bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Frequency of blood transfusions for anemia due to chemotherapy in ovarian cancer patients. Thoughts to the guidelines modified in 2006 for the treatment of anemic cancer patients by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer
Authors: Lehoczky Ottó , Pulay Tamás
Published: November 2007

2006-ban jelent meg az Európai Rákkutatási és Kezelési Szervezet korábbi megállapításokat korszerűsítő ajánlása, amelyben a rákos betegekben kialakuló anémia kezelésére adott vértranszfúziót, illetve az ezt követő erythropoetin-kezeléseket értékelik. Az ajánlásban a vértranszfúziót a 9 g% hemoglobinszintre csökkenő anémia esetén javasolják. Eddig a kemoterápia következtében kialakult anémia vértranszfúziós kezelésére egyértelműen meghatározott hemoglobin-határértékszint Magyarországon nem szerepelt.
Cél:
A szerzők az osztályukon 2005-ben kezelt petefészekrákos betegeknek adott vértranszfúziók gyakoriságát vizsgálták. Nemzetközi, illetve hazai egyértelmű ajánlás hiányában a vizsgálati időszakban a vértranszfúziókat – a beteg klinikai állapotát is figyelembe véve – a 10 g%-ot elérő anémia esetén alkalmazták.
Anyag és módszer:
Az Országos Onkológiai Intézet Nőgyógyászati Osztályán 190 hám eredetű, petefészekrákos betegben történt kemoterápia. Ha a hemoglobinszint 10 g% alá csökkent, választott vörösvértest-transzfúziót végeztek, majd a betegek többségében (51/64 = 79,6%), erythropoetin-kezelés történt.
Eredmény:
A 190 közül 64 betegnél (64/190 = 34%) történt vérátömlesztés a kemoterápia kapcsán kialakult anémia miatt, s az utóbbiaknak csaknem felében (34/64 = 53%) 1-nél több alkalommal végeztek vértranszfúziót. A betegek 86%-ában a vértranszfúzióra G2-súlyosságú anémia miatt került sor. Az ismételten szükséges vértranszfúziókat a leggyakrabban a carboplatin-gemcitabin- (16/16) kezelések után alkalmazták.
Következtetés:
A petefészekrákokban adott kemoterápiák a betegek harmadában okoznak 10 g%-nál súlyosabb fokú anémiát. A vérszegénység kezelésében a vértranszfúzión kívül gondolni kell az erythropoetin-készítmények alkalmazására.
Peter Jeffery, CSSp, The Mystery of Christian Marriage
Authors: Flamin Paul
Published: November 2007

Peter Jeffery, CSSp, The Mystery of Christian Marriage, New York: Paulist Press, 2006; 226 pages, Softcover, $18.95 U.S.
Aspects of God’s Relationship to the World in the Theologies of Jurgen Moltmann, Bonaventure and Jonathan Edwards
Authors: Schweitzer Don
Published: November 2007

This paper studies how Jurgen Moltmann, Bonaventure, and Jonathan Edwards use the notion that God’s goodness is self-diffusive and the doctrine of the trinity to understand why God created the world and what this means to God. It first examines Moltmann’s theology, noting some problems in his thought. It then looks at how Bonaventure’s approach avoids these while creating others. This is followed by Edwards’ utilization of the notion of moral necessity and a more complex understanding of infinity to provide a more coherent understanding than the other two, while incorporating insights present in the thought of both.
Doukhobor Problem
Authors: Rak Julie
Published: November 2007

