bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cost forecasting model for order-based sheet metalworking
Authors: Bargelis A , Rimasauskas M
Published: April 2007

This paper deals with a cost forecasting model for order-based sheet metalworking. The model has been developed on the cost analysis performed by comparing traditional manufacture of sheet metal parts (dies and presses) with rapid manufacture (RM) as CNC punching, laser cutting, and bending in terms of the cost per part unit made in various quantities. The findings show that it is more economical to apply RM methods for some sheet metal design geometries than traditional approaches in the production of thousand units. The developed cost forecasting model has been tested and adopted in two sheet metalworking companies. It furnishes the possibility for producer to find quickly and to estimate the product cost at an early stage of order-based sheet metalworking industry with satisfactory accuracy. The proposed model is being implemented both in industry and university education process.
Noise source localization by applying multiple signal classification with wavelet transformation
Authors: Ko B , Lee S
Published: April 2007

In an inverse acoustic problem with nearfield sources, it is important to separate multiple acoustic sources and to measure the position of each target. This paper proposes a new algorithm by applying multiple signal classification (MUSIC) to the outputs of discrete wavelet transformation with subband selection based on the entropy threshold. Some numerical experiments show that the proposed method can estimate the more precise positions than a conventional MUSIC algorithm under moderately correlated signal and relatively low signal-to-noise ratio case.
Mesostructured Silica with Bush-like Morphology and Its Transformation into Nanometer-sized Mesoporous Silica Particles
Authors: Kapoor Mahendra P , Kasama Yuuki , Yanagi Masaaki , Yokoyama Takuji , Nanbu Hironobu , Juneja Lekh R
Published: April 2007

A novel bush-like morphology of mesostructured silica having stems, branches, and leaves has been grown under mild basic conditions via auxiliary solvent evaporation induced self-assembly process.
Differential Binding of Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerase-1 and JunD/Fra2 Accounts for RANKL-Induced Tcirg1 Gene Expression During Osteoclastogenesis
Authors: Beranger Guillaume E , Momier David , Guigonis Jean-Marie , Samson Michel , Carle Georges F , Scimeca Jean-Claude
Published: April 2007

We studied Tcirg1 gene expression on RANKL-induced osteoclastic differentiation of the mouse model RAW264.7 cells. We identified a mechanism involving PARP-1 inhibition release and JunD/Fra-2 binding, which is responsible for Tcirg1 gene upregulation.

Introduction: The Tcirg1 gene encodes the a3 isoform of the V-ATPase a subunit, which plays a critical role in the resorption activity of the osteoclast. Using serial deletion constructs of the Tcirg1 gene promoter, we performed a transcriptional study to identify factor(s) involved in the regulation of the RANKL-induced gene expression.

Materials and Methods: The promoter activity of serial-deletion fragments of the Tcirg1 gene promoter was monitored throughout the RAW264.7 cells differentiation process. We next performed sequence analysis, EMSA, UV cross-linking, qPCR, and gel supershift experiments to identify the factor(s) interacting with the promoter.

Results: A deletion of the −1297−1244 region led to the disappearance of the RANKL-induced promoter activity. EMSA experiments showed the binding of two factors that undergo differential binding on RANKL treatment. Supershift experiments led us to identify the dimer JunD/Fra-2 as the binding activity associated with the −1297/−1268 Tcirg1 gene promoter sequence in response to RANKL. Moreover, we observed poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) binding to an adjacent site (−1270/−1256), and this interaction was disrupted after RANKL treatment.

Conclusions: We provide data that identify junD proto-oncogene (JunD) and Fos-related antigen 2 (Fra-2) as the activator protein-1 (AP-1) factors responsible for the RANKL-induced upregulation of the mouse Tcirg1 gene expression. Moreover, we identified another binding site for PARP-1 that might account for the repression of Tcirg1 gene expression in pre-osteoclastic cells.
Inflammatory Markers and Incident Fracture Risk in Older Men and Women: The Health Aging and Body Composition Study
Authors: Cauley Jane A , Danielson Michelle E , Boudreau Robert M , Forrest Kimberly Y Z , Zmuda Joseph M , Pahor Marco , Tylavsky Frances A , Cummings Steven R , Harris Tamara B , Newman Anne B
Published: April 2007

The inflammation of aging hypothesis purports that aging is the accumulation of damage, which results, in part, from chronic activation of inflammation process. We tested this hypothesis in relationship to fractures in 2985 men and women enrolled in the Health ABC study. Results showed that subjects with the greatest number of inflammatory markers have the highest risk of fracture.

Introduction: Cytokines play major roles in regulating bone remodeling in the bone microenvironment, but their relationship to fractures is uncertain.

Materials and Methods: The study population includes 2985 well-functioning white and black women and men (42%, black; 51%, women) 70–79 yr of age enrolled in the Health Aging and Body Composition Study. Inflammatory markers were measured in frozen serum using standardized assays. We measured interleukin (IL-6), TNFα, C-reactive protein (CRP), and soluble receptors (IL-2 sR, IL-6 sR, TNF sR1and TNF sR2).Cytokine-soluble receptors were measured in a subset (n = 1430). Total hip BMD was measured by DXA. During 5.8 ± 1.6 yr of 95% complete follow-up, incident fractures were confirmed in 268 subjects. The risk of fracture was compared among subjects with the highest inflammatory markers (quartile 4) versus lower levels (quartiles 1, 2, and 3) using proportional hazard models.

Results and Conclusions: Subjects who fractured were more likely to be white and female. Baseline markers of inflammation were higher among subjects who subsequently experienced an incident fracture. In multivariate models, the relative risk of fracture (95% CIs) for subjects with the highest inflammatory markers (quartile 4) compared with those with lower inflammatory markers (quartiles 1, 2, and 3) was 1.34 (0.99, 1.82) for CRP; 1.28 (0.95–1.74) for IL-6; 1.28 (0.97–1.70) for TNFα; 1.52 (1.04–2.21) for IL-2 sR; 1.33 (0.90–1.96) for IL-6 sR; 1.73 (1.18–2.55) for TNF sR1 and 1.48 (1.01–2.20) for TNF sR2. In subjects with three or more (out of seven) high inflammatory markers, the relative risk of fracture was 2.65 (1.44–4.89) in comparison with subjects with no elevated markers. (p trend = 0.001). We conclude that elevated inflammatory markers are prognostic for fractures, extending the inflammation hypothesis of aging to osteoporotic fractures.
Long-term Follow-up of 414 HIV-Infected Romanian Children and Adolescents Receiving Lopinavir/Ritonavir-Containing Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy
Authors: Kline Mark W. , Rugina Sorin , Ilie Margareta , Matusa Rodica F. , Schweitzer Ana-Maria , Calles Nancy R. , Schwarzwald Heidi L.
Published: April 2007

BACKGROUND. There are no published reports of the long-term safety and effectiveness of highly active antiretroviral therapy for children and adolescents living in resource-limited settings or of large cohorts of HIV-infected children and adolescents treated long-term (>48 weeks) with lopinavir/ritonavir-containing highly active antiretroviral therapy.

OBJECTIVES. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the long-term outcomes of treatment of HIV-infected children and adolescents with lopinavir/ritonavir-containing highly active antiretroviral therapy in a resource-limited setting.

METHODS. We studied an inception cohort of 414 HIV-infected children receiving lopinavir/ritonavir-containing highly active antiretroviral therapy between November 2001 and August 2006 at the Romanian-American Children's Center in Constanta, Romania. The center provides comprehensive primary and HIV specialty care and treatment to all known HIV-infected children and adolescents living in Constanta. We measured safety and effectiveness by the percentage of children remaining on treatment, rates of mortality, and changes in plasma HIV RNA concentrations and CD4+ lymphocyte counts.

RESULTS. The study population consisted predominantly of antiretroviral drug–experienced older children and adolescents with advanced HIV disease. Treatment was well tolerated, with 337 children (81%) remaining on therapy after a median duration of >4 years. Thirty-seven deaths occurred; the death rate compared favorably to prospectively collected historical data. The most recent on-treatment plasma HIV RNA concentration was <400 copies per milliliter in 192 of 265 children tested. The mean baseline CD4+ lymphocyte count was 292 cells per microliter (n = 299); the mean change from baseline was +266 (n = 284), +317 (n = 260), +343 (n = 176), and +270 cells per microliter (n = 121) after 1, 2, 3, and 4 years of treatment, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS. Highly active antiretroviral therapy can be administered safely and effectively to children and adolescents in resource-limited settings. Lopinavir/ritonavir-containing highly active antiretroviral therapy is a safe, effective, and durable treatment option for antiretroviral drug–experienced older children and adolescents with advanced HIV disease.
CD41+/CD45+ Cells Without Acetylcholinesterase Activity Are Immature and a Major Megakaryocytic Population in Murine Bone Marrow
Authors: Matsumura-Takeda Kuniko , Sogo Shinji , Isakari Yoshimasa , Harada Yasuo , Nishioka Kinue , Kawakami Takuma , Ono Toshihide , Taki Takao
Published: April 2007

Murine megakaryocytes (MKs) are defined by CD41/CD61 expression and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity; however, their stages of differentiation in bone marrow (BM) have not been fully elucidated. In murine lineage-negative (Lin−)/CD45+ BM cells, we found CD41+ MKs without AChE activity (AChE−) except for CD41++ MKs with AChE activity (AChE+), in which CD61 expression was similar to their CD41 level. Lin−/CD41+/CD45+/AChE− MKs could differentiate into AChE+, with an accompanying increase in CD41/CD61 during in vitro culture. Both proplatelet formation (PPF) and platelet (PLT) production for Lin−/CD41+/CD45+/AChE− MKs were observed later than for Lin−/CD41++/CD45+/AChE+ MKs, whereas MK progenitors were scarcely detected in both subpopulations. GeneChip and semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction analyses revealed that the Lin−/CD41+/CD45+/AChE− MKs are assigned at the stage between the progenitor and PPF preparation phases in respect to the many MK/PLT-specific gene expressions, including β1-tubulin. In normal mice, the number of Lin−/CD41+/CD45+/AChE− MKs was 100 times higher than that of AChE+ MKs in BM. When MK destruction and consequent thrombocytopenia were caused by an antitumor agent, mitomycin-C, Lin−/CD41+/CD45+/AChE− MKs led to an increase in AChE+ MKs and subsequent PLT recovery with interleukin-11 administration. It was concluded that MKs in murine BM at least in part consist of immature Lin−/CD41+/CD45+/AChE− MKs and more differentiated Lin−/CD41++/CD45+/AChE+ MKs. Immature Lin−/CD41+/CD45+/AChE− MKs are a major MK population compared with AChE+ MKs in BM and play an important role in rapid PLT recovery in vivo.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
IMT504, the Prototype of the Immunostimulatory Oligonucleotides of the PyNTTTTGT Class, Increases the Number of Progenitors of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Both In Vitro and In Vivo: Potential Use in Tissue Repair Therapy
Authors: Hernando Insúa Andrés , Montaner Alejandro D. , Rodriguez Juan M. , Elías Fernanda , Fló Juan , López Ricardo A. , Zorzopulos Jorge , Hofer Erica L. , Chasseing Norma A.
Published: April 2007

Bone marrow (BM)-derived adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have the capacity to differentiate in vitro into different cell lines. This makes them a likely source for application in tissue repair therapies. Here, we report evidence indicating that, both in vivo and in vitro, IMT504, the prototype of the PyNTTTTGT class of immunostimulatory oligonucleotides, significantly increases the number of fibroblast colony-forming units (CFU-Fs) that originate MSCs. When rat BM cells were cultured with IMT504, the mean number of CFU-Fs increased about three times as compared with untreated controls (CFU-F: 19 ± 6.3 vs. 6.8 ± 2.0/2 × 106 seeded BM cells, p = .03). Furthermore, rats inoculated with IMT504 had a significantly higher number of CFU-Fs both in BM (CFU-F: 124 ± 33 vs. 38 ± 17/femur, p = .04) and in peripheral blood (animals with detectable CFU-Fs in circulation 8/12 vs. 2/12, p = .04) as compared with untreated animals. On the other hand, BM-derived adherent cells either treated in vitro with IMT504 or obtained from animals injected with IMT504 possess the capacity to differentiate to the osteogenic and adipogenic cell lineages as regular MSCs. Finally, we found that repair of a bone defect was accelerated in rats injected with IMT504 as compared with control animals (area with consolidated bone: 80% ± 6.4% vs. 49% ± 3.5%, p = .03, n = 10 rats per group). Importantly, when two human BM were cultured in the presence of IMT504, the mean number of fibroblastic adherent colonies also increased as compared with controls. These results suggest the possibility of clinical use of IMT504 in bone, and presumably other, tissue repair therapies.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
Genome-Wide Differential Gene Expression Profiling of Human Bone Marrow Stromal Cells
Authors: Jeong Ju Ah , Ko Kyung-Min , Bae Sohyun , Jeon Choon-Ju , Koh Gou Young , Kim Hoeon
Published: April 2007

Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) reside in bone marrow and provide a lifelong source of new cells for various connective tissues. Although human BMSCs are regarded as highly suitable for the development of cell therapeutics and regenerative medicine, the molecular factors and the networks of signaling pathways responsible for their biological properties are as yet unclear. To gain a comprehensive understanding of human BMSCs at the transcriptional level, we have performed DNA microarray-based, genome-wide differential gene expression analysis with the use of peripheral blood-derived mononuclear cells (MNCs) as a baseline. The resulting molecular profile of BMSCs was revealed to share no meaningful overlap with those of other human stem cell types, suggesting that the cells might express a unique set of genes for their stemness. By contrast, the distinct molecular signature, consisting of 92 different genes whose expression strengths are at least 50-fold higher in BMSCs compared with MNCs, was shown to encompass largely a gene subset of umbilical cord blood-derived adherent cells, suggesting that adherent cells derived from bone marrow and umbilical cord blood may be defined by a common set of genes, regardless of their origin. Intriguingly, a large number of these genes, particularly ones for extracellular matrix products, coincide with normal or tumor endothelium-specific markers. Taken together, our results here provide a BMSC-specific genetic catalog that may facilitate future studies on molecular mechanisms governing core properties of these cells.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
Geomorphology-based interpretation of sedimentation rates from radiodating, lower passaic river, New Jersey, USA
Authors: Erickson Michael J , Barnes Charles R , Henderson Matthew R , Romagnoli Robert , Firstenberg Clifford E
Published: April 2007

Analysis of site geomorphology and sedimentation rates as an indicator of long-term bed stability is central to the evaluation of remedial alternatives for depositional aquatic environments. In conjunction with various investigations of contaminant distribution, sediment dynamics, and bed stability in the Passaic River Estuary, 121 sediment cores were collected in the early 1990s from the lower 9.7 km of the Passaic River and analyzed for lead-210 (210Pb), cesium-137 (137Cs), and other analytes. This paper opportunistically uses the extensive radiochemical dataset to examine the spatial patterns of long-term sedimentation rates in, and associated geomorphic aspects of, this area of the river. For the purposes of computing sedimentation rates, the utility of the 210Pb and 137Cs depositional profiles was assessed to inform appropriate interpretation. Sedimentation rates were computed for 90 datable cores by 3 different methods, depending on profile utility. A sedimentation rate of 0 was assigned to 17 additional cores that were not datable and for which evidence of no deposition exists. Sedimentation patterns were assessed by grouping results within similar geomorphic areas, delineated through inspection of bathymetric data. On the basis of channel morphology, results reflect expected patterns, with the highest sedimentation rates observed along point bars and channel margins. The lowest rates of sedimentation (and the largest percentage of undatable cores) were observed in the areas along the outer banks of channel bends. Increasing sedimentation rates from upstream to downstream were noted. Average and median sedimentation rates were estimated to be 3.8 and 3.7 cm/y, respectively, reflecting the highly depositional nature of the Passaic River estuary. This finding is consistent with published descriptions of long-term geomorphology for Atlantic Coastal Plain estuaries.
An assessment of two-step linear regression and multifactor probit analysis as alternatives to acute to chronic ratios in the estimation of chronic response from acute toxicity data to derive water quality guidelines
Authors: Slaughter Andrew R , Palmer Carolyn G , Muller Wilhelmine J
Published: April 2007

In aquatic ecotoxicology, acute to chronic ratios (ACRs) are often used to predict chronic responses from available acute data to derive water quality guidelines, despite many problems associated with this method. This paper explores the comparative protectiveness and accuracy of predicted guideline values derived from the ACR, linear regression analysis (LRA), and multifactor probit analysis (MPA) extrapolation methods applied to acute toxicity data for aquatic macroinvertebrates. Although the authors of the LRA and MPA methods advocate the use of extrapolated lethal effects in the 0.01% to 10% lethal concentration (LC0.01-LC10) range to predict safe chronic exposure levels to toxicants, the use of an extrapolated LC50 value divided by a safety factor of 5 was in addition explored here because of higher statistical confidence surrounding the LC50 value. The LRA LC50/5 method was found to compare most favorably with available experimental chronic toxicity data and was therefore most likely to be sufficiently protective, although further validation with the use of additional species is needed. Values derived by the ACR method were the least protective. It is suggested that there is an argument for the replacement of ACRs in developing water quality guidelines by the LRA LC50/5 method.
Uncertainty in msPAF-based ecotoxicological effect factors for freshwater ecosystems in life cycle impact assessment
Authors: van Zelm Rosalie , Huijbregts Mark AJ , Harbers Jasper V , Wintersen Arjen , Struijs Jaap , Posthuma Leo , van de Meent Dik
Published: April 2007

Ecotoxicological effect factors are part of the analysis of relative impacts by chemical contaminants on ecosystems. Uncertainty distributions, represented by the 90% confidence interval, belonging to ecotoxicological effect factors for freshwater ecosystems were determined. This study includes 869 high production volume chemicals, related to 7 nonspecific toxic modes of action (TMoAs). The ecotoxicological effect factors are divided into a TMoA-specific part and a chemical-specific part. The 90% confidence interval of the TMoA-specific part of the effect factor ranges from 23 orders of magnitude for acrylate toxicity to 2 orders of magnitude for nonpolar narcosis. The range in the TMoA-specific part of the effect factor is mainly caused by uncertainty in the spread in toxic sensitivity between species (σj). Average uncertainty in the chemical-specific part of the effect factors depends on the number of species tested and ranges on average from a factor of 5 for more than 3 species tested to a factor of about 1,000 for 2 species tested. Average uncertainty in the ecotoxicological effect factors ranges from a factor of 100 for more than 3 species tested to a factor of nearly 10,000 for 2 species tested. It is recommended that the ecotoxicological effect factor of a chemical is based on toxicity data of at least 4 species.
In situ methods of measurement—an important line of evidence in the environmental risk framework
Authors: Wharfe Jim , Adams William , Apitz Sabine E , Barra Ricardo , Bridges Todd S , Hickey Chris , Ireland Scott
Published: April 2007

A tiered framework provides a structured approach to assess and manage risk and underpins much of the legislation concerning chemicals and environmental management. Management decisions regarding appropriate controls can have high cost implications to the regulated community. The risk framework provides an evidence-based approach to reduce uncertainty in decision making. Traditional assessment is heavily dependent on laboratory-generated toxicity test data and estimations of exposure and effect. Despite many well documented demonstrations of in situ methodologies, they are rarely used by regulators to help improve assessment or to validate risk. Emerging legislation puts greater emphasis on environmental outcomes and represents a significant shift from the reliance on chemical measures alone toward biological responses that improve assessment and demonstrate ecological benefit. Diagnostic methods, that could include in situ-based measures, will help assess and manage environments failing to achieve good status and it is likely that a weight of evidence approach will be needed to help inform management decisions. The potential application of such measures in the risk framework is reviewed in the context of current and emerging legislation concerning chemicals. Effect measures on the basis of in situ methods provide an alternative line of evidence and can help reduce uncertainty in decision making. Criteria are presented to help select appropriate methods in a multiple-line, weight of evidence approach.
Review of aquatic in situ approaches for stressor and effect diagnosis
Authors: Crane Mark , Burton G Allen , Culp Joseph M , Greenberg Marc S , Munkittrick Kelly R , Ribeiro Rui , Salazar Michael H , St-Jean Sylvie D
Published: April 2007

Field-based (in situ) approaches are used increasingly for measuring biological effects and for stressor diagnoses in aquatic systems because these assessment tools provide realistic exposure environments that are rarely replicated in laboratory toxicity tests. Providing realistic exposure scenarios is important because environmental conditions can alter toxicity through complex exposure dynamics (e.g., multiple stressor interactions). In this critical review, we explore the information provided by aquatic in situ exposure and monitoring methods when compared with more traditional approaches and discuss the associated strengths and limitations of these techniques. In situ approaches can, under some circumstances, provide more valuable information to a decision maker than information from surveys of resident biota, laboratory toxicity tests, or chemical analyses alone. A decision tree is provided to assist decision makers in determining when in situ approaches can add value.
Application of multicriteria decision analysis tools to two contaminated sediment case studies
Authors: Yatsalo Boris I , Kiker Gregory A , Kim Jongbum , Bridges Todd S , Seager Thomas P , Gardner Kevin , Satterstrom F Kyle , Linkov Igor
Published: April 2007

Environmental decision making is becoming increasingly more information intensive and complex. Our previous work shows that multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) tools offer a scientifically sound decision analytical framework for environmental management, in general, and specifically for selecting optimal sediment management alternatives. Integration of MCDA into risk assessment and sediment management may require linkage of different models and software platforms whose results may lead to somewhat different conclusions. This paper illustrates the application of 3 different MCDA methods in 2 case studies involving contaminated sediment management. These case studies are based on real sediment management problems experienced by the US Army Corps of Engineers and other stakeholders in New York/New Jersey Harbor, USA, and the Cocheco River Superfund Site in New Hampshire, USA. Our analysis shows that application of 3 different MCDA tools points to similar management solutions no matter which tool is applied. MCDA tools and approaches were constructively used to elicit the strengths and weaknesses of each method when solving the problem.
Case study of contaminated groundwater discharge: How in situ tools link an evolving conceptual site model with management decisions
Authors: Duncan P Bruce , Greenberg Marc S , Leja Stan , Williams Jonathan , Black Curt , Henry Richard G , Wilhelm Leon
Published: April 2007

In this paper, we show how simple in situ tools provide key insights into groundwater transport and exposure pathways. We illustrate how integration between managers, hydrogeologists, and ecologists, through the use of an evolving conceptual site model, helps direct management decisions. An initial conceptual site model was used to guide a preliminary investigation to determine the extent to which contaminant exposure from discharging groundwater occurs in a waterway. Regulatory agency managers, informed by phased input of data, supported extending the site investigation subtidally to identify the nature and extent of waterway contamination and to provide the basis for developing remedial alternatives. Approaches and tools used in this reconnaissance investigation included monitoring ambient surface water for groundwater signatures, installing minipiezometers within the sediment, and installing diffusion samplers and seepage meters. Despite high concentrations of contaminants in nearby piezometer samples, the diffusion sampler array indicated few locations with contaminant accumulation in the top 20 cm of the sediment. At the location where deployed, seepage meters demonstrated a high degree of connectivity and the potential for mass loading in the waterway. In the collective experience of the authors, this is one of the 1st sites where this comprehensive suite of tools has been applied in a regulatory setting to evaluate the movement of industrial contaminants beneath and into a waterway. This approach was effective because of integration of disciplines, unification of previously separate groundwater and sediment investigations, and collaboration across separate agencies and programs. In large part because of the results, the facility and agency managers agreed, and have begun a comprehensive subtidal investigation, to characterize the distribution of sediment and groundwater contamination and to quantify the groundwater flux to the surface water.
Environmental quality standards for water framework directive priority substances: Challenges and opportunities
Authors: Crane Mark , Babut Marc
Published: April 2007

The recently published Daughter Directive on priority substances is the culmination of several years of effort by the European Commission to develop consistent, Europe-wide environmental quality standards (EQS) that are scientifically based and protective of Europe's surface waters. This commentary describes progress to date in deriving EQS under the Water Framework Directive and identifies some remaining challenges and opportunities. In the Daughter Directive, annual average EQS are set for surface waters for all 33 priority substances. No sediment standards are included, and biota EQS are proposed for methyl-mercury, hexachlorobenzene and hexachlorobutadiene. Important remaining questions include whether the standard chemical risk assessment methodology is appropriate for deriving water column EQS and whether it would be appropriate to derive EQS for sediment or biota or to adopt alternative strategies. Moreover, some cross-cutting issues about the cessation of discharges of naturally occurring or ubiquitous substances and the advantages and disadvantages of member states setting their own EQS are briefly addressed.
The Impact of Clay Mineralogy on Nitrate Mobility under Unsaturated Flow Conditions
Authors: Allred Barry J. , Bigham Jerry M. , Brown Glenn O.
Published: April 2007

Transient unsaturated horizontal column experiments were conducted to assess clay mineralogy impacts on electrostatic processes affecting nitrate (NO3−) mobility. Replicated tests were conducted on quartz sand, mixtures of the sand and kaolinite, illite, and montmorillonite, and two natural soils with organic matter removed. In each test, a 200 mg L−1 nitrate–nitrogen (NO3−–N) solution was injected at the inlet of dry soil columns. Comparison of corresponding NO3−–N concentration and volumetric water content profiles from the column tests provided valuable information regarding soil mineral composition impacts on NO3− transport. With the exception of a small peak at the wetting front, NO3−–N concentrations for the quartz sand were consistently near the 200 mg L−1 injection level within the wetted portion of the columns, indicating that NO3− electrostatic interactions were negligible. Anion adsorption processes in the 25% kaolinite–75 % sand mixture produced a result in which the NO3−–N concentrations adjacent to the inlet of the columns were approximately 20% greater than that of the injected solution. Anion exclusion was the dominant electrostatic interaction affecting NO3− mobility in the 25% illite–75% sand, 25% montmorillonite–75% sand, and 15% kaolinite–7.5% illite–7.5% montmorillonite–70% sand mixtures and in the two natural soils. Evidence of anion exclusion in these artificial and natural soils includes NO3−–N concentrations near the column inlet that were 11 to 19% less than the injected solution concentration, and NO3−–N concentrations near the wetting front that were greater than the injected solution concentration by factors of 1.7 to 5.4. These results indicate that anion adsorption is an important process affecting NO3− mobility in low pH soils, with limited amounts of organic matter, and having a clay‐size fraction dominated by kaolinite, while anion exclusion is a key electrostatic interaction influencing NO3− mobility in near‐neutral to high pH soils, especially if significant amounts of montmorillonite are present.
Development of a practical best management practice decision support model for engineers and planners in Nordic countries
Authors: Scholz Miklas
Published: April 2007

Seventy-nine and 103 sites within Glasgow and Edinburgh, respectively, were identified to assess if best management practice (BMP) can be integrated into future development, regeneration and retrofitting plans. A practical BMP Decision Support Model based on a matrix and weighting system, incorporating the Prevalence Rating Approach for BMP Techniques (PRABT), has been developed. The findings indicate that ponds (or lined ponds) and permeable pavements are the most likely individual BMP techniques, and ponds combined with swales (or shallow swales) are the most recommended dual BMP combination. A separate case-based reasoning model compared to the ‘linear’ BMP Decision Support Model has also been developed. The output was similar to the ‘linear’ model.
Calculation of suspended sediment deposition intensity in grass-covered floodplains
Authors: Rimkus Alfonsas , Vaikasas Saulius , Pukštas Romas
Published: April 2007

Flooded river valley meadows are very important for river ecology, as they entrap sediments and sediment-bound nitrogen or heavy metals. Nevertheless, the grass-covered floodplains, particularly in river deltas, are often separated from the rivers by dykes. When such systems are designed, it is necessary to model sediment deposition in these separated areas. However, the existing calculation methods and models are adapted for flow over the sandy bottom. In the meadow flows there are other boundary conditions more favourable for sediment deposition.

The focus of our studies was the processes of suspended sediment deposition in the flooded delta of the River Nemunas. Calibration results of the mathematical model with common sediment deposition formulae for riverbed flows did not correspond to the data of measurements. The differences were obvious. Consequently, it was necessary to study the peculiarities of flow and sediment motion under these conditions, as well as to work out formulae suitable for calculations.
Treatment of lower load graywater by using a controlled soil natural treatment system
Authors: López-Zavala M.A.
Published: April 2007

Experiences of treating graywater by soil natural treatment systems have not been widely reported. In general terms, graywater has a lower concentrations of organic matter; nutrients (e.g. nitrogen), and microorganisms than combined wastewater; therefore, the graywater treatment capacity of soil should be evaluated. In this study, the performance of a natural soil treatment system was evaluated when shower graywater from a house located at Sapporo City, Japan, was treated by a layer of 30 cm of soil from the Hokkaido University Campus. Results showed very high removal efficiencies of chemical oxygen demand (98%) and Kjeldahl nitrogen (95%) at high infiltration rates (214 cm/d), which denotes that natural soil treatment systems could be a good alternative to treat lower load graywater.
Characterization of the activated sludge and of the operating conditions of six SBR treating dairy effluent and operated at industrial scale
Authors: Thanikal Joseph V. , Torrijos M. , Sousbie Ph. , Delgenes J.Ph.
Published: April 2007

The sludge from six SBRs treating dairy effluent and located at same geographical location, in North East of France, were collected to study their characteristic behavior. The six plants were designed and constructed by the same manufacturer and are working under quite similar operating conditions. The objective of the study was to observe if any similarity existed in the characteristics of the sludge collected from the SBRs. The sludge was characterized for morphological properties (filament index, floc size), settling, compressibility, suspended solids (SS) concentration. The sludge from each plant was different from the others in most of the characteristics. One sludge out of six (sludge G) was completely different from the others with a very degraded structure and low discrete settling and compression. This reactor was not working fully satisfactorily with a too high COD at outlet, probably because this SBR was undergoing repetitive overloading linked to a very bad recovery of the whey by the cheese maker. The five other SBRs were working fully satisfactorily but the characteristics of the five sludges were quite different from one sludge to another. The size of the flocs seemed to be the only parameter measured which could be correlated to the settling characteristics of the sludge. The sludge characteristics and the parameter correlations were also compared with that of municipal activated sludge and were found to be very different.
Optimization of subsurface vertical flow constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment
Authors: Langergraber G. , Prandtstetten Ch. , Pressl A. , Rohrhofer R. , Haberl R.
Published: April 2007

Constructed wetlands (CWs) use the same processes that occur in natural wetlands to improve water quality and are used worldwide to treat different qualities of water. This paper shows the results of an Austrian research project having the main goals to optimize vertical flow beds in terms of surface area requirement and nutrient removal, respectively. It could be shown that a subsurface vertical flow constructed wetland (SSVFCW) operated with an organic load of 20 g COD.m−2.d−1 (corresponding to a specific surface area demand of 4 m2 per person) can fulfil the requirements of the Austrian standard regarding effluent concentrations and removal efficiencies. During the warmer months (May – October), when the temperature of the effluent is higher than 12 °C, the specific surface area might be further reduced. Even 2 m2 per person have been proven to be adequate. Enhanced nitrogen removal of 58 % could be achieved with a two-stage system (first stage: grain size for main layer 1–4 mm, saturated drainage layer; and second stage: grain size for main layer 0.06–4 mm, free drainage) that was operated with an organic load of 80 g COD.m−2.d−1 for the first stage (1 m2 per person), i.e. 40 g COD.m−2.d−1 for the two-stage system (2 m2 per person). Although the two-stage system was operated with higher organic loads a higher effluent quality compared to a single-stage SSVFCW (grain size for main layer 0.06–4 mm, free drainage, organic load 20 g COD.m−2.d−1) could be reached.
Waste stabilization ponds and rock filters: solutions for small communities
Authors: Mara D.D. , Johnson M.L.
Published: April 2007

In temperate climates facultative ponds and rock filters (either unaerated or, if ammonia removal is required, aerated) are a low-cost but high-performance treatment system for small rural communities. Effluent quality is suitable for surface water discharge or, in summer, for restricted crop irrigation. In tropical climates anaerobic and facultative ponds and either unaerated rock filters or, if ammonia reduction is required, subsurface horizontal-flow or vertical-flow constructed wetland, can be used if the effluents are discharged to surface waters. However, if the treated wastewater is to be used for crop irrigation, then a 3-log unit pathogen reduction by treatment in anaerobic, facultative and single maturation ponds is required for both restricted and unrestricted irrigation, provided that, in the case of unrestricted irrigation, there are in place post-treatment health-protection control measures that together provide a further 4-log unit pathogen reduction.
Grey water treatment in UASB reactor at ambient temperature
Authors: Elmitwalli T.A. , Shalabi M. , Wendland C. , Otterpohl R.
Published: April 2007

In this paper, the feasibility of grey water treatment in a UASB reactor was investigated. The batch recirculation experiments showed that a maximum total-COD removal of 79% can be obtained in grey-water treatment in the UASB reactor. The continuous operational results of a UASB reactor treating grey water at different hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 20, 12 and 8 hours at ambient temperature (14–24 °C) showed that 31–41% of total COD was removed. These results were significantly higher than that achieved by a septic tank (11–14%), the most common system for grey water pre-treatment, at HRT of 2–3 days. The relatively lower removal of total COD in the UASB reactor was mainly due to a higher amount of colloidal COD in the grey water, as compared to that reported in domestic wastewater. The grey water had a limited amount of nitrogen, which was mainly in particulate form (80–90%). The UASB reactor removed 24–36% and 10–24% of total nitrogen and total phosphorus, respectively, in the grey water, due to particulate nutrients removal by physical entrapment and sedimentation. The sludge characteristics of the UASB reactor showed that the system had stable performance and the recommended HRT for the reactor is 12 hours.
Biological nitrogen removal with three different SBBR
Authors: Valdivia A. , González-Martínez S. , Wilderer P.A.
Published: April 2007

In order to compare the performance of biofilms growing on different support media, three reactors were fed with municipal wastewater from the city of Garching, Germany, and operated under the sequencing batch procedure. The support media tested have the commercial names of Kaldnes, polyethylene special support for moving bed reactors with approximate diameter of 12 mm; Liapor, ceramic spheres with diameters between 4 and 6 mm; Linpor, plastic foam cut in cubes of 15 mm. The bench-top reactors were tested for COD, TSS and ammonia nitrogen removal. During 452 days runs with organic loads between 0.5 and 8.0 gCOD/m2·d were tested. Thin biofilms (Kaldnes and Liapor) perform better for COD and ammonia removal under lower organic loading values (<2.5 gCOD/m2·d). For organic loads over 3.0 gCOD/m2·d, the reactor packed with Linpor (thick biofilm) showed a better COD and ammonia nitrogen removal than the other two. Linpor achieved the highest NOx-N production reaching values between 15 and 20 mg/l. For low organic loading rates Linpor and Liapor present similar average NOx-N concentrations. Kaldnes shows the lowest concentrations throughout the whole experimental period. The difference between ammonia nitrogen removal and NOx-N generation is simultaneous denitrification inside the deep biofilms. The average mean cellular retention times were 5.4 days for Liapor, 10.0 days for Kaldnes and 22.9 days for Linpor. This is the reason why Linpor achieved complete nitrification even with higher organic loads.
Microcredit Evangelism, Health, and Social Policy
Authors: Bond Patrick
Published: April 2007

The awarding of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize to Muhammad Yunus, founder of the Grameen Bank, provides an opportunity to consider the use and abuse of microfinancing, especially because credit continues to be touted as a poverty-reduction strategy associated with health education and health care financing strategies. Not only is the Grameen diagnosis of poverty dubious, but many structural problems also plague the model, ranging from financial accounting to market failures. In Southern Africa, to illustrate, microcredit schemes for peasants and small farmers have been attempted for more than 70 years, on the basis that modern capitalism and peasant/informal system gaps can be bridged by an expanded financial system. The results have been disappointing. A critical reading of political economy posits an organic linkage between the “developed” and “underdeveloped” economies that is typically not mitigated by capitalist financial markets, but instead is often exacerbated. When applied to health and social policy, microcredit evangelism becomes especially dangerous.
Privatization of Health Services in Less Developed Countries: An Empirical Response to the Proposals of the World Bank and Wharton School
Authors: Waitzkin Howard , Jasso-Aguilar Rebeca , Iriart Celia
Published: April 2007

Academics and World Bank officials argue that, by reducing out-of-pocket expenditures, expanded private insurance may improve access to needed health services in less developed countries. In this empirical response, the authors examine this recommendation through observations from their research on privatization of health services in the United States, Argentina, Chile, and Mexico. Privatization, either through conversion of public sector to private sector insurance or by expansion of private insurance through enhanced participation by corporate entrepreneurs, generally has not succeeded in improving access to health services for vulnerable groups. Although the impact of privatization has differed among the Latin American countries studied, expansion of private insurance often has generated additional co-payments, which have increased rather than decreased out-of-pocket expenditures, thereby worsening access to needed services. Privatization usually has improved conditions for private corporations and has led to higher administrative costs. To address the devastating problems of access to services worldwide, we must find ways to enhance the delivery of public sector services and must move beyond conventional wisdom about market-based policies such as privatization.
Abstinence-Only Programs as a Violation of Adolescents' Reproductive Rights
Authors: Kelly Patricia J. , Schwartz Lisa R.
Published: April 2007

For most young women and young men throughout the world, adolescence is a time for the discovery and expression of sexuality. The process of this essential human behavior often occurs without accurate information about normal development, physiological processes, and the potential physical, social, and psychological results of sexual exploration. Much of the insufficient information available to adolescents in the United States and elsewhere is not accidental, but can be directly attributed to U.S. government policies, some of which infringe upon the human and reproductive rights of adolescents. Established U.S. policy that promotes abstinence-only programming through selective funding is a violation of adolescent reproductive rights, both at home and abroad. The authors explore why receiving accurate and appropriate sex education is a basic human right for adolescents, and provide suggestions about effective ways to address violations of this right.
A Framework for Assessing Health Systems from the Public's Perspective: The Alps Approach
Authors: Dahlgren Göran , Whitehead Margaret
Published: April 2007

There is hardly a country in the world where the health system is not undergoing major changes. Low- and middle-income countries are particularly hard hit by enforced reforms and commercialization. The overwhelming focus of assessment of these reforms has been on the supply side: effects on governments and providers. Yet the raison d'être of health services is to serve people when in need, and most systems have the equity objective of ensuring the widest possible access to essential services for the whole population, and poor people in particular. The Affordability Ladder Program (ALPS) is a tool for analyzing health systems from the public's perspective—the so-called “demand side,” which the authors prefer to consider in terms of “need” for care. ALPS is concerned with how social inequities in health care are experienced by people in different sections of society. By taking a step-by-step approach to examining the many aspects of a health care system from a household/patient perspective, one can more accurately pinpoint where and why a country's health system is working and where it is breaking down, and identify the sticking points that need to be addressed by reconsidering present policies and initiating new ones to promote efficient, equitable health care systems.
Aggrandizers vs. Egalitarianism in Agency Theory: Understanding the Iroquoian Economic System, Part 2
Authors: Bursey Jeffrey A.
Published: April 2007

Agency theory, as it will be referred to here, is one of a number of explanatory paradigms that have been appearing with increasing frequency in the archaeological literature and numerous characterizations, applications, and explorations of its implications have been offered. In this article, an attempt will be made to explore the nature of this bundle of ideas and its potential for explaining some phenomena of the Late Woodland of the lower Great Lakes. Specifically, the evolution of Iroquoian social and political organization will be discussed, focusing on the maintenance of egalitarianism in the face of challenges proposed by archaeologists. The purpose of this discussion is to highlight some of the benefits of employing multiple perspectives or paradigms for interpreting the archaeological record.