performed to evaluate the efficiency of bioaugmentation in combination with biostimulation for remediation of paddy soil contaminated with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). 2,4-D degrading enrichments were used for bioaugmentation, and effluents prepared through biological hydrogen production process were used as substrate for biostimulation. The batch tests indicated that 2,4-D degradation depended on the enrichment/substrate ratio (E/S), where E/S of 0.03 showed an excellent performance. The fed-batch tests showed that biostimulation only led to an improvement in 2,4-D degradation, while the pattern of repeated augmentation of enrichments (FRA) together with biostimulation obviously improved degradation of 2,4-D, 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) and phenol. DNA-sequencing approach showed that the FRA pattern altered the bacterial community composition, and high removal of 2,4-D, 2-CP and phenol may be attributed to the acclimation and persistence of Thauera. The findings demonstrated the importance of the FRA pattern on remediation of paddy soil contaminated with 2,4-D. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DeafSpace and the principles of universal design.

PubMed

Edwards, Claire; Harold, Gill

2014-01-01

Recent debates about the epistemological origins of Universal Design (UD) have questioned how far universalist design approaches can address the particularities and diversities of the human form through a series of standardised, technical responses. This article contributes to these debates by discussing an emergent architectural paradigm known as DeafSpace, which articulates a set of design principles originating from the d/Deaf community in the US. Commentary. DeafSpace has emerged as a design paradigm rooted in an expression of d/Deaf cultural identity based around sign language, rather than as a response designed to compensate for, or minimise, impairment. It distinguishes itself from UD by articulating a more user-centred design process, but its principles are arguably rooted in notions of d/Deaf identity based around consensus and homogeneity, with less attention paid to the socio-political contexts which shape diverse experiences of d/Deafness and the exclusion(s) of d/Deaf people from the built environment. While proponents of DeafSpace argue that UD and DeafSpace are not mutually exclusive, nor DeafSpace principles applicable only to d/Deaf people, questions remain about the type of spaces DeafSpace creates, most notably whether they lead to the creation of particularist spaces of and for the d/Deaf community, or reflect a set of design principles which can be embedded across a range of different environments. Implications for Rehabilitation UD as a basis for rehabilitation has been critiqued on the basis that creates "standardised", or universal solutions, thus negating the particularities of the human form. DeafSpace is an architectural paradigm rooted in socio-linguistic understandings of Deafness and the cultural identity of the Deaf community. It challenges UD's technocratic emphasis on minimising impairment and asserts design which is rooted in a more qualitative understanding of individuals' relationship with their environment. DeafSpace seeks to place the user more centrally in the design process and draw on the experiential knowledge of (Deaf) users. However, it has less to say about the often exclusionary socio-political relations which underlie the built environment and shape the diverse experience of deafness. DeafSpace raises questions about how the needs of particular groups can be met through UD principles and in turn whether DeafSpace principles lead to the creation of separate spaces for the D/deaf community.

Sulfate radical degradation of acetaminophen by novel iron-copper bimetallic oxidation catalyzed by persulfate: Mechanism and degradation pathways

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yuanchun; Zhang, Qian; Hong, Junming

2017-11-01

A novel iron coupled copper oxidate (Fe2O3@Cu2O) catalyst was synthesized to activate persulfate (PS) for acetaminophen (APAP) degradation. The catalysts were characterized via field-emission scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry. The effects of the catalyst, PS concentration, catalyst dosage, initial pH, dissolved oxygen were analyzed for treatment optimization. Results indicated that Fe2O3@Cu2O achieved higher efficiency in APAP degradation than Fe2O3/PS and Cu2O/PS systems. The optimal removal efficiency of APAP (90%) was achieved within 40 min with 0.6 g/L PS and 0.3 g/L catalyst. To clarify the mechanism for APAP degradation, intermediates were analyzed with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Three possible degradation pathways were identified. During reaction, Cu(I) was found to react with Fe(III) to generate Fe(II), which is the most active phase for PS activation. Through the use of methanol and tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) as radical trappers, SO4rad - was identified as the main radical species that is generated during oxidation.

Enhanced Fenton-like degradation of TCE in sand suspensions with magnetite by NTA/EDTA at circumneutral pH.

PubMed

Wang, Na; Jia, Daqing; Jin, Yaoyao; Sun, Sheng-Peng; Ke, Qiang

2017-07-01

The present study investigated the degradation of trichloroethylene (TCE) in sand suspensions by Fenton-like reaction with magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ) in the presence of various chelators at circumneutral pH. The results showed that ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) greatly improved the rate of TCE degradation, while [S,S]-ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid (s,s-EDDS), malonate, citrate, and phytic acid (IP6) have minimal effects on TCE degradation. Quenching tests suggested that TCE was mainly degraded by hydroxyl radical (HO · ) attack, with about 90% inhibition on TCE degradation by the addition of HO · scavenger 2-propanol. The presence of 0.1-0.5% Fe 3 O 4 /sand (w/w) contributed to 40% increase in TCE degradation rates. In particular, the use of chelators can avoid high concentrations of H 2 O 2 required for the Fenton-like reaction with Fe 3 O 4 , and moreover improve the stoichiometric efficiencies of TCE degradation to H 2 O 2 consumption. The suitable concentrations of chelators (EDTA and NTA) and H 2 O 2 were suggested to be 0.5 and 20 mM, respectively. Under the given conditions, degradation rate constants of TCE were obtained at 0.360 h -1 with EDTA and 0.526 h -1 with NTA, respectively. Enhanced degradation of TCE and decreased usage of H 2 O 2 in this investigation suggested that Fenton-like reaction of Fe 3 O 4 together with NTA (or EDTA) may be a promising process for remediation of TCE-contaminated groundwater.

The application of exfoliated graphite electrode in the electrochemical degradation of p-nitrophenol in water.

PubMed

Ntsendwana, Bulelwa; Peleyeju, Moses G; Arotiba, Omotayo A

2016-01-01

We report the application of exfoliated graphite (EG) as an electrode material in the electrochemical degradation of p-nitrophenol in water. Bulk electrolysis (degradation) of p-nitrophenol was carried out at a potential of 2.0 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) in the presence of 0.1 M Na2SO4 supporting electrolyte, while UV-Vis spectrophotometry was used to monitor the degradation efficiency. An initial p-nitrophenol load concentration of 0.2 mM for 3 h electrolysis time was studied under the optimized conditions of pH 7, and 10 mAcm(-2) current density. The electro-degradation reaction displayed a pseudo-first-order kinetic behavior with a rate constant (k(r)) of 11×10(-3) min(-1). The removal efficiency was found to be 91.5%. Chromatography coupled with time of flight mass spectrometry revealed p-benzoquinone as a major intermediate product. These results demonstrate the potential and viability of electrochemical technology as an alternative approach to water treatment using a low cost graphite electrode.

Novel β-C3N4/CuO nanoflakes: facile synthesis and unique photocatalytic performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, Lan-Rong; Huang, Gui-Fang; Li, Dong-Feng; Tian, Qing-Nan; Yang, Ke; Si, Yuan; Chang, Shengli; Zhang, Xue-Ao; Huang, Wei-Qing

2017-09-01

For the first time, novel β-C3N4/CuO composites with superior photocatalytic activity are successfully fabricated via a facile reflux method followed by a thermal process. The morphologies, particle size and microstructure of the synthesized β-C3N4/CuO composites largely depended upon copper chloride and the volume ratio of V water:V ethanol in the mixed precursors. The fabricated β-C3N4/CuO nanoflakes exhibited obviously enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) with an  ˜3.4 and 1.9 fold increase in efficiency over that of pure g-C3N4 and commercial P25, respectively. The β-C3N4/CuO composite photocatalyst also showed photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methyl orange (MO). Moreover, the β-C3N4/CuO nanoflakes showed almost no loss of photocatalytic activity after three recycles of the degradation of the MB. A multiple synergetic mechanism in β-C3N4/CuO nanoflakes, which is featured by the highly reactive {0 0 2} facets, exposed many active sites of nanoflakes and the efficient charge separation are proposed to account for the distinguished photocatalytic activity. This work provides a facile and cost-effective strategy for designing novel β-C3N4/CuO photocatalysts for application in environmental purification.

Applications of Cu{sub 2}O octahedral particles on ITO glass in photocatalytic degradation of dye pollutants under a halogen tungsten lamp

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

Zhai, Wei; Sun, Fengqiang, E-mail: fqsun@scnu.edu.cn; Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, Ministry of Education, South China Normal University

2013-11-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Photocatalytic activity of Cu{sub 2}O octahedral microcrystals on ITO glass was studied. • They showed high abilities in degradation of methylene blue in the presence of H{sub 2}O{sub 2}. • H{sub 2}O{sub 2} amount could affect the degradation efficiency. • Such particles could be easily recycled and still kept high activity. • Many dye pollutants and their mixtures could be efficiently degraded. - Abstract: Cu{sub 2}O octahedral microcrystals were prepared on the ITO glass by galvanostatic electrodeposition in CuSO{sub 4} solution with poly(vinylpryrrolidone) as the surfactant. By controlling the electrodeposition time, the microcrystals could bemore » randomly distributed on the ITO glass and separated from each other, resulting in as many as possible (1 1 1) crystalline planes were exposed. Such microcrystals immobilized on ITO glass were employed in photodegradation of dye pollutants in the presence of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} under a 150 W halogen tungsten lamp. The photodegradation of methylene blue was taken as an example to evaluate the photocatalytic activities of the octahedral Cu{sub 2}O microcrystals. Effects of electrodeposition time and H{sub 2}O{sub 2} amount on the degradation efficiency was discussed, giving the optimum conditions and the corresponding degradation mechanism. The catalyst showed high ability in degradation of methylene blue, methyl orange, rhodamine B, eosin B and their mixtures under identical conditions.« less

Isolation and characterization of phenol degrading bacterium strain Bacillus thuringiensis J20 from olive waste in Palestine.

PubMed

Ereqat, Suheir I; Abdelkader, Ahmad A; Nasereddin, Abedelmajeed F; Al-Jawabreh, Amer O; Zaid, Taher M; Letnik, Ilya; Abdeen, Ziad A

2018-01-02

This study aimed at isolation of phenol degrading bacteria from olive mill wastes in Palestine. The efficiency of phenol removal and factors affecting phenol degradation were investigated. A bacterial strain (J20) was isolated from solid olive mill waste and identified as Bacillus thuringiensis based on standard morphological, biochemical characteristics and 16SrRNA sequence analysis. The strain was able to grow in a phenol concentration of 700 mg/L as the sole carbon and energy source. The culture conditions showed a significant impact on the ability of these cells to remove phenol. This strain exhibited optimum phenol degradation performance at pH 6.57 and 30 °C . Under the optimized conditions, this strain could degrade 88.6% of phenol (700 mg/L) within 96 h when the initial cell density was OD 600 0.2. However, the degradation efficiency could be improved from about 88% to nearly 99% by increasing the cell density. Immobilization of J20 was carried out using 4% sodium alginate. Phenol degradation efficiency of the immobilized cells of J20 was higher than that of the free cells, 100% versus 88.6% of 700 mg/L of phenol in 120 h, indicating the improved tolerance of the immobilized cells toward phenol toxicity. The J20 was used in detoxifying crude OMWW, phenolic compounds levels were reduced by 61% compared to untreated OMWW after five days of treatment. Hence, B. thuringiensis-J20 can be effectively used for bioremediation of phenol-contaminated sites in Palestine. These findings may lead to new biotechnological applications for the degradation of phenol, related to olive oil production.

Degradation of Acid Orange 7 by peroxymonosulfate activated with the recyclable nanocomposites of g-C3N4 modified magnetic carbon.

PubMed

Guo, Furong; Lu, Jiahua; Liu, Qing; Zhang, Ping; Zhang, Aiqing; Cai, Yingjie; Wang, Qiang

2018-08-01

Carbon-based catalysts have attracted high attention since they are greener and cheaper, while magnetic nanomaterials are very useful in environmental application because of the easy recovery and operation given by the magnetic separability. Therefore, graphitic carbon nitride modified magnetic carbon nanocomposites Fe 3 O 4 @C/g-C 3 N 4 was prepared herein for the first time as a new carbon-based catalyst for the activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS). The catalytic properties of Fe 3 O 4 @C/g-C 3 N 4 in activating PMS for the degradation of Acid Orange 7 (AO 7), a model organic pollutant, were investigated. AO 7 degradation efficiency was significantly enhanced after modification of Fe 3 O 4 @C with g-C 3 N 4 , and the composite Fe 3 O 4 @C/g-C 3 N 4 from loading of 5 wt% g-C 3 N 4 and calcined at 300 °C for 30 min exhibited the best performance. AO 7 could be efficiently decolorized using the "Fe 3 O 4 @C/C 3 N 4 (5%) + PSM" system within the pH range of 2-6, and 97% of AO 7 could be removed in 20 min without pH adjustment (pH = 4). Radical quenching and EPR studies confirmed that both sulfate and hydroxyl radicals produced from PMS activation were the active species responsible for the oxidation of AO 7. The degradation mechanism was suggested based on the experimental results and XPS analyses. It was proposed that the CO groups on the carbon surface of Fe 3 O 4 @C rather than the CO in g-C 3 N 4 played a key role as the active sites for PMS activation. The catalyst was magnetically separable and displayed good stability and reusability, thus providing a potentially green catalyst for sustainable remediation of organic pollutants. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improvement of ethanol productivity and energy efficiency by degradation of inhibitors using recombinant Zymomonas mobilis (pHW20a-fdh).

PubMed

Dong, Hong-Wei; Fan, Li-Qiang; Luo, Zichen; Zhong, Jian-Jiang; Ryu, Dewey D Y; Bao, Jie

2013-09-01

Toxic compounds, such as formic acid, furfural, and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) generated during pretreatment of corn stover (CS) at high temperature and low pH, inhibit growth of Zymomonas mobilis and lower the conversion efficiency of CS to biofuel and other products. The inhibition of toxic compounds is considered as one of the major technical barriers in the lignocellulose bioconversion. In order to detoxify and/or degrade these toxic compounds by the model ethanologenic strain Z. mobilis itself in situ the fermentation medium, we constructed a recombinant Z. mobilis ZM4 (pHW20a-fdh) strain that is capable of degrading toxic inhibitor, formate. This is accomplished by cloning heterologous formate dehydrogenase gene (fdh) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and by coupling this reaction of NADH regeneration reaction system with furfural and HMF degradation in the recombinant Z. mobilis strain. The NADH regeneration reaction also improved both the energy efficiency and cell physiological activity of the recombinant organism, which were definitely confirmed by the improved cell growth, ethanol yield, and ethanol productivity during fermentation with CS hydrolysate. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Magnetic EDTA functionalized CoFe2O4 nanoparticles (EDTA-CoFe2O4) as a novel catalyst for peroxymonosulfate activation and degradation of Orange G.

PubMed

Deng, Lin; Shi, Zhou; Zou, Zhiyan; Zhou, Shiqing

2017-04-01

EDTA functionalized CoFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles (EDTA-CoFe 2 O 4 ) synthesized using a facile one-pot solvothermal method were employed as catalysts to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) with Orange G (OG) as the target pollutant. Effects of operating parameters including initial solution pH, catalyst dosage, PMS dosage, and water matrix components such as Cl - , NO 3 - , CO 3 2- , and humic acid were evaluated. A degradation efficiency of 93% was achieved in 15 min with 1 mM PMS and 0.2 g/L EDTA-CoFe 2 O 4 catalyst, while only 57% of OG was degraded within 15 min in CoFe 2 O 4 /PMS system. The degradation of OG followed pseudo-first-order kinetics, and the apparent first-order date constant (k obs ) for OG in EDTA-CoFe 2 O 4 /PMS and CoFe 2 O 4 /PMS system was determined to be 0.152 and 0.077 min -1 , respectively. OG degradation by EDTA-CoFe 2 O 4 /PMS was enhanced with the increase of catalyst and PMS doses at respective range of 0.1-2.0 g/L and 0.5-10.0 mM. Higher efficiency of OG oxidation was observed within a wide pH range (3.0-9.0), implying the possibility of applying EDTA-CoFe 2 O 4 /PMS process under environmental realistic conditions. Humic acid (HA) at low concentration accelerated the removal of OG; however, a less apparent inhibitive effect was observed at HA addition of 10 mg/L. The k obs value was found to decrease slightly from 0.1601 to 0.1274, 0.1248, and 0.1152 min -1 with the addition of NO 3 - , CO 3 2- , and Cl - , respectively, but near-complete removal of OG could still be obtained after 15 min. Both of the sulfate radicals and hydroxyl radicals were produced in the reaction, and sulfate radicals were the dominant according to the scavenging tests and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) tests. Finally, a degradation mechanism was proposed, and the stability and reusability of the EDTA-CoFe 2 O 4 were evaluated.

Accelerated degradation of lignin by lignin peroxidase isozyme H8 (LiPH8) from Phanerochaete chrysosporium with engineered 4-O-methyltransferase from Clarkia breweri.

PubMed

Pham, Le Thanh Mai; Kim, Yong Hwan

2014-11-01

Free-hydroxyl phenolic units can decrease or even abort the catalytic activity of lignin peroxidase H8 during oxidation of veratryl alcohol and model lignin dimers, resulting in slow and inefficient lignin degradation. In this study we applied engineered 4-O-methyltransferase from Clarkia breweri to detoxify the inhibiting free-hydroxyl phenolic groups by converting them to methylated phenolic groups. The multistep, enzyme-catalyzed process that combines 4-O-methyltransferase and lignin peroxidase H8 suggested in this work can increase the efficiency of lignin-degradation. This study also suggests approaching the field of multi-enzyme in vitro systems to improve the understanding and development of plant biomass in biorefinery operations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

United States Air Force Summer Research Program -- 1993 Summer Research Program Final Reports. Volume 12. Armstrong Laboratory

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-01-01

Panasonic TLD . Panasonic Industrial Company; Secaucus, New Jersey. 5. Thurlow, Ronald M. "Neutron Dosimetry Using a Panasonic Thermoluminescent Dosimeter." A...steps 8-12. 29-15 THE BUILDING OF THE USAF PANASONIC UD-809AS ALGORITHM Katherine M. Arnold Research Associate Radiation Dosimetry Branch Brooks Air...Research August 1993 30-1 THE BUILDING OF THE USAF PANASONIC UD-809AS ALGORITHM Katherine M. Arnold Research Associate Radiation Dosimetry Branch

Highly Efficient visible-light-induced photoactivity of magnetically retrievable Fe3O4@SiO2@Bi2WO6@g-C3N4 hierarchical microspheres for the degradation of organic pollutant and production of hydrogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Dingze; Wang, Hongmei; Shen, Qingqing; Kondamareddy, Kiran Kumar; Neena D

2017-07-01

The new multifunctional composite Fe3O4@SiO2@Bi2WO6@g-C3N4 (FSBG) hierarchical microspheres with Bi2WO6/g-C3N4 heterostructure as an outer shell and Fe3O4@SiO2 as a magnetic core have been synthesized and characterized for photocatalytic applications. An efficient and adoptable approach of synthesizing magnetic Bi2WO6/g-C3N4 hierarchical microspheres of grape-like morphology is realized. The as-synthesized structures exhibit highly efficient visible-light absorption and separation efficiency of photo-induced charge. The visible-light-induced photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4, Fe3O4@SiO2@Bi2WO6, and FSBG is evaluated by investigating the photodegradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) and hydrogen (H2) out of water. The comparative study reveals that the FSBG microspheres exhibit an optimum visible-light-induced photocatalytic activity in degrading Rhodamin B (RhB), which is 3.06 and 1.92 times to that of g-C3N4 and Fe3O4@SiO2@Bi2WO6 systems respectively and 3.89 and 2.31 times in the production of hydrogen (H2) out of water, respectively. The FSBG composite microspheres also exhibit good magnetic recoverability. An alternate mechanism for the enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity is given in the present manuscript.

Degradation of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) using Fe-TiO2 as a heterogeneous photo-Fenton catalyst.

PubMed

Zhao, Binxia; Mele, Giuseppe; Pio, Iolanda; Li, Jun; Palmisano, Leonardo; Vasapollo, Giuseppe

2010-04-15

Photocatalytic degradation of 4-nitrophenol was investigated using Fe-doped (1, 3, 5 and 8 wt.% Fe) TiO(2) catalysts under UV light irradiation in aqueous dispersions in the presence of H(2)O(2). Photocatalysts with the lowest Fe content (1%) showed a considerably better behavior with respect to the unloaded TiO(2) and the catalysts with higher Fe contents. Photocatalytic degradation was studied under different conditions such as amounts of 1% Fe-TiO(2) catalyst, H(2)O(2) dose and initial pH of 4-NP solution. The results indicated that about 67.53% total organic carbon of a solution containing 20 mg L(-1) 4-NP was removed at pH 6.17 by using 4.9 mM of H(2)O(2) and 0.4 g L(-1) of the catalyst in a 2-L batch photo-reactor, the complete degradation of 4-NP occurring after 60 min. It was also observed that catalytic behavior could be reproduced in consecutive experiments without a considerable decrease of the UV/Fe-TiO(2)/H(2)O(2) process efficiency. 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Simultaneous removal of aniline, nitrogen and phosphorus in aniline-containing wastewater treatment by using sequencing batch reactor.

PubMed

Jiang, Yu; Wang, Hongyu; Shang, Yu; Yang, Kai

2016-05-01

The high removal efficiencies of traditional biological aniline-degrading systems always lead to accumulation of ammonium. In this study, simultaneous removal of aniline, nitrogen and phosphorus in a single sequencing batch reactor was achieved by using anaerobic/aerobic/anoxic (A/O/A) operational process. The removal efficiencies of COD, NH4(+)-N, TN, TP were over 95.80%, 83.03%, 87.13%, 90.95%, respectively in most cases with 250mgL(-1) of initial aniline at 6h cycle when DO was 5.5±0.5mgL(-1). Aniline was able to be completely degraded when initial concentrations were less than 750mgL(-1). When DO increased, the removal rate of NH4(+)-N and TP slightly increased along with the moderate decrease of removal efficiencies of TN. The variation of HRT had obvious influence on removal performance of pollutants. The system showed high removal efficiencies of aniline, COD and nutrients during the variation of operating conditions, which might contribute to disposal of aniline-rich industrial wastewater. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Toughening and healing of continuous fibre reinforced composites with bis-maleimide based pre-pregs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kostopoulos, V.; Kotrotsos, A.; Tsantzalis, S.; Tsokanas, P.; Christopoulos, A. C.; Loutas, T.

2016-08-01

Unidirectional (UD) pre-pregs containing self-healing materials based on Diels-Alder reaction bis-maleimide (BMI) polymers were successfully incorporated on the mid-plane of UD carbon fibre reinforced polymers. The fracture toughness of these composites and the introduced healing capability were measured under mode I loading. The interlaminar fracture toughness was enhanced considerably, since the maximum load (P max) of the modified composite increased approximately 1.5 times and the mode I fracture energy (G IC) displayed a significant increase of almost 3.5 times when compared to the reference composites. Furthermore the modified composites displayed a healing efficiency (HE) value of about 30% for P max and 20% for G IC after the first healing, appearing to be an almost stable behaviour after the third healing cycle. The HE displayed a decrease of 20% and 15% for P max and G IC values, respectively, after the fifth healing cycle. During the tests, the monitored acoustic emission (AE) activity of the samples showed that there is no significant difference due to the presence of BMI polymer in terms of AE hits. Moreover, optical microscopy not only showed that the epoxy matrix at the interface is partly infiltrated by the BMI polymer, but it also revealed the presence of pulled out fibres at the fractured surface, indicating ductile behaviour.

Simultaneous efficient removal of oxyfluorfen with electricity generation in a microbial fuel cell and its microbial community analysis.

PubMed

Zhang, Qinghua; Zhang, Lei; Wang, Han; Jiang, Qinrui; Zhu, Xiaoyu

2018-02-01

The performance of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) to degrade oxyfluorfen was investigated. Approximately 77% of 50 mg/L oxyfluorfen was degraded within 24 h by anodic biofilm. The temperature, pH, and initial oxyfluorfen concentration had a significant effect on oxyfluorfen degrading, and a maximum degradation rate of 94.95% could theoretically be achieved at 31.96 °C, a pH of 7.65, and an initial oxyfluorfen concentration of 120.05 mg/L. Oxyfluorfen was further catabolized through various microbial metabolism pathways. Moreover, the anodic biofilm exhibited multiple catabolic capacities to 4-nitrophenol, chloramphenicol, pyraclostrobin, and sulfamethoxazole. Microbial community analysis indicated that functional bacteria Arcobacter, Acinetobacter, Azospirillum, Azonexus, and Comamonas were the predominant genera in the anodic biofilm. In terms of the efficient removal of various organic compounds and energy recovery, the MFC seemed to be a promising approach for the treatment of environmental contaminants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intense deep blue exciplex electroluminescence from NPB/TPBi:PPh3O-based OLEDs and their intrinsic degradation mechanisms (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shinar, Joseph; Hippola, Chamika; Danilovic, Dusan; Bhattacharjee, Ujjal; Petrich, Jacob W.; Shinar, Ruth

2016-09-01

We describe intense and efficient deep blue (430 - 440 nm) exciplex emission from NPB/TPBi:PPh3O OLEDs where the luminous efficiency approaches 4 Cd/A and the maximal brightness exceeds 22,000 Cd/m2. Time resolved PL measurements confirm the exciplex emission from NPB:TPBi, as studied earlier by Monkman and coworkers [Adv. Mater. 25, 1455 (2013)]. However, the inclusion of PPh3O improves the OLED performance significantly. The effect of PPh3O on the EL and PL will be discussed. The NPB/TPBi:PPh3O-based OLEDs were also studied by optically and electrically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR and EDMR, respectively). In particular, the amplitude of the negative (EL- and current-quenching) spin 1/2 resonance, previously attributed to enhanced formation of strongly EL-quenching positive bipolarons, increases as the OLEDs degrade in a dry nitrogen atmosphere. This degradation mechanism is discussed in relation to degradation induced by hot polarons that are energized by exciton annihilation.

The effects of the antibiotics ampicillin, florfenicol, sulfamethazine, and tylosin on biogas production and their degradation efficiency during anaerobic digestion.

PubMed

Mitchell, Shannon M; Ullman, Jeffrey L; Teel, Amy L; Watts, Richard J; Frear, Craig

2013-12-01

The impacts of four common animal husbandry antibiotics (ampicillin, florfenicol, sulfamethazine, and tylosin) on anaerobic digestion (AD) treatment efficiency and the potential for antibiotic degradation during digestion were evaluated. Sulfamethazine and ampicillin exhibited no impact on total biogas production up to 280 and 350 mg/L, respectively, although ampicillin inhibited biogas production rates during early stages of AD. Tylosin reduced biogas production by 10-38% between 130 and 913 mg/L. Florfenicol reduced biogas by ≈ 5%, 40% and 75% at 6.4, 36 and 210 mg/L, respectively. These antibiotic concentrations are higher than commonly seen for mixed feedlot manure, so impacts on full scale AD should be minimal. Antibiotic degradation products were found, confirming AD effectively degraded ampicillin, florfenicol, and tylosin, although some products were persistent throughout the process. Contamination of AD solid and liquid effluents with sulfamethazine and antibiotic transformation products from florfenicol and tylosin could present an environmental concern. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Fabrication of Unique Magnetic Bionanocomposite for Highly Efficient Removal of Hexavalent Chromium from Water

PubMed Central

Zhong, Yunlei; Qiu, Xun; Chen, Dongyun; Li, Najun; Xu, Qingfeng; Li, Hua; He, Jinghui; Lu, Jianmei

2016-01-01

Biotreatment of hexavalent chromium has attracted widespread interest due to its cost effective and environmental friendliness. However, the difficult separation of biomass from aqueous solution and the slow hexavalent chromium bioreduction rate are bottlenecks for biotechnology application. In this approach, a core-shell structured functional polymer coated magnetic nanocomposite was prepared for enriching the hexavalent chromium. Then the nanocomposite was connected to the bacteria via amines on bacterial (Bacillus subtilis ATCC-6633) surface. Under optimal conditions, a series of experiments were launched to degrade hexavalent chromium from the aqueous solution using the as-prepared bionanocomposite. Results showed that B. subtilis@Fe3O4@mSiO2@MANHE (BFSM) can degrade hexavalent chromium from the water more effectively (a respectable degradation efficiency of about 94%) when compared with pristine B. subtilis and Fe3O4@mSiO2@MANHE (FSM). Moreover, the BFSM could be separated from the wastewater by magnetic separation technology conveniently due to the Fe3O4 core of FSM. These results indicate that the application of BFSM is a promising strategy for effective treating wastewater containing hexavalent chromium. PMID:27502074

Propham mineralization in aqueous medium by anodic oxidation using boron-doped diamond anode: influence of experimental parameters on degradation kinetics and mineralization efficiency.

PubMed

Ozcan, Ali; Sahin, Yücel; Koparal, A Savaş; Oturan, Mehmet A

2008-06-01

This study aims the removal of a carbamate herbicide, propham, from aqueous solution by direct electrochemical advanced oxidation process using a boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode. This electrode produces large quantities of hydroxyl radicals from oxidation of water, which leads to the oxidative degradation of propham up to its total mineralization. Effect of operational parameters such as current, temperature, pH and supporting electrolyte on the degradation and mineralization rate was studied. The applied current and temperature exert a prominent effect on the total organic carbon (TOC) removal rate of the solutions. The mineralization of propham can be performed at any pH value between 3 and 11 without any loss in oxidation efficiency. The propham decay and its overall mineralization reaction follows a pseudo-first-order kinetics. The apparent rate constant value of propham oxidation was determined as 4.8 x 10(-4)s(-1) at 100 mA and 35 degrees C in the presence of 50mM Na(2)SO(4) in acidic media (pH: 3). A general mineralization sequence was proposed considering the identified oxidation intermediates.

Fabrication of Unique Magnetic Bionanocomposite for Highly Efficient Removal of Hexavalent Chromium from Water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, Yunlei; Qiu, Xun; Chen, Dongyun; Li, Najun; Xu, Qingfeng; Li, Hua; He, Jinghui; Lu, Jianmei

2016-08-01

Biotreatment of hexavalent chromium has attracted widespread interest due to its cost effective and environmental friendliness. However, the difficult separation of biomass from aqueous solution and the slow hexavalent chromium bioreduction rate are bottlenecks for biotechnology application. In this approach, a core-shell structured functional polymer coated magnetic nanocomposite was prepared for enriching the hexavalent chromium. Then the nanocomposite was connected to the bacteria via amines on bacterial (Bacillus subtilis ATCC-6633) surface. Under optimal conditions, a series of experiments were launched to degrade hexavalent chromium from the aqueous solution using the as-prepared bionanocomposite. Results showed that B. subtilis@Fe3O4@mSiO2@MANHE (BFSM) can degrade hexavalent chromium from the water more effectively (a respectable degradation efficiency of about 94%) when compared with pristine B. subtilis and Fe3O4@mSiO2@MANHE (FSM). Moreover, the BFSM could be separated from the wastewater by magnetic separation technology conveniently due to the Fe3O4 core of FSM. These results indicate that the application of BFSM is a promising strategy for effective treating wastewater containing hexavalent chromium.

Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of two Toxoplasma gondii isolates in free-range chickens from Uberlândia, Brazil.

PubMed

Lopes, C S; Franco, P S; Silva, N M; Silva, D A O; Ferro, E A V; Pena, H F J; Soares, R M; Gennari, S M; Mineo, J R

2016-07-01

The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in free-range chickens from Uberlândia, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, and characterize the genotypic and phenotypic features of two isolates of this parasite, considering the importance of these hosts in the epidemiology of toxoplasmosis. Serum samples from 108 free-range chickens were obtained from ten different districts, and submitted to the modified agglutination test (MAT) for the presence of anti-T. gondii antibodies, and brain and heart tissue samples from infected chickens were processed for mouse bioassay. An overall seroprevalence of 71·3% was found and antibody titres ranged from 16 to 4096. After confirmation of seropositivity by mouse bioassay, the determination of the T. gondii genotypes of two isolates was performed by PCR-RFLP, using primers for the following markers: SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1, new SAG2, Apico and CS3. These T. gondii isolates, designated TgChBrUD1and TgChBrUD2, were obtained from heart samples of free-range chickens. The TgChBrUD1 isolate belonged to ToxoDB PCR-RFLP genotype 11 and the TgChBrUD2 isolate belonged to ToxoDB PCR-RFLP genotype 6. Both isolates demonstrated high virulence in a rodent model, with the TgChBrUD1 isolate able to induce brain cysts, in accord with its pattern of multiplication rates in human fibroblast culture. Taken together, these results reveal high prevalence of T. gondii infection in free-range chickens throughout Uberlândia, indicating an important degree of oocyst environmental contamination and the existence of considerable risk for T. gondii transmission to humans by consumption of free-range chicken as a food source.

Quick photo-Fenton degradation of phenolic compounds by Cu/Al2O3-MCM-41 under visible light irradiation: small particle size, stabilization of copper, easy reducibility of Cu and visible light active material.

PubMed

Pradhan, Amaresh C; Nanda, Binita; Parida, K M; Das, Mira

2013-01-14

The present study reports the photo-Fenton degradation of phenolic compounds (phenol, 2-chloro-4-nitrophenol and 4-chloro-2-nitrophenol) in aqueous solution using mesoporous Cu/Al(2)O(3)-MCM-41 nanocomposite as a heterogeneous photo-Fenton-like catalyst. The in situ incorporation of mesoporous Al(2)O(3) (MA) into the framework of MCM-41 (sol-gel method) forms Al(2)O(3)-MCM-41 and wetness impregnation of Cu(II) on Al(2)O(3)-MCM-41 generates mesoporous Cu/Al(2)O(3)-MCM-41 composite. The effects of pH and H(2)O(2) concentration on degradation of phenol, 2-chloro-4-nitrophenol and 4-chloro-2-nitrophenol are studied. Kinetics analysis shows that the photocatalytic degradation reaction follows a first-order rate equation. Mesoporous 5 Cu/Al(2)O(3)-MCM-41 is found to be an efficient photo-Fenton-like catalyst for the degradation of phenolic compounds. It shows nearly 100% degradation in 45 min at pH 4. The combined effect of small particle size, stabilization of Cu(2+) on the support Al(2)O(3)-MCM-41, ease reducibility of Cu(2+) and visible light activeness are the key factors for quick degradation of phenolic compounds by Cu/Al(2)O(3)-MCM-41.

Resistance irrelevant CYP417A2v2 was found degrading insecticide in Laodelphax striatellus.

PubMed

Miah, Mohammad Asaduzzaman; Elzaki, Mohammed Esmail Abdalla; Han, Zhaojun

2017-07-01

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYPs) usually overexpressed in resistant strain were found involved in oxidative detoxification of insecticides. In this study, an investigation was conducted to confirm if resistance irrelevant CYPs which were not overexpressed in resistant strain before, were capable of degrading insecticides. Three resistance irrelevant CYPs viz. CYP417A2v2, CYP425A1v2, and CYP4DJ1 from CYP4 family of Laodelphax striatellus were randomly selected for experiments. CYP417A2v2 and CYP425A1v2 were found expressed successfully in Sf9 cell line while CYP4DJ1 was not expressed successfully and out of two expressed CYPs, only CYP417A2v2 showed its efficient catalytic activity. For catalytic activity, three traditional model probe substrates and five insecticides were assayed. For the probe substrates screened, p -nitroanisole and ethoxycoumarin were preferentially metabolized by CYP417A2v2 (specific activity 3.76 ± 1.22 and 1.63 ± 0.37 nmol min -1  mg protein -1 , respectively) and they may be potential diagnostic probes for this enzyme. Among insecticides, only imidacloprid was efficiently degraded by CYP417A2v2. Incubation of imidacloprid with CYP417A2v2 of L. striatellus and subsequent HPLC, LC-MS, and MS/MS analysis revealed the formation of imidacloprid metabolites, that is, 4' or 5'hydroxy-imidacloprid by hydroxylation. This result implies the exemption of CYPs character that it is not always, all the CYPs degrading insecticides being selected and overexpressed in resistant strains and the degrading CYPs without mutations to upregulate could be candidates during insecticide resistance evolution. This characterization of individual insect CYPs in insecticide degradation can provide insight for better understand of insecticide resistance development.

Biodegradation of 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl) ethane (DDT) by using Serratia marcescens NCIM 2919.

PubMed

Grewal, Jasneet; Bhattacharya, Amrik; Kumar, Sumit; Singh, Dileep K; Khare, Sunil K

2016-12-01

A solvent tolerant bacterium Serratia marcescens NCIM 2919 has been evaluated for degradation of DDT (1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis (4-chlorophenyl) ethane). The bacterium was able to degrade up to 42% of initial 50 mg L -1 of DDT within 10 days of incubation. The highlight of the work was the elucidation of DDT degradation pathway in S. marcescens. A total of four intermediates metabolites viz. 2,2-bis (chlorophenyl)-1,1-dichloroethane (DDD), 2,2-bis (chlorophenyl)-1,1-dichloroethylene (DDE), 2,2-bis (chlorophenyl)-1-chloroethylene (DDMU), and 4-chlorobenzoic acid (4-CBA) were identified by GC-Mass and FTIR. 4-CBA was found to be the stable product of DDT degradation. Metabolites preceding 4-CBA were not toxic to strain as reveled through luxuriant growth in presence of varying concentrations of exogenous DDD and DDE. However, 4-CBA was observed to inhibit the growth of bacterium. The DDT degrading efficiency of S. marcescens NCIM 2919 hence could be used in combination with 4-CBA utilizing strains either as binary culture or consortia for mineralization of DDT. Application of S. marcescens NCIM 2919 to DDT contaminated soil, showed 74.7% reduction of initial 12.0 mg kg -1 of DDT after 18-days of treatment.

In situ fabrication of the Bi2O3-V2O5 hybrid embedded with graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets: Oxygen vacancies mediated enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants and hydrogen evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vattikuti, S. V. Prabhakar; Police, Anil Kumar Reddy; Shim, Jaesool; Byon, Chan

2018-07-01

Novel mesoporous ternary hybrids comprising Bi2O3/V2O5 photocatalysts anchored on graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets were synthesized via an in situ co-pyrolysis approach and characterized by a series of techniques, including X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis, thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectrometry, photoluminescence and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). The hybrids were subsequently tested as photocatalysts for the degradation of the phenol red (PR) pollutant under visible light irradiation. The well-designed ternary hybrids showed pure and randomly distributed Bi2O3/V2O5 (denoted as BiV) nanoparticles on monodispersed g-C3N4 nanosheets. The as-prepared ternary Bi2O3/V2O5@g-C3N4 (i.e., BiV@g-C3N4) hybrids demonstrated high specific surface areas with remarkable mesoporous characteristics. The photodegradation efficiencies of the ternary hybrids for PR were 1.2 and 1.8 times higher than those of binary BiV and pristine Bi2O3, respectively, at 50 min irradiation time under simulated solar light irradiation. At the end of the phototreatment, the amount of PR pollutant was reduced to 98.1% in 50 min by using the BiV@g-C3N4 nanocomposites under simulated solar light irradiation and more efficient for photocatalytic H2 production. Based on an electrochemical analysis, we propose a photocatalytic degradation pathway for PR under visible light irradiation. In addition, the BiV@g-C3N4 nanocomposite photocatalysts exhibited both long-term stability and photocatalytic efficiency for the degradation of the PR dye. The excellent photoelectrochemical performance of the BiV@g-C3N4 photocatalysts can be ascribed to their highly dispersed V2O5 and Bi2O3 nanoparticles, mesoporous structure, and high specific surface area (83.75 m2 g-1).

[Kinetics of alkylphenols degradation in aqueous phase with excilamp irradiation].

PubMed

Liu, Yu-Hai; Ye, Zhao-Lian; Wen, Ying-Pin; Bi, Cheng-Lu

2014-06-01

The 206 nm irradiation from excilamp was able to directly photo-degrade 4-nonylphenol (4-NP) and 4-octylphenol (4-OP), but it could not oxidize them completely into CO2. Under the same irradiation condition, the removal efficiency of 4-OP was higher than that of 4-NP. Pseudo-first order kinetic model and modified kinetic model were used to fit the kinetics of photo-degradation process, and the direct photolysis rate constants under 206 nm UV irradiation were obtained. The experimental results demonstrated that the photolysis rate constant was higher at lower initial concentration of alkylphenols. Two kinetic models were appropriate for the direct photolysis of alkylphenols at low concentration, but the modified model did not fit for high concentrations. Degradation rate can be obviously enhanced when adding H2O2 into the reaction, but the TOC removal was distinct only when the dosage of H2O2 was high. At last, we concluded that the direct photolysis rate constant k(d) was 0.032 8 min(-1) and the reaction rate constant k(pH) between 4-OP and H2O2 was 17.4520 L x (mol x min)(-1).

An Environmental Audit Management Plan for the Royal Australian Air Force

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-09-01

the auditors and the management of this facility at the exit meeting. SA A UO D SO NA 16. Audit report was unduly concerned with trivia . SA A UO 0 SO NA...Welfare Facilities - rubbish, putrescible matter and animal wastes. 12. Swimming Pool - filter backwash. 13. Base Recycling Centre - check for any...concerned with trivia : SA A UD D SD NA 13. The audit report was useful to base management: SA A UD D SD NA 14. The audit process was effective and of

In-plane shearing of a UD prepreg modeled as transversely isotropic fluid: Comparison between continuous and discontinuous fiber tension approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sorba, Grégoire; Binetruy, Christophe; Chinesta, Francisco

2016-10-01

In this paper a model of Transversely Isotropic Fluid (TIF), developed by Pipkin in [1], is presented and used for example to model in 2D the in-plane shearing of UD prepreg. This problem demonstrates the need to have a continuous fiber tension field over the elements, with the final objective of detecting the wrinkling of fibers during the forming process, at the price of a lower accuracy of the velocity field.

Translations on USSR Resources, Number 766

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-01-17

I960 65 70 75 80 85 ^ Quelle-. Jahrbücherund Auflenhandelsstatistiken der UdSSR. Schätzungen des DIW: 1980 bis 1985 in zwei...total exports Graph 3—Structure of Soviet Energy Consumption 1965-1976 STRUKTUR DES SOWJETISCHEN ENERGIEVERBRAUCHS 1965 BIS 1976 100 60 . (5...12,4 13.9 1)KohTe, Erdöl, Erdgas, Holz, Torf, Schiefer, Wasserkraft sowie Nettoimport und Kernenergie.-2)Zuwachsrate des Primär- energieverbrauchs

[Degradation of p-nitrophenol by high voltage pulsed discharge and ozone processes].

PubMed

Pan, Li-li; Yan, Guo-qi; Zheng, Fei-yan; Liang, Guo-wei; Fu, Jian-jun

2005-11-01

The vigorous oxidation by ozone and the high energy by pulsed discharge are utilized to degrade the big hazardous molecules. And these big hazardous molecules become small and less hazardous by this process in order to improve the biodegradability. When pH value is 8-9, the concentration of p-nitrophenol solution can be degraded by 96.8% and the degradation efficiency of TOC is 38.6% by ozone and pulsed discharge treatment for 30 mins. The comparison results show that the combination treatment efficiency is higher than the separate, so the combination of ozone and pulsed discharge has high synergism. It is approved that the phenyl degradation efficiency is high and the degradation efficiency of linear molecules is relative low.

Atrazine degradation by fungal co-culture enzyme extracts under different soil conditions.

PubMed

Chan-Cupul, Wilberth; Heredia-Abarca, Gabriela; Rodríguez-Vázquez, Refugio

2016-01-01

This investigation was undertaken to determine the atrazine degradation by fungal enzyme extracts (FEEs) in a clay-loam soil microcosm contaminated at field application rate (5 μg g(-1)) and to study the influence of different soil microcosm conditions, including the effect of soil sterilization, water holding capacity, soil pH and type of FEEs used in atrazine degradation through a 2(4) factorial experimental design. The Trametes maxima-Paecilomyces carneus co-culture extract contained more laccase activity and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content (laccase = 18956.0 U mg protein(-1), H2O2 = 6.2 mg L(-1)) than the T. maxima monoculture extract (laccase = 12866.7 U mg protein(-1), H2O2 = 4.0 mg L(-1)). Both extracts were able to degrade atrazine at 100%; however, the T. maxima monoculture extract (0.32 h) achieved a lower half-degradation time than its co-culture with P. carneus (1.2 h). The FEE type (p = 0.03) and soil pH (p = 0.01) significantly affected atrazine degradation. The best degradation rate was achieved by the T. maxima monoculture extract in an acid soil (pH = 4.86). This study demonstrated that both the monoculture extracts of the native strain T. maxima and its co-culture with P. carneus can efficiently and quickly degrade atrazine in clay-loam soils.

Degradation kinetics and mechanism of trace nitrobenzene by granular activated carbon enhanced microwave/hydrogen peroxide system.

PubMed

Tan, Dina; Zeng, Honghu; Liu, Jie; Yu, Xiaozhang; Liang, Yanpeng; Lu, Lanjing

2013-07-01

The kinetics of the degradation of trace nitrobenzene (NB) by a granular activated carbon (GAC) enhanced microwave (MW)/hydrogen peroxide (H202) system was studied. Effects of pH, NB initial concentration and tert-butyl alcohol on the removal efficiency were examined. It was found that the reaction rate fits well to first-order reaction kinetics in the MW/GAC/H202 process. Moreover, GAC greatly enhanced the degradation rate of NB in water. Under a given condition (MW power 300 W, H202 dosage 10 mg/L, pH 6.85 and temperature (60 +/- 5)degrees C), the degradation rate of NB was 0.05214 min-1when 4 g/L GAC was added. In general, alkaline pH was better for NB degradation; however, the optimum pH was 8.0 in the tested pH value range of 4.0-12.0. At H202 dosage of 10 mg/L and GAC dosage of 4 g/L, the removal of NB was decreased with increasing initial concentrations of NB, indicating that a low initial concentration was beneficial for the degradation of NB. These results indicated that the MW/GAC/H202 process was effective for trace NB degradation in water. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis indicated that a hydroxyl radical addition reaction and dehydrogenation reaction enhanced NB degradation.

Activated Persulfate Oxidation of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) in Groundwater under Acidic Conditions

PubMed Central

Yin, Penghua; Hu, Zhihao; Song, Xin; Liu, Jianguo; Lin, Na

2016-01-01

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is an emerging contaminant of concern due to its toxicity for human health and ecosystems. However, successful degradation of PFOA in aqueous solutions with a cost-effective method remains a challenge, especially for groundwater. In this study, the degradation of PFOA using activated persulfate under mild conditions was investigated. The impact of different factors on persulfate activity, including pH, temperature (25 °C–50 °C), persulfate dosage and reaction time, was evaluated under different experimental conditions. Contrary to the traditional alkaline-activated persulfate oxidation, it was found that PFOA can be effectively degraded using activated persulfate under acidic conditions, with the degradation kinetics following the pseudo-first-order decay model. Higher temperature, higher persulfate dosage and increased reaction time generally result in higher PFOA degradation efficiency. Experimental results show that a PFOA degradation efficiency of 89.9% can be achieved by activated persulfate at pH of 2.0, with the reaction temperature of 50 °C, molar ratio of PFOA to persulfate as 1:100, and a reaction time of 100 h. The corresponding defluorination ratio under these conditions was 23.9%, indicating that not all PFOA decomposed via fluorine removal. The electron paramagnetic resonance spectrometer analysis results indicate that both SO4−• and •OH contribute to the decomposition of PFOA. It is proposed that PFOA degradation occurs via a decarboxylation reaction triggered by SO4−•, followed by a HF elimination process aided by •OH, which produces one-CF2-unit-shortened perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs, Cn−1F2n−1COOH). The decarboxylation and HF elimination processes would repeat and eventually lead to the complete mineralization all PFCAs. PMID:27322298

Trimethoprim degradation by Fenton and Fe(II)-activated persulfate processes.

PubMed

Wang, Shizong; Wang, Jianlong

2018-01-01

Trimethoprim is a pollutant ubiquitous in the environment due to its extensive application, and it cannot be effectively removed by conventional wastewater treatment processes. In this study, the Fenton and the Fe(II)-activated persulfate processes were employed to degrade trimethoprim in an aqueous solution. The results showed that the concentration of persulfate, H 2 O 2 and Fe(II) a had significant influence on the degradation of trimethoprim in both processes. De-ionized water spiked with trimethoprim resulted in the complete degradation of trimethoprim (0.05 mM) by the mineralization of 54.9% of Fenton's reagent when the concentrations of H 2 O 2 and Fe(II) were 1 mM and 0.05 mM, respectively. In contrast, 73.4% of trimethoprim was degraded by the mineralization of 40.5% of the Fe(II)-activated persulfate process when the concentration of persulfate and Fe(II) were each 4 mM. Intermediate compounds with different m/z were detected for the Fenton and the Fe(II)-activated persulfate processes, indicating alternative degradation pathways. In the actual wastewater spiked with trimethoprim, the removal efficiency of trimethoprim decreased to 35.8% and 43.6%, respectively, for the Fenton and the Fe(II)-activated persulfate processes. In addition, the decomposition efficiencies for hydrogen peroxide and persulfate were 43.8% and 92.5%, respectively, which was lower than those in the de-ionized water system. These results demonstrated that wastewater components had a negative influence on trimethoprim degradation and the decomposition of the oxidants (persulfate and H 2 O 2 ). In summary, the Fe(II)-activated persulfate process could be used as an alternative technology for treating trimethoprim-containing wastewater. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dynamics of drug resistance-associated mutations in HIV-1 DNA reverse transcriptase sequence during effective ART.

PubMed

Nouchi, A; Nguyen, T; Valantin, M A; Simon, A; Sayon, S; Agher, R; Calvez, V; Katlama, C; Marcelin, A G; Soulie, C

2018-05-29

To investigate the dynamics of HIV-1 variants archived in cells harbouring drug resistance-associated mutations (DRAMs) to lamivudine/emtricitabine, etravirine and rilpivirine in patients under effective ART free from selective pressure on these DRAMs, in order to assess the possibility of recycling molecules with resistance history. We studied 25 patients with at least one DRAM to lamivudine/emtricitabine, etravirine and/or rilpivirine identified on an RNA sequence in their history and with virological control for at least 5 years under a regimen excluding all drugs from the resistant class. Longitudinal ultra-deep sequencing (UDS) and Sanger sequencing of the reverse transcriptase region were performed on cell-associated HIV-1 DNA samples taken over the 5 years of follow-up. Viral variants harbouring the analysed DRAMs were no longer detected by UDS over the 5 years in 72% of patients, with viruses susceptible to the molecules of interest found after 5 years in 80% of patients with UDS and in 88% of patients with Sanger. Residual viraemia with <50 copies/mL was detected in 52% of patients. The median HIV DNA level remained stable (2.4 at baseline versus 2.1 log10 copies/106 cells 5 years later). These results show a clear trend towards clearance of archived DRAMs to reverse transcriptase inhibitors in cell-associated HIV-1 DNA after a long period of virological control, free from therapeutic selective pressure on these DRAMs, reflecting probable residual replication in some reservoirs of the fittest viruses and leading to persistent evolution of the archived HIV-1 DNA resistance profile.

Modelling and simulating the forming of new dry automated lay-up reinforcements for primary structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouquerel, Laure; Moulin, Nicolas; Drapier, Sylvain; Boisse, Philippe; Beraud, Jean-Marc

2017-10-01

While weight has been so far the main driver for the development of prepreg based-composites solutions for aeronautics, a new weight-cost trade-off tends to drive choices for next-generation aircrafts. As a response, Hexcel has designed a new dry reinforcement type for aircraft primary structures, which combines the benefits of automation, out-of-autoclave process cost-effectiveness, and mechanical performances competitive to prepreg solutions: HiTape® is a unidirectional (UD) dry carbon reinforcement with thermoplastic veil on each side designed for aircraft primary structures [1-3]. One privileged process route for HiTape® in high volume automated processes consists in forming initially flat dry reinforcement stacks, before resin infusion [4] or injection. Simulation of the forming step aims at predicting the geometry and mechanical properties of the formed stack (so-called preform) for process optimisation. Extensive work has been carried out on prepreg and dry woven fabrics forming behaviour and simulation, but the interest for dry non-woven reinforcements has emerged more recently. Some work has been achieved on non crimp fabrics but studies on the forming behaviour of UDs are seldom and deal with UD prepregs only. Tension and bending in the fibre direction, along with inter-ply friction have been identified as the main mechanisms controlling the HiTape® response during forming. Bending has been characterised using a modified Peirce's flexometer [5] and inter-ply friction study is under development. Anisotropic hyperelastic constitutive models have been selected to represent the assumed decoupled deformation mechanisms. Model parameters are then identified from associated experimental results. For forming simulation, a continuous approach at the macroscopic scale has been selected first, and simulation is carried out in the Zset framework [6] using proper shell finite elements.

Sustained-Release Methylphenidate in a Randomized Trial of Treatment of Methamphetamine Use Disorder

PubMed Central

Ling, Walter; Chang, Linda; Hillhouse, Maureen; Ang, Alfonso; Striebel, Joan; Jenkins, Jessica; Hernandez, Jasmin; Olaer, Mary; Mooney, Larissa; Reed, Susan; Fukaya, Erin; Kogachi, Shannon; Alicata, Daniel; Holmes, Nataliya; Esagoff, Asher

2014-01-01

Background and aims No effective pharmacotherapy for methamphetamine (MA) use disorder has yet been found. This study evaluated sustained-release methylphenidate (MPH-SR) compared with placebo (PLA) for treatment of MA use disorder in people also undergoing behavioural support and motivational incentives. Design This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design with MPH-SR or PLA provided for 10 weeks (active phase) followed by 4 weeks of single-blind PLA. Twice-weekly clinic visits, weekly group counseling (CBT), and motivational incentives (MI) for MA-negative urine drug screens (UDS) were included. Setting Treatment sites were in Los Angeles, California (LA) and Honolulu, Hawaii (HH), USA. Participants 110 MA-dependent (via DSM-IV) participants (LA = 90; HH = 20). Measurements The primary outcome measure is self-reported days of MA use during the last 30 days of the active phase. Included in the current analyses are drug use (UDS and self-report), retention, craving, compliance (dosing, CBT, MI), adverse events, and treatment satisfaction. Findings No difference was found between treatment groups in self-reported days of MA use during the last 30 days of the active phase (p=0.22). In planned secondary outcomes analyses, however, the MPH group had fewer self-reported MA use days from baseline through the active phase compared with the PLA group (p=0.05). The MPH group also had lower craving scores and fewer marijuana-positive UDS than the PLA group in the last 30 days of the active phase. The two groups had similar retention, other drug use, adverse events, and treatment satisfaction. Conclusions Methylphenidate may lead to a reduction in concurrent methamphetamine use when provided as treatment for patients undergoing behavioural support for moderate to severe methamphetamine use disorder but this requires confirmation. PMID:24825486

X-UDS: The Chandra Legacy Survey of the UKIDSS Ultra Deep Survey Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kocevski, Dale D.; Hasinger, Guenther; Brightman, Murray; Nandra, Kirpal; Georgakakis, Antonis; Cappelluti, Nico; Civano, Francesca; Li, Yuxuan; Li, Yanxia; Aird, James; Alexander, David M.; Almaini, Omar; Brusa, Marcella; Buchner, Johannes; Comastri, Andrea; Conselice, Christopher J.; Dickinson, Mark A.; Finoguenov, Alexis; Gilli, Roberto; Koekemoer, Anton M.; Miyaji, Takamitsu; Mullaney, James R.; Papovich, Casey; Rosario, David; Salvato, Mara; Silverman, John D.; Somerville, Rachel S.; Ueda, Yoshihiro

2018-06-01

We present the X-UDS survey, a set of wide and deep Chandra observations of the Subaru-XMM Deep/UKIDSS Ultra Deep Survey (SXDS/UDS) field. The survey consists of 25 observations that cover a total area of 0.33 deg2. The observations are combined to provide a nominal depth of ∼600 ks in the central 100 arcmin2 region of the field that has been imaged with Hubble/WFC3 by the CANDELS survey and ∼200 ks in the remainder of the field. In this paper, we outline the survey’s scientific goals, describe our observing strategy, and detail our data reduction and point source detection algorithms. Our analysis has resulted in a total of 868 band-merged point sources detected with a false-positive Poisson probability of <1 × 10‑4. In addition, we present the results of an X-ray spectral analysis and provide best-fitting neutral hydrogen column densities, N H, as well as a sample of 51 Compton-thick active galactic nucleus candidates. Using this sample, we find the intrinsic Compton-thick fraction to be 30%–35% over a wide range in redshift (z = 0.1–3), suggesting the obscured fraction does not evolve very strongly with epoch. However, if we assume that the Compton-thick fraction is dependent on luminosity, as is seen for Compton-thin sources, then our results are consistent with a rise in the obscured fraction out to z ∼ 3. Finally, an examination of the host morphologies of our Compton-thick candidates shows a high fraction of morphological disturbances, in agreement with our previous results. All data products described in this paper are made available via a public website.

Self-organized criticality occurs in non-conservative neuronal networks during Up states

PubMed Central

Millman, Daniel; Mihalas, Stefan; Kirkwood, Alfredo; Niebur, Ernst

2010-01-01

During sleep, under anesthesia and in vitro, cortical neurons in sensory, motor, association and executive areas fluctuate between Up and Down states (UDS) characterized by distinct membrane potentials and spike rates [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Another phenomenon observed in preparations similar to those that exhibit UDS, such as anesthetized rats [6], brain slices and cultures devoid of sensory input [7], as well as awake monkey cortex [8] is self-organized criticality (SOC). This is characterized by activity “avalanches” whose size distributions obey a power law with critical exponent of about −32 and branching parameter near unity. Recent work has demonstrated SOC in conservative neuronal network models [9, 10], however critical behavior breaks down when biologically realistic non-conservatism is introduced [9]. We here report robust SOC behavior in networks of non-conservative leaky integrate-and-fire neurons with short-term synaptic depression. We show analytically and numerically that these networks typically have 2 stable activity levels corresponding to Up and Down states, that the networks switch spontaneously between them, and that Up states are critical and Down states are subcritical. PMID:21804861

High Performance Brittle Matrices and Brittle Matrix Composites. Book 2

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-12-31

0.09 (A) Strain Tensile surface Fig. 7. Crack-tip opening as a function of strain for the sintered silicon carbide. s~ icon i~k,.Original ,, indent n...homogeneous elastic properties, Eqn. (A4) reduces to; u--u ,- (0 +,u)d/ R - (0 - uF) [exp (D) - 1]/4u eTR ( A5 ) where D = 9.Ld/R. The toughness for...factor due to the phase transformation is Kti=- 6(l-v) 4 " Re _dy ( A5 ). The critical-mean-stress criterion is formulated by setting the sum of (A 1) and

Helicopter Icing Spray System (HISS) Evaluation and Improvement

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-04-01

the Small , inteligient Icing D)ata System (SIIDiS) puckage obtained HISS spray cloud measurements on fltights intended for clr-ud calibration and in con...HISS flew at aI constanlt airsl.Led~ between 80 and 120 knots true. air- speed (KTAS) throughout thle immersion, and attempted to maintain constant air...0 C -- 1 0) ’IL 1-4 WC .4w4 0 44 9i Photo 18. Natural Ice. F~orma~tion on• Riv.ct. Aoug Side of F useta),c (1111-60). ,P ho to 11) . A r ti l ic i aI

Residual-based Methods for Controlling Discretization Error in CFD

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-08-24

discrete equations uh into Equation (3), then subtracting the original (continuous) governing equation 0)~( uL gives 0)()~()(  hhh uuLuL  . If...error from Equation (1) results in )()( hhh uL   (4) which for Burgers’ equation becomes  4 2 4 42 3 3 2 2 126 xO x dx udx dx ud u dx d dx d u...GTEE given in Equation (3) gives the continuous residual )()( hhh uuL  (8) which is analogous to the finite element residual (Ainsworth and

Y2O3 modified TiO2 nanosheets enhanced the photocatalytic removal of 4-chlorophenol and Cr (VI) in sun light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Xiaona; Wu, Pei; Liu, Min; Lu, Dingze; Ming, Junlan; Li, Chunhe; Ding, Junqian; Yan, Qiuyang; Fang, Pengfei

2017-07-01

Y2O3 modified TiO2 nanosheets (Y2O3@TNSs), capable of exhibiting sun light, were synthesized through one pot/hydrothermal method using Y (NO3)3 as precursor. Multiple techniques were applied to investigate the structures, morphologies, optical and electronic properties and photocatalytic performance of the as-prepared samples. The Y2O3@TNSs, with thickness of approximately 3-4 nm, large surface area of 240-350 m2/g, were full of Y2O3 nanoparticles highly dispersed on the surface. The introduction of Y2O3 influenced the crystallinity and the structure evolution of TNSs, besides, improved the light absorption ability. The surface photo-current and fluorescence spectral studies revealed that the photo-generated charge carrier separation efficiency could be improved by an appropriate modification. The degradation activity of this sun-light-induced photocatalytic has enhanced apparently on 4-Chlorophenol and K2Cr2O7 solution, the degradation efficiency of 4-Chlorophenol reached 5.69 times than that of P25, and the maximum TOC removal obtained after 120 min was 67.6%, indicating that most organic compounds were released from the solution. The enhancement in the photocatalytic activity was attributed to the synergetic effect of the Y2O3 and TNSs, which led to a fast separation and slow recombination of photo-induced electron-hole pairs. Consequently, the high efficiency in the experiments showed a promising application of the catalyst in the oxidation or reduction degradation of organic pollutants.

Fenton-like oxidation of 2,4-DCP in aqueous solution using iron-based nanoparticles as the heterogeneous catalyst.

PubMed

Li, Renchao; Gao, Ying; Jin, Xiaoying; Chen, Zuliang; Megharaj, Mallavarapu; Naidu, Ravendra

2015-01-15

In this report, various iron-based nanoparticles (nZVI, n-Ni/Fe, n-Pd/Fe) were used for both heterogeneous Fenton oxidation of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) and reductive dechlorination of 2,4-DCP in order to understand their roles in the Fenton oxidation and the reductive degradation of 2,4-DCP. The dechlorination efficiency of 2,4-DCP using nZVI, n-Ni/Fe, n-Fe/Pd and Fe(2)(+) was 6.48%, 6.80%, 15.95%, 5.02%, while Fenton oxidation efficiency of 2,4-DCP was 57.87%, 34.23%, 27.94%, 19.61% after 180 min, respectively. The new findings included a higher dechlorination using n-Fe/Pd due to Pd effective catalysis and the effective heterogeneous Fenton oxidation using nZVI depending on reductive dechlorination and heterogeneous Fenton oxidation occurs simultaneously. However, nZVI as the potential catalyst for heterogeneous Fenton was observed, and SEM, EDS and XRD demonstrate that change on the nZVI surface occurred due to the Fe(2+) leaching, and Total Organic Carbon (TOC) (30.71%) shows that 2,4-DCP was degraded. Furthermore, the experiment indicates that the pH values and concentration of 2,4-DCP significantly impacted on the heterogeneous Fenton oxidation of 2,4-DCP and the data fits well with the pseudo first-order kinetic model, which was a diffusion-controlled reaction. Finally, a possible mechanism for degradation of 2,4-DCP was proposed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Degradation of HTL layers during device operation in PhOLEDs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sivasubramaniam, Varatharajan; Brodkorb, Florian; Hanning, Stephanie; Buttler, Oliver; Loebl, Hans Peter; van Elsbergen, Volker; Boerner, Herbert; Scherf, Ullrich; Kreyenschmidt, Martin

2009-11-01

Different analytical tools and methodologies are currently employed to determine degradation products of organic blue light emitting devices in order to identify the failure mechanisms which determine the lifetime of these devices. This article provides a deeper understanding of degradation mechanisms of organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) during device operation. Degradation products of blue emitting devices containing 8% of the phosphorescent emitter iridium(III)bis(4,6-difluorophenyl)-pyridinato-N,C 2' picolinate (FIrpic) in a matrix containing bis(2-methyl-8-quinolinolato)(4-phenylphenolato)aluminium (BAlq) as electron transport layer (ETL), 4,4',4″-tri( N-carbazolyl)triphenylamine (TCTA) and N, N'-diphenyl- N, N'-bis(1-naphthyl)-1,1'-biphenyl-4,4″-diamine (α-NPD) were investigated using laser desorption ionization (LDI) coupled with a time of flight mass spectrometry (TOF/MS). Especially chemical degradation pathways of the hole transport materials TCTA and α-NPD were investigated. The comparison of experimental data of unstressed and stressed device revealed that new reaction products are formed during the device operation. The linkage of TCTA fragments to the α-NPD core in an interfacial reaction as well as a dimerization of TCTA itself was observed. Ten new reaction products could be characterized via LDI-TOF-MS. Some of these compounds might possess a negative influence on the drop of efficiency and lifetime of blue light emitting devices based on FIrpic.

Removal of anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) from wastewaters by zero-valent iron (ZVI): predominant removal mechanism for effective SDBS removal.

PubMed

Takayanagi, Akari; Kobayashi, Maki; Kawase, Yoshinori

2017-03-01

Mechanisms for removal of anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) in wastewaters by zero-valent iron (ZVI) were systematically examined. The contributions of four removal mechanisms, i.e., reductive degradation, oxidative degradation, adsorption, and precipitation, changed significantly with solution pH were quantified and the effective removal of SDBS by ZVI was found to be attributed to the adsorption capability of iron oxides/hydroxides on ZVI surface at nearly neutral pH instead of the degradation at acidic condition. The fastest SDBS removal rate and the maximum TOC (total organic carbon) removal efficiency were obtained at pH 6.0. The maximum TOC removal at pH 6.0 was 77.8%, and the contributions of degradation, precipitation, and adsorption to TOC removal were 4.6, 14.9, and 58.3%, respectively. At pH 3.0, which is an optimal pH for oxidative degradation by the Fenton reaction, the TOC removal was only 9.8% and the contributions of degradation, precipitation, and adsorption to TOC removal were 2.3, 4.6, and 2.9%, respectively. The electrostatic attraction between dodecyl benzene sulfate anion and the iron oxide/hydroxide layer controlled the TOC removal of SDBS. The kinetic model based on the Langmuir-Hinshelwood/Eley-Rideal approach could successfully describe the experimental results for SDBS removal by ZVI with the averaged correlation coefficient of 0.994. ZVI was found to be an efficient material toward the removal of anionic surfactant at nearly neutral pH under the oxic condition.

Comparison of Nonlinear Filtering Techniques for Lunar Surface Roving Navigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kimber, Lemon; Welch, Bryan W.

2008-01-01

Leading up to the Apollo missions the Extended Kalman Filter, a modified version of the Kalman Filter, was developed to estimate the state of a nonlinear system. Throughout the Apollo missions, Potter's Square Root Filter was used for lunar navigation. Now that NASA is returning to the Moon, the filters used during the Apollo missions must be compared to the filters that have been developed since that time, the Bierman-Thornton Filter (UD) and the Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF). The UD Filter involves factoring the covariance matrix into UDUT and has similar accuracy to the Square Root Filter; however it requires less computation time. Conversely, the UKF, which uses sigma points, is much more computationally intensive than any of the filters; however it produces the most accurate results. The Extended Kalman Filter, Potter's Square Root Filter, the Bierman-Thornton UD Filter, and the Unscented Kalman Filter each prove to be the most accurate filter depending on the specific conditions of the navigation system.

Anthropometry of Women of the U.S. Army - 1977. Report No. 5 - Comparative Data for U.S. Army Men

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-07-01

75-109.75 18 147 6.27 51922 74.75- 75#70 26 162 9e06 5299b 10?7S-1d8.75 22 129 7.67 44.95 73.75- 74*7:P 2? 126 3.41 43.90 1ab *?$-t~f.75 18 107 6.27...00 P4, " d L5 a .4. eI- uid 0 * (A C3 (4 %a t 4 W4* N 4 4M v4 N 4 1 -4 𔃺 Z O Nr. N I.- udA V- 4 . 02 Lz V5 aA N.4 4 N N f M A V4 Ps (A :." Id -AAi

Newly isolated Penicillium oxalicum A592-4B secretes enzymes that degrade milled rice straw with high efficiency.

PubMed

Aoyama, Akihisa; Kurane, Ryuichiro; Matsuura, Akira; Nagai, Kazuo

2015-01-01

An enzyme producing micro-organism, which can directly saccharify rice straw that has only been crushed without undergoing the current acid or alkaline pretreatment, was found. From the homology with the ITS, 28S rDNA sequence, the strain named A592-4B was identified as Penicillium oxalicum. Activities of the A592-4B enzymes and commercial enzyme preparations were compared by Novozymes Cellic CTec2 and Genencore GC220. In the present experimental condition, activity of A592-4B enzymes was 2.6 times higher than that of CTec2 for degrading milled rice straw. Furthermore, even when a quarter amount of A592-4B enzyme was applied to the rice straw, the conversion rate was still higher than that by CTec2. By utilizing A592-4B enzymes, improved lignocellulose degradation yields can be achieved without pre-treatment of the substrates; thus, contributing to cost reduction as well as reducing environmental burden.

Facile synthesis of novel CaFe2O4/g-C3N4 nanocomposites for degradation of methylene blue under visible-light irradiation.

PubMed

Vadivel, S; Maruthamani, D; Habibi-Yangjeh, A; Paul, Bappi; Dhar, Siddhartha Sankar; Selvam, Kaliyamoorthy

2016-10-15

Hybrid organic/inorganic nanocomposites comprised of calcium ferrite (CaFe2O4) and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) were prepared via a simple two-step process. The hybridized CaFe2O4/g-C3N4 heterostructure was characterized by a variety of techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), photoluminescence spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and photoelectrochemical studies. Photocatalytic activity of the prepared samples was evaluated against degradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible-light irradiation. The photocatalytic activity of CaFe2O4 30%/g-C3N4 nanocomposite, as optimum photocatalyst, for degradation of MB was superior to the pure CaFe2O4 and g-C3N4 samples. It was demonstrated that the photogenerated holes and superoxide ion radicals were the two main reactive species towards the photocatalytic degradation of MB over the nanocomposite. Based on the experimental results, a possible photocatalytic mechanism for the MB degradation over the nanocomposite was proposed. This work may provide some inspiration for the fabrication of spinel ferrites with efficient photocatalytic performance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sonocatalytic degradation of malachite green oxalate by a semiconductor metal oxide nanocatalyst.

PubMed

Bhavani, R; Sivasamy, A

2016-12-01

Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) technologies are considered to be better technique for the degradation or mineralization of many recalcitrant compounds and pollutants. In the present study heterogeneous sonocatalytic degradation of a model organic compound such as Malachite green oxalate (MGO) was carried out in the aqueous phase. Zinc oxide nanorods were prepared by precipitation method employing zinc acetates as precursors and were characterized by FT-IR, XRD, FE-SEM and EDAX analysis. Degradation of MGO in the aqueous phase was studied in detail under the sonocatalytic process. Effects of pH, dye concentration, oxidant concentration, kinetics and effect of electrolytes on dye degradation were carried out to check the efficiency of the sonocatalyst. Effect of energy input on the degradation processes was also investigated. The degradation of dye molecules were monitored by UV-visible spectrophotometer and Chemical Oxygen demand (COD). The dye molecules were readily degraded at above 90% in the pH range 5.0-7.0 under ultrasound with zinc oxide nanorods. The interference of electrolytes like NaCl, KCl, Na 2 CO 3 , NaHCO 3 and MgSO 4 on the degradation of dye molecules were also studied on the sonocatalytic degradation of MGO. From the kinetic studies it was observed that at lower initial concentration of dye molecules the degradation efficiency was above 90%. The rate of the reaction decreased on increasing the initial dye concentrations of the dye molecules. It was observed that the complete mineralization of dye molecules was achieved without the formation of toxic by-products. The reusability of the catalyst also showed the effective degradation of the dye molecules up to five cycles without loss of the catalytic activities. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Application of ligninolytic potentials of a white-rot fungus Ganoderma lucidum for degradation of lindane.

PubMed

Kaur, Harsimran; Kapoor, Shammi; Kaur, Gaganjyot

2016-10-01

Lindane, a broad-spectrum organochlorine pesticide, has caused a widespread environmental contamination along with other pesticides due to wrong agricultural practices. The high efficiency, sustainability and eco-friendly nature of the bioremediation process provide an edge over traditional physico-chemical remediation for managing pesticide pollution. In the present study, lindane degradation was studied by using a white-rot fungus, Ganoderma lucidum GL-2 strain, grown on rice bran substrate for ligninolytic enzyme induction at 30 °C and pH 5.6 after incorporation of 4 and 40 ppm lindane in liquid as well as solid-state fermentation. The estimation of lindane residue was carried out by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in the selected ion monitoring mode. In liquid-state fermentation, 100.13 U/ml laccase, 50.96 U/ml manganese peroxidase and 17.43 U/ml lignin peroxidase enzymes were obtained with a maximum of 75.50 % lindane degradation on the 28th day of incubation period, whereas under the solid-state fermentation system, 156.82 U/g laccase, 80.11 U/g manganese peroxidase and 18.61 U/g lignin peroxidase enzyme activities with 37.50 % lindane degradation were obtained. The lindane incorporation was inhibitory to the production of ligninolytic enzymes and its own degradation but was stimulatory for extracellular protein production. The dialysed crude enzyme extracts of ligninolytic enzymes were though efficient in lindane degradation during in vitro studies, but their efficiencies tend to decrease with an increase in the incubation period. Hence, lindane-degrading capabilities of G. lucidum GL-2 strain make it a potential candidate for managing lindane bioremediation at contaminated sites.

Reaction mechanism of dicofol removal by cellulase.

PubMed

Wang, Ziyuan; Yang, Ting; Zhai, Zihan; Zhang, Boya; Zhang, Jianbo

2015-10-01

It remains unclear whether dicofol should be defined as a persistent organic pollutant. Its environmental persistence has gained attention. This study focused on its degradation by cellulase. Cellulase was separated using a gel chromatogram, and its degradation activity towards dicofol involved its endoglucanase activity. By analyzing the kinetic parameters of cellulase reacting with mixed substrates, it was shown that cellulase reacted on dicofol and carboxyl methyl cellulose through two different active centers. Thus, the degradation of dicofol was shown to be an oxidative process by cellulase. Next, by comparing the impacts of tert-butyl alcohol (a typical OH free-radical inhibitor) on the removal efficiencies of dicofol under both cellulase and Fenton reagent systems, it was shown that the removal of dicofol was initiated by OH free radicals produced by cellulase. Finally, 4,4'-dichloro-dibenzophenone and chloride were detected using gas chromatography mass spectrometry and ion chromatography analysis, which supported our hypothesis. The reaction mechanism was analyzed and involved an attack by OH free radicals at the orthocarbon of dicofol, resulting in the degradation product 4,4'-dichloro-dibenzophenone. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Comparison of various advanced oxidation processes for the degradation of 4-chloro-2 nitrophenol.

PubMed

Saritha, P; Aparna, C; Himabindu, V; Anjaneyulu, Y

2007-11-19

In the present study an attempt is made efficiently to degrade USEPA listed 4-chloro-2-nitrophenol (4C-2-NP), widely available in bulk drug and pesticide wastes using various advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). A comparative assessment using various AOPs (UV, H(2)O(2,) UV/H(2)O(2), Fenton, UV/Fenton and UV/TiO(2)) was attempted after initial optimization studies, viz., varying pH, peroxide concentration, iron concentration, and TiO(2) loading. The degradation of the study compound was estimated using chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction and compound reduction using spectrophotometric methods and further validated with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The degradation trends followed the order: UV/Fenton > UV/TiO(2) > UV/H(2)O(2) > Fenton > H(2)O(2) > UV(.) It can be inferred from the studies that UV/Fenton was the most effective in partial mineralization of 4C-2-NP. However, lower costs were obtained with H(2)O(2). Kinetic constants were evaluated using first order equations to determine the rate constant K.

Specially designed B4C/SnO2 nanocomposite for photocatalysis: traditional ceramic with unique properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Paviter; Kaur, Gurpreet; Singh, Kulwinder; Singh, Bikramjeet; Kaur, Manpreet; Kaur, Manjot; Krishnan, Unni; Kumar, Manjeet; Bala, Rajni; Kumar, Akshay

2018-02-01

Boron carbide: A traditional ceramic material shows unique properties when explored in nano-range. Specially designed boron-based nanocomposite has been synthesized by reflux method. The addition of SnO2 in base matrix increases the defect states in boron carbide and shows unique catalytic properties. The calculated texture coefficient and Nelson-Riley factor show that the synthesized nanocomposite has large number of defect states. Also this composite is explored for the first time for catalysis degradation of industrial used dyes. The degradation analysis of industrial pollutants such as Novacron red Huntsman (NRH) and methylene blue (MB) dye reveals that the composite is an efficient catalyst. Degradation study shows that 1 g/L catalyst concentration of B4C/SnO2 degrades NRH and MB dye up to approximately 97.38 and 79.41%, respectively, in 20 min under sunlight irradiation. This water-insoluble catalyst can be recovered and reused.

Sulphated Electric Arc Furnace Slag Asfenton-Like Catalyst for Degradation of Reactive Black 5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zubir, N. A.; Nasuha, N.; Alrozi, R.

2018-06-01

Sulphated electric arc furnace slag (S-EAFS) was obtained through a facile chemical and thermal treatment method. The S-EAFS was evaluated as a Fenton-like catalyst for the oxidative degradation of reactive black 5 (RB5). The S-EAFS was characterized by XRD, SEM-EDX and nitrogen adsorption analysis. The highest RB5 degradation efficiency obtained in this study was above 90% which was maintained across seven successive cycles with minimum iron leaching. This was achieved at a RB5 concentration of 0.15 gL-1 (50 ppm) with 8 mM of H2O2 and a pH of 4.5. Characterization revealed that the presence of sulphated groups (SO4 2-) within the EAFS improved the surface acidity of the material and corresponded to an increase in the catalytic activity for the degradation of RB5 at mild pH.

Suicide rates and socioeconomic factors in Eastern European countries after the collapse of the Soviet Union: trends between 1990 and 2008.

PubMed

Kõlves, Kairi; Milner, Allison; Värnik, Peeter

2013-07-01

After the collapse of the Soviet Union the various Eastern European (EE) countries adapted in different ways to the social, political and economic changes. The present study aims to analyse whether the factors related to social integration and regulation are able to explain the changes in the suicide rate in EE. A separate analysis of suicide rates, together with the undetermined intent mortality (UD), was performed. A cross-sectional time-series design and applied a panel data fixed-effects regression technique was used in analyses. The sample included 13 countries from the former Soviet bloc between 1990 and 2008. Dependent variables were gender-specific age-adjusted suicide rates and suicide plus UD rates. Independent variables included unemployment, GDP, divorce rate, birth rate, the Gini index, female labour force participation, alcohol consumption and general practitioners per 100,000 people. Male suicide and suicide or UD rates had similar predictors, which suggest that changes in suicide were related to socioeconomic disruptions experienced during the transition period. However, male suicide rates in EE were not associated with alcohol consumption during the study period. Even so, there might be underestimation of alcohol consumption due to illegal alcohol and differences between methodologies of calculating alcohol consumption. However, predictors of female suicide were related to economic integration and suicide or UD rates with domestic integration. © 2013 The Authors. Sociology of Health & Illness © 2013 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness/John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Urine drug screens: Considerations for the psychiatric pharmacist

PubMed Central

Hale, Genevieve M.; Ross, Clint

2016-01-01

Introduction: Proper psychiatric evaluation of patients necessitates that the clinician be vigilant in ruling out secondary causes of symptoms, such as substance-induced symptoms. Immunoassay-type urine drug screens (UDSs) offer clinicians rapid drug screen results, ease of use, and inexpensive cost. Unfortunately, these screens are not without their limitations. This review aims to outline the nuances and limitations of immunoassay UDSs and to provide the clinician with information that facilitates more accurate interpretation of UDS results. Specifically, false positive results associated with psychiatric medications and the availability and methods for acquisition of commercialized UDS masking agents will be reviewed. Methods: A literature review was conducted to identify false positive UDSs associated with psychiatric medications. References for each article identified were also reviewed. Additionally, a Google® search was conducted to identify commercially available preparations used to mask UDS results and the methods of acquisition of these products. Results: A total of 14 articles were identified using PubMed. No articles for mood stabilizing agents were identified. Entering the phrase how to pass a drug test into Google® search yielded about 12.6 million results, and select references were reviewed based on relevance and user reviews. Discussion: Several psychiatric medications are documented as potential sources of false positive UDSs. Additionally, several agents are available for consumer purchase that may result in false negative UDSs. The clinician must be vigilant in interpreting immunoassay UDS results and should utilize more advanced forms of testing as clinically appropriate.

Duration of plant damage by host larvae affects attraction of two parasitoid species (Microplitis croceipes and Cotesia marginiventris) to cotton: implications for interspecific competition.

PubMed

Morawo, Tolulope; Fadamiro, Henry

2014-12-01

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by herbivore-damaged plants can guide parasitoids to their hosts. The quantity and quality of VOC blends emitted by plants may be affected by the duration of plant damage by herbivores, which could have potential ramifications on the recruitment of competing parasitoids. We used two parasitoid species, Microplitis croceipes and Cotesia marginiventris (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), to address the question of whether duration of plant damage affects parasitoid use of plant VOCs for host location. Both wasp species are larval endoparasitoids of Heliothis virescens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), an important pest of cotton. Attraction of the two parasitoid species to odors emitted by undamaged (UD), fresh (6 h infestation) damage (FD), and old (24 h infestation) damage (OD) cotton plants infested by H. virescens larvae was investigated using a headspace volatile collection system coupled with four-choice olfactometer bioassay. Both sexes of M. croceipes showed a preference for FD- and OD-plant odors over UD-plants. On the other hand, more C. marginiventris females were attracted to UD- and FD-plants than to OD-plants. GC/MS analyses showed qualitative and quantitative differences in the VOC profiles of UD, FD, and OD-plants, which may explain the observed preferences of the parasitoids. These results suggest a temporal partitioning in the recruitment of M. croceipes and C. marginiventris to H. virescens-damaged cotton, and may have potential implications for interspecific competition between the two parasitoid species.

Wrought Stainless Steel Fasteners for Civil Works Applications.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-03-01

Library Europe 09757 Fort Devens 01433 Huntsville 35807 Fort Drum 13604 ETL, AIT: Library 22080 Lower Mississippi Valley 39180 Fort Hood 76544 Middle...general C ). It cati be nitrided anid shows a dimnensiotnal cont rac - fabricating characteristics of’ 17-4 P11 SS are sitnilat tion ott heat t reatmnt tiup...CCP ATTN: EAE-ID 96224 Fort Lesley J. nesir euJn AIIN: OALM CH AITN: EAFE-41 9b/Ud Fort Myer eZZ1 AIIM. UAE-Cat ATTN: tAFE-H 9b271 ATTN, UAA-CW4M

NH2Fe3O4@SiO2 supported peroxidase catalyzed H2O2 for degradation of endocrine disrupter from aqueous solution: Roles of active radicals and NOMs.

PubMed

Ai, Jing; Zhang, Weijun; Liao, Guiying; Xia, Hua; Wang, Dongsheng

2017-11-01

In this work, magnetic Fe 3 O 4 was utilized to immobilize horseradish peroxidase (IM-HRP) in order to improve its stability and reusability by crosslinking method process with glutaraldehyde. The physicochemical properties of NH 2 Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 and IM-HRP were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Thermo-gravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The thermal stability of immobilized-HRP was considerably improved in comparison with free counterpart. The catalytic performance of IM-HRP for estrogens removal from aqueous solution was evaluated, it was found that the presence of natural organic matters (NOM) have no significant effects on E2 removal and the E2 enzyme-degradation reached around 80% when pH = 7.0 with 0.552 × 10 -3 ratio of IM-HRP/H 2 O 2. In addition, the active radicals responsible for estrogens degradation were identified with electro-spin resonance spectra (ESR). It was found that immobilization process on Fe 3 O 4 showed no adverse effects on catalytic performance on HRP, estrogens degradation could be fitted well with pseudo-second kinetic equation. Estrogens degradation efficiency was reduced in the presence of humic substances. Both O 2 - and OH were detected in IM-HRP catalyzed H 2 O 2 system and radicals quenching test indicated O 2 - played a more important role in estrogens removal. IM-HRP exhibited excellent stability and E2 removal efficiency could reach 45.41% after use seven times. Therefore, HRP enzymes immobilized on NH 2 Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 by cross-linking method in glutaraldehyde solutions was an effective way to improve stability and reusability of HRP, and which could avoid potential secondary pollution in water environment caused by free HRP after treatment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Photocatalytic degradation of humic substances in aqueous solution using Cu-doped ZnO nanoparticles under natural sunlight irradiation.

PubMed

Maleki, Afshin; Safari, Mahdi; Shahmoradi, Behzad; Zandsalimi, Yahya; Daraei, Hiua; Gharibi, Fardin

2015-11-01

In this study, Cu-doped ZnO nanoparticles were investigated as an efficient synthesized catalyst for photodegradation of humic substances in aqueous solution under natural sunlight irradiation. Cu-doped ZnO nanocatalyst was prepared through mild hydrothermal method and was characterized using FT-IR, powder XRD and SEM techniques. The effect of operating parameters such as doping ratio, initial pH, catalyst dosage, initial concentrations of humic substances and sunlight illuminance were studied on humic substances degradation efficiency. The results of characterization analyses of samples confirmed the proper synthesis of Cu-doped ZnO nanocatalyst. The experimental results indicated the highest degradation efficiency of HS (99.2%) observed using 1.5% Cu-doped ZnO nanoparticles at reaction time of 120 min. Photocatalytic degradation efficiency of HS in a neutral and acidic pH was much higher than that at alkaline pH. Photocatalytic degradation of HS was enhanced with increasing the catalyst dosage and sunlight illuminance, while increasing the initial HS concentration led to decrease in the degradation efficiency of HS. Conclusively, Cu-doped ZnO nanoparticles can be used as a promising and efficient catalyst for degradation of HS under natural sunlight irradiation.

Decontamination of soil containing POPs by the combined action of solid Fenton-like reagents and microwaves.

PubMed

Cravotto, Giancarlo; Di Carlo, Stefano; Ondruschka, Bernd; Tumiatti, Vander; Roggero, Carlo Maria

2007-10-01

The effect on halogenated aromatics of solid, non-toxic oxidants such as sodium percarbonate and the urea/hydrogen peroxide complex (Fenton-like reagents) was investigated. A microwaves-assisted, solvent-free method for soil decontamination is presented. It marks a considerable advance in the search of more efficient, environment-friendly procedures for the degradative oxidation of persistent organic pollutants. Residual pollutants in treated soil samples were determined by GC/MS analysis after solvent extraction or direct thermal desorption. Results showed that 4-chloronaphthol, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and p-nonylphenol had been degraded completely, 2,4-dibromophenol to a large extent.

Visible light responsive Cu2MoS4 nanosheets incorporated reduced graphene oxide for efficient degradation of organic pollutant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rameshbabu, R.; Vinoth, R.; Navaneethan, M.; Harish, S.; Hayakawa, Y.; Neppolian, B.

2017-10-01

Visible light active copper molybdenum sulfide (Cu2MoS4) nanosheets were successfully anchored on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) using facile hydrothermal method. During the hydrothermal reaction, reduction of graphene oxide into rGO and the formation of Cu2MoS4 nanosheets were successfully obtained. The charge transfer interaction between the rGO sheets and Cu2MoS4 nanosheets extended the absorption to visible region in comparison with bare Cu2MoS4 nanosheets i.e without rGO sheets. Furthermore, the notable photoluminescence quenching observed for Cu2MoS4/rGO nanocomposite revealed the effective role of rGO towards the significant inhibition of electron-hole pair recombination. The photocatalytic efficiencies of bare Cu2MoS4 and Cu2MoS4/rGO nanocomposite was evaluated for the degradation of methyl orange dye under visible irradiation (λ > 420 nm). A maximum photodegradation efficiency of 99% was achieved for Cu2MoS4/rGO nanocomposite, while only 64% photodegradation was noted for bare Cu2MoS4. The enhanced optical absorption in visible region, high surface area, and low charge carrier recombination in the presence of rGO sheets were the main reasons for the enhancement in photodegardation of MO dye. In addition, the resultant Cu2MoS4/rGO nanocomposite was found to be reusable for five successive cycles without significant loss in its photocatalytic performance.

Combined ultrasound with Fenton treatment for the degradation of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in textile dying sludge.

PubMed

Zhang, Jian-Hao; Zou, Hai-Yuan; Ning, Xun-An; Lin, Mei-Qing; Chen, Chang-Min; An, Tai-Cheng; Sun, Jian

2017-03-22

To develop an effective method to remove the toxic and carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (CPAHs) from textile dyeing sludge, five CPAHs were selected to investigate the degradation efficiencies using ultrasound combined with Fenton process (US/Fenton). The results showed that the synergistic effect of the US/Fenton process on the degradation of CPAHs in textile dyeing sludge was significant with the synergy degree of 30.4. During the US/Fenton process, low ultrasonic density showed significant advantage in degrading the CPAHs in textile dyeing sludge. Key reaction parameters on CPAHs degradation were optimized by the central composite design as followed: H 2 O 2 concentration of 152 mmol/L, ultrasonic density of 408 W/L, pH value of 3.7, the molar ratio of H 2 O 2 to Fe 2+ of 1.3 and reaction time of 43 min. Under the optimal conditions of the US/Fenton process, the degradation efficiencies of five CPAHs were obtained as 81.23% (benzo[a]pyrene) to 84.98% (benz[a]anthracene), and the benzo[a]pyrene equivalent (BaP eq ) concentrations of five CPAHs declined by 81.22-85.19%, which indicated the high potency of US/Fenton process for removing toxic CPAHs from textile dyeing sludge.

Mismatch repair proteins recruited to ultraviolet light-damaged sites lead to degradation of licensing factor Cdt1 in the G1 phase.

PubMed

Tanaka, Miyuki; Takahara, Michiyo; Nukina, Kohei; Hayashi, Akiyo; Sakai, Wataru; Sugasawa, Kaoru; Shiomi, Yasushi; Nishitani, Hideo

2017-04-03

Cdt1 is rapidly degraded by CRL4 Cdt2 E3 ubiquitin ligase after UV (UV) irradiation. Previous reports revealed that the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway is responsible for the rapid Cdt1-proteolysis. Here, we show that mismatch repair (MMR) proteins are also involved in the degradation of Cdt1 after UV irradiation in the G1 phase. First, compared with the rapid (within ∼15 min) degradation of Cdt1 in normal fibroblasts, Cdt1 remained stable for ∼30 min in NER-deficient XP-A cells, but was degraded within ∼60 min. The delayed degradation was also dependent on PCNA and CRL4 Cdt2 . The MMR proteins Msh2 and Msh6 were recruited to the UV-damaged sites of XP-A cells in the G1 phase. Depletion of these factors with small interfering RNAs prevented Cdt1 degradation in XP-A cells. Similar to the findings in XP-A cells, depletion of XPA delayed Cdt1 degradation in normal fibroblasts and U2OS cells, and co-depletion of Msh6 further prevented Cdt1 degradation. Furthermore, depletion of Msh6 alone delayed Cdt1 degradation in both cell types. When Cdt1 degradation was attenuated by high Cdt1 expression, repair synthesis at the damaged sites was inhibited. Our findings demonstrate that UV irradiation induces multiple repair pathways that activate CRL4 Cdt2 to degrade its target proteins in the G1 phase of the cell cycle, leading to efficient repair of DNA damage.

Photocatalytic degradation of commercial phoxim over La-doped TiO2 nanoparticles in aqueous suspension.

PubMed

Dai, Ke; Peng, Tianyou; Chen, Hao; Liu, Juan; Zan, Lin

2009-03-01

Photocatalytic degradation of commercial phoxim emulsion in aqueous suspension was investigated by using La-doped mesoporous TiO2 nanoparticles (m-TiO2) as the photocatalyst under UV irradiation. Effects of La-doping level, calcination temperature, and additional amount of the photocatalyst on the photocatalytic degradation efficiency were investigated in detail. Experimental results indicate that 20 mg L(-1) phoxim in 0.5 g L(-1) La/m-TiO2 suspension (the initial pH 4.43) can be decomposed as prolonging the irradiation time. Almost 100% phoxim was decomposed after 4 h irradiation according to the spectrophotometric analyses, whereas the mineralization rate of phoxim just reached ca. 80% as checked by ion chromatography (IC) analyses. The elimination of the organic solvent in the phoxim emulsion as well as the formation and decomposition of some degradation intermediates were observed by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (HPLC-MS). On the basis of the analysis results on the photocatalytic degradation intermediates, two possible photocatalytic degradation pathways are proposed under the present experimental conditions, which reveal that both the hydrolysis and adsorption of phoxim under UV light irradiation play important roles during the photocatalytic degradation of phoxim.

Biodegradation of diuron by an endophytic fungus Neurospora intermedia DP8-1 isolated from sugarcane and its potential for remediating diuron-contaminated soils

PubMed Central

Feng, Guojun; Du, Liangwei; Zeng, Dongqiang

2017-01-01

A diuron-degrading endophyte DP8-1 was isolated from sugarcane root grown in diuron-treated soil in the present study. The endophyte was identified as Neurospora intermedia based on the morphological characteristics and sequence analysis. The fermentation parameters including temperature, pH, inoculation size, carbon source, and initial diuron concentration were also investigated for the optimization of degradation efficiency. The results indicated that strain DP8-1 was capable of degrading up to 99% diuron within 3 days under the optimal degrading condition. The study of degradation spectrum indicated that strain DP8-1 could also degrade and utilize fenuron, monuron, metobromuron, isoproturon, chlorbromuron, linuron, and chlortoluron as substrate for strain growth. On basis of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis for the products of the degradation of diuron, strain DP8-1 metabolized diuron to produce N-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-urea and N-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-N-methylurea through sequential N-dealkylations. In a soil bioaugmentation experiment, the inoculation of strain DP8-1 into diuron-treated soil effectively enhanced the disappearance rate of diuron. PMID:28809955

PREPARATION OF FLOWER-LIKE Co3O4/Fe3O4 MAGNETIC MICROSPHERES FOR PHOTODEGRADATION OF RhB UNDER UV LIGHT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Baoliang; Zhang, Hepeng; Zhou, Lunwei; Ali, Nisar; Geng, Wangchang; Zhang, Qiuyu

2013-07-01

Flower-like Co3O4/Fe3O4 magnetic microspheres were prepared by coprecipitation of Fe2+ and Fe3+ in presence of flower-like Co3O4 microspheres as template. The preparation process included three steps: preparation of flower-like Co3O4 microspheres by hydrothermal method; immersion of Fe2+ and Fe3+ ions; coprecipitation in the presence of OH-. Rhodamine B (RhB) was chosen as model pollutants to investigate the photodegradation capacities of Co3O4/Fe3O4 magnetic microspheres. The results showed that the microspheres exhibited excellent degradation property and can be recycled to use again. After four times use the degradation efficiency was still above 90%.

Winery biomass waste degradation by sequential sonication and mixed fungal enzyme treatments.

PubMed

Karpe, Avinash V; Dhamale, Vijay V; Morrison, Paul D; Beale, David J; Harding, Ian H; Palombo, Enzo A

2017-05-01

To increase the efficiency of winery-derived biomass biodegradation, grape pomace was ultrasonicated for 20min in the presence of 0.25M, 0.5Mand1.0MKOH and 1.0MNaOH. This was followed by treatment with a 1:1 (v/v) mix of crude enzyme preparation derived from Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Trametes versicolor for 18h and a further 18h treatment with a 60:14:4:2 percent ratio combination of enzymes derived from Aspergillus niger: Penicillium chrysogenum: Trichoderma harzianum: P. citrinum, repsectively. Process efficiency was evaluated by its comparison to biological only mixed fungal degradation over 16days. Ultrasonication treatment with 0.5MKOH followed by mixed enzyme treatment yielded the highest lignin degradation of about 13%. Cellulase, β-glucosidase, xylanase, laccase and lignin peroxidase activities of 77.9, 476, 5,390.5, 66.7 and 29,230.7U/mL, respectively, were observed during biomass degradation. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of the degraded material identified commercially important compounds such as gallic acid, lithocholic acid, glycolic acid and lactic acid which were generated in considerable quantities. Thus, the combination of sonication pre-treatment and enzymatic degradation has the potential to considerably improve the breakdown of agricultural biomass and produce commercially useful compounds in markedly less time (<40h) with respect to biological only degradation (16days). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Degradation of ethyl mercaptan and its major intermediate diethyl disulfide by Pseudomonas sp. strain WL2.

PubMed

Wang, Xiangqian; Wu, Chao; Liu, Nan; Li, Sujing; Li, Wei; Chen, Jianmeng; Chen, Dongzhi

2015-04-01

A Pseudomonas sp. strain WL2 that is able to efficiently metabolize ethyl mercaptan (EM) into diethyl disulfide (DEDS) through enzymatic oxidation was isolated from the activated sludge of a pharmaceutical wastewater plant. One hundred percent removal of 113.5 mg L(-1) EM and 110.3 mg L(-1) DEDS were obtained within 14 and 32 h, respectively. A putative EM degradation pathway that involved the catabolism via DEDS was proposed, which indicated DEDS were further mineralized into carbon dioxide (CO2), bacterial cells, and sulfate (SO4 (2-)) through the transformation of element sulfur and ethyl aldehyde. Degradation kinetics for EM and DEDS with different initial concentrations by strain WL2 were evaluated using Haldane-Andrews model with maximum specific degradation rates of 3.13 and 1.33 g g(-1) h(-1), respectively, and maximum degradation rate constants of 0.522 and 0.175 h(-1) using pseudo-first-order kinetic model were obtained. Results obtained that aerobic degradation of EM by strain WL2 was more efficient than those from previous studies. Substrate range studies of strain WL2 demonstrated its ability to degrade several mercaptans, disulfides, aldehydes, and methanol. All the results obtained highlight the potential of strain WL2 for the use in the biodegradation of volatile organic sulfur compounds (VOSCs).

Mechanism insight of PFOA degradation by ZnO assisted-photocatalytic ozonation: Efficiency and intermediates.

PubMed

Wu, Dan; Li, Xukai; Tang, Yiming; Lu, Ping; Chen, Weirui; Xu, Xiaoting; Li, Laisheng

2017-08-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods were prepared by a directly pyrolysis method and employed as catalyst for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) degradation. Comparative experiments were conducted to discuss the catalytic activity and flexibility of ZnO. After ZnO addition, the best PFOA degradation efficiency (70.5%) was achieved by ZnO/UV/O 3 system, only 9.5% by sole ozonation and 18.2% by UV 254 light irradiation. PFOA degradation was sensitive with pH value and temperature. The better PFOA removal efficiency was achieved at acidic condition. A novel relationship was found among PFOA degradation efficiency with hydroxyl radicals and photo-generated holes. Hydroxyl radicals generated on the surfaces of ZnO nanorods played dominant roles in PFOA degradation. PFOA degradation was found to follow the photo-Kolbe reaction mechanism. C 2 -C 7 shorter-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids and fluoride ion were detected as main intermediates during PFOA degradation process. Based on the results, a proposal degradation pathway was raised. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Decoupling degradation in exciton formation and recombination during lifetime testing of organic light-emitting devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hershey, Kyle W.; Suddard-Bangsund, John; Qian, Gang; Holmes, Russell J.

2017-09-01

The analysis of organic light-emitting device degradation is typically restricted to fitting the overall luminance loss as a function of time or the characterization of fully degraded devices. To develop a more complete understanding of degradation, additional specific data are needed as a function of luminance loss. The overall degradation in luminance during testing can be decoupled into a loss in emitter photoluminescence efficiency and a reduction in the exciton formation efficiency. Here, we demonstrate a method that permits separation of these component efficiencies, yielding the time evolution of two additional specific device parameters that can be used in interpreting and modeling degradation without modification to the device architecture or introduction of any additional post-degradation characterization steps. Here, devices based on the phosphor tris[2-phenylpyridinato-C2,N]iridium(III) (Ir(ppy)3) are characterized as a function of initial luminance and emissive layer thickness. The overall loss in device luminance is found to originate primarily from a reduction in the exciton formation efficiency which is exacerbated in devices with thinner emissive layers. Interestingly, the contribution to overall degradation from a reduction in the efficiency of exciton recombination (i.e., photoluminescence) is unaffected by thickness, suggesting a fixed exciton recombination zone width and degradation at an interface.

Evaluation of sexual function in females with exstrophy-epispadias-complex: A survey of the multicenter German CURE-Net.

PubMed

Ebert, Anne-Karoline; Lange, Theresa; Reutter, Heiko; Jenetzky, Ekkehart; Stein, Raimund; Boemers, Thomas M; Hirsch, Karin; Rösch, Wolfgang H; Zwink, Nadine

2017-04-01

Standardized knowledge about genital function in adult female individuals with exstrophy-epispadias complex (EEC) is scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate sexual function using the standardized Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), and to assess the influence of bladder and vaginal reconstruction and the presence of incontinence on FSFI results. Sixty-one females (aged ≥18 years) recruited by the German multicenter network for congenital uro-rectal malformations (CURE-Net) were asked to complete the FSFI and a self-designed semi-structured questionnaire assessing comprehensive medical data, gynecological, and psychosocial items. Twenty-one eligible females (34%) returned both questionnaires (mean ± standard deviation [SD] age of 26 ± 5.1 years). In 43% of participants, a staged or single-staged approach had been used for reconstruction, and these had their bladder in use. A primary or secondary urinary diversion (UD) after cystectomy had been performed in 38% of participants. Of the participants, 57% lived in a committed partnership, and 62% had sexual intercourse on a regular basis, with a further 19% experiencing pain or discomfort thereby. Introitus plasty was done in 43%. Mean total FSFI for all participants was 21.3 (SD 1.9). Most domain scores of patients after introitus plasty were similar compared with those without an operative vaginal approach, except for satisfaction (p = 0.057) and pain (p = 0.024). Comparing incontinent with continent patients, significant differences were found for desire (mean 4.6 vs. 3.5, p = 0.021), lubrication (mean 3.1 vs. 4.2, p = 0.049), and satisfaction (mean 1.6 vs. 3.6, p = 0.0065). In contrast pain was not significant between groups. Sexual activity rate in the present study was similar to that reported in the literature (81% vs. 89%), whereas dyspareunia rate was lower in our cohort (19% vs. 24%). The risk for sexual dysfunction seems to be lower in patients reconstructed with primary or secondary UD than patients with bladder in use. It is surprising that lubrification was better after UD than after bladder neck surgery. Incontinence and in some parts the history of an introitus plasty may play an additional role in development of sexual dysfunction in EEC. Although most of the female EEC patients lived in a committed partnership and had sexual intercourse, total FSFI values <26.55 clearly indicate a risk of sexual dysfunction. Although continence itself played a major role, females reconstructed with UD seem to have better sexual function. Further evaluation of sexual outcome and improvement of care for these patients is mandatory. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Regionalized and vectorial charges transferring of Cd1-xZnxS twin nanocrystal homojunctions for visible-light driven photocatalytic applications.

PubMed

Dong, Wanyue; Liu, Yutang; Zeng, Guangming; Zhang, Shuqu; Cai, Tao; Yuan, Jili; Chen, Hui; Gao, Jing; Liu, Chengbin

2018-05-15

In photocatalyst designing, quick recombination of photo-generated electron-hole pairs in the bulk or on the surface of semiconductors is a major limiting factor in achieving high photocatalytic efficiency, which is one of the most knotty scientific issues. For this purpose, a series of Cd 1-x Zn x S twin nanocrystal (NC) zinc blende/wurtzite (ZB/WZ) homojunctions photocatalysts were synthesized by a facile solvothermal route and innovatively employed in photocatalytic degradation. In sample Cd 0.6 Zn 0.4 S, ZB and WZ phases have the largest distribution and closest interconnection at atomic level. The type-II staggered band alignment formed between two phases made photo-generated electrons and holes spatially separated to ZB (away from twin plane) and WZ (to twin plane) regions, and the ordered arrangement of redox reaction's active sites was then realized inside a single semiconductor. Finally, photocatalytic activities of the samples were evaluated by degradation of methylene blue (MB) upon visible light irradiation. The optimal Cd 0.6 Zn 0.4 S NCs without any co-catalyst loading showed high photocatalytic activity with degradation efficiency of 95% in 80 min and performed excellent photostability. Furthermore, photocatalytic degradation and electron transfer mechanisms in Cd 0.6 Zn 0.4 S twin NCs are studied particularly. Inner twin structure homojunction has provided a new insight into the crystalline phase engineering. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Synthesis of rare earth doped TiO2 nanorods as photocatalysts for lignin degradation.

PubMed

Song, Liang; Zhao, Xueyuan; Cao, Lixin; Moon, Ji-Won; Gu, Baohua; Wang, Wei

2015-10-28

A two-step process is developed to synthesize rare earth doped titania nanorods (RE-TiO2 NRs) as photocatalysts for efficient degradation of lignin under simulated sunlight irradiation. In this approach, protonated titanate nanotubes with layered structures were first prepared by a hydrothermal approach, and rare earth metal ions were subsequently bound to the negatively charged surface of the synthesized titanate via electrostatic incorporation. The as-synthesized RE-TiO2 NRs after calcination generally showed much higher photocatalytic efficiencies than those of undoped TiO2 NRs or the commercial P25 TiO2 photocatalyst. Using methyl orange (MO) as a probing molecule, we demonstrate that Eu-TiO2 NRs are among the best for degrading MO, with an observed rate constant of 4.2 × 10(-3) s(-1). The La(3+), Sm(3+), Eu(3+) and Er(3+) doped TiO2 NRs also showed higher photocatalytic efficiencies in degrading MO than the commercial P25 TiO2. We further demonstrate that lignin can be photodegraded effectively and rapidly at room temperature under simulated sunlight through two reaction routes, which could be important in controlling ways of lignin depolymerization or the formation of reaction products.

Synthesis of rare earth doped TiO 2 nanorods as photocatalysts for lignin degradation

DOE PAGES

Song, Liang; Zhao, Xueyuan; Cao, Lixin; ...

2015-09-10

In this paper, a two-step process is developed to synthesize rare earth doped titania nanorods (RE–TiO 2 NRs) as photocatalysts for efficient degradation of lignin under simulated sunlight irradiation. In this approach, protonated titanate nanotubes with layered structures were first prepared by a hydrothermal approach, and rare earth metal ions were subsequently bound to the negatively charged surface of the synthesized titanate via electrostatic incorporation. The as-synthesized RE–TiO 2 NRs after calcination generally showed much higher photocatalytic efficiencies than those of undoped TiO 2 NRs or the commercial P25 TiO 2 photocatalyst. Using methyl orange (MO) as a probing molecule,more » we demonstrate that Eu–TiO 2 NRs are among the best for degrading MO, with an observed rate constant of 4.2 × 10 -3 s -1. The La 3+, Sm 3+, Eu 3+ and Er 3+ doped TiO 2 NRs also showed higher photocatalytic efficiencies in degrading MO than the commercial P25 TiO 2. Finally, we further demonstrate that lignin can be photodegraded effectively and rapidly at room temperature under simulated sunlight through two reaction routes, which could be important in controlling ways of lignin depolymerization or the formation of reaction products.« less