This paper analyses the process of the media in British Columbia and in Canada in the stigmatizing of members of the radical Doukhobor Russian religious community known as the “svobodniki” or the Sons of Freedom. This process lasted from the late 1920s through to the end of the 1960s. A key issue of their protest was the disruption to their way of life in the Kootenay region in British Columbia by an unsympathetic cultural environment—secularized and pro-militarist—which they regarded as the antipathy of their values. Despite the clarity of their demands and the open statements of the reasons for their protests, their methods of protest were presented by the media as acts of insanity. When women led the protests, the media portrayed them as monstrous and unfeminine. My analysis of the media shows how female Sons of Freedom protestors presented a direct challenge to the conservative gender roles which middle-class women of the 1950s were being asked to adopt. The response of the state was to declare these protestors “bad mothers” and to imprison their children for up to six years.
Hematopoietic Mixed Chimerism Derived from Allogeneic Embryonic Stem Cells Prevents Autoimmune Diabetes Mellitus in NOD Mice
Authors: Verda Larissa , Kim Duck An , Ikehara Susumu , Statkute Laisvyde , Bronesky Delphine , Petrenko Yevgeniya , Oyama Yu , He Xiang , Link Charles , Vahanian Nicholas N. , Burt Richard K.
Published: November 2007

Embryonic stem cell (ESC)-derived hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), unlike HSC harvested from the blood or marrow, are not contaminated by lymphocytes. We therefore evaluated whether ESC-derived HSC could produce islet cell tolerance, a phenomenon termed graft versus autoimmunity (GVA), without causing the usual allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant complication, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Herein, we demonstrate that ESC-derived HSC may be used to prevent autoimmune diabetes mellitus in NOD mice without GVHD or other adverse side effects. ESC were cultured in vitro to induce differentiation toward HSC, selected for c-kit expression, and injected either i.v. or intra-bone marrow (IBM) into sublethally irradiated NOD/LtJ mice. Nine of 10 mice from the IBM group and 5 of 8 from the i.v. group did not become hyperglycemic, in contrast to the control group, in which 8 of 9 mice developed end-stage diabetes. All mice with >5% donor chimerism remained free of diabetes and insulitis, which was confirmed by histology. Splenocytes from transplanted mice were unresponsive to glutamic acid decarboxylase isoform 65, a diabetic-specific autoantigen, but responded normally to third-party antigens. ESC-derived HSC can induce an islet cell tolerizing GVA effect without GVHD. This study represents the first instance, to our knowledge, of ESC-derived HSC cells treating disease in an animal model.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
Morphological and Functional Characterization of Predifferentiation of Myelinating Glia-Like Cells from Human Bone Marrow Stromal Cells Through Activation of F3/Notch Signaling in Mouse Retina
Authors: Lu Li , Chen Xue , Zhang Cheng-Wu , Yang Wu-Lin , Wu Ya-Jun , Sun Li , Bai Li-Min , Gu Xiao-Song , Ahmed Sohail , Dawe Gavin S. , Xiao Zhi-Cheng
Published: November 2007

Recently, we have demonstrated that F3/contactin and NB-3 are trans-acting extracellular ligands of Notch that promote differentiation of neural stem cells and oligodendrocyte precursor cells into mature oligodendrocytes (OLs). Here, we demonstrate that human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs) can be induced to differentiate into cells with myelinating glial cell characteristics in mouse retina after predifferentiation in vitro. Isolated CD90(+) hBMSCs treated with β-mercaptoethanol for 1 day and retinoic acid for 3 days in culture changed into myelinating glia-like cells (MGLCs). More cells expressed NG2, an early OL marker, after treatment, but expression of O4, a mature OL marker, was negligible. Subsequently, the population of O4(+) cells was significantly increased after the MGLCs were predifferentiated in culture in the presence of either F3/contactin or multiple factors, including forskolin, basic fibroblast growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor, and heregulin, in vitro for another 3 days. Notably, 2 months after transplantation into mouse retina, the predifferentiated cells changed morphologically into cells resembling mature MGLCs and expressing O4 and myelin basic protein, two mature myelinating glial cell markers. The cells sent out processes to contact and wrap axons, an event that normally occurs during early stages of myelination, in the retina. The results suggest that CD90(+) hBMSCs are capable of morphological and functional differentiation into MGLCs in vivo through predifferentiation by triggering F3/Notch signaling in vitro.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
Efficient In Vitro Labeling of Human Neural Precursor Cells with Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Particles: Relevance for In Vivo Cell Tracking
Authors: Neri Margherita , Maderna Claudio , Cavazzin Chiara , Deidda-Vigoriti Vivien , Politi Letterio S. , Scotti Giuseppe , Marzola Pasquina , Sbarbati Andrea , Vescovi Angelo L. , Gritti Angela
Published: November 2007

Recent studies have raised appealing possibilities of replacing damaged or lost neural cells by transplanting in vitro-expanded neural precursor cells (NPCs) and/or their progeny. Magnetic resonance (MR) tracking of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO)-labeled cells is a noninvasive technique to track transplanted cells in longitudinal studies on living animals. Murine NPCs and human mesenchymal or hematopoietic stem cells can be efficiently labeled by SPIOs. However, the validation of SPIO-based protocols to label human neural precursor cells (hNPCs) has not been extensively addressed. Here, we report the development and validation of optimized protocols using two SPIOs (Sinerem and Endorem) to label human hNPCs that display bona fide stem cell features in vitro. A careful titration of both SPIOs was required to set the conditions resulting in efficient cell labeling without impairment of cell survival, proliferation, self-renewal, and multipotency. In vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) combined with histology and confocal microscopy indicated that low numbers (5 × 103 to 1 × 104) of viable SPIO-labeled hNPCs could be efficiently detected in the short term after transplantation in the adult murine brain and could be tracked for at least 1 month in longitudinal studies. By using this approach, we also clarified the impact of donor cell death to the MR signal. This study describes a simple protocol to label NPCs of human origin using SPIOs at optimized low dosages and demonstrates the feasibility of noninvasive imaging of labeled cells after transplantation in the brain; it also evidentiates potential limitations of the technique that have to be considered, particularly in the perspective of neural cell-based clinical applications.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
Trafficking of Multipotent Mesenchymal Stromal Cells from Maternal Circulation Through the Placenta Involves Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 and Integrins
Authors: Chen Chie-Pein , Lee Ming-Yi , Huang Jian-Pei , Aplin John D. , Wu Yi-Hsin , Hu Cing-Siang , Chen Pei-Chun , Li Hung , Hwang Shiaw-Min , Liu Shu-Hsiang , Yang Yuh-Cheng
Published: November 2007

Maternal cells can become engrafted in various fetal organs during pregnancy. The nature of the cells and the mechanisms of maternofetal cell trafficking are not clear. We demonstrate that human lineage-negative, CD34-negative (Lin−CD34−) multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells express α2, α4, α5, and β1 integrins, which mediate their adhesion to endothelium, and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (VEGFR-1), which mediates their response to vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A). A maternal-fetal VEGF-A concentration gradient exists across the placental barrier, and cord blood plasma induces transendothelial and trans-Matrigel migration of stem cells in vitro. Migration is inhibited by a VEGF-A-neutralizing antibody or antibodies against VEGFR-1 or integrin α2, α4, α5, or β1. When Lin−CD34− multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells are transferred to rat maternal venous blood, they traffic through the placenta, engraft in various fetal organs, and persist in offspring for at least 12 weeks. Cell proliferation ability is retained in the xenogeneic placenta. Maternofetal trafficking is significantly reduced by blocking antibodies against integrins α2, α4, α5, and β1 or VEGFR-1. These results suggest that maternal microchimerism arises by the trafficking of multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells via VEGF-A- and integrin-dependent pathways across the hemochorial placenta to fetal tissues.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
Characterization of Transplanted Green Fluorescent Protein+ Bone Marrow Cells into Adipose Tissue
Authors: Tomiyama Koji , Murase Noriko , Stolz Donna Beer , Toyokawa Hideyoshi , O'Donnell Daniel R. , Smith Darren M. , Dudas Jason R. , Rubin J. Peter , Marra Kacey G.
Published: November 2007

Following transplantation of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labeled bone marrow (BM) into irradiated, wild-type Sprague-Dawley rats, propagated GFP+ cells migrate to adipose tissue compartments. To determine the relationship between GFP+ BM-derived cells and tissue-resident GFP− cells on the stem cell population of adipose tissue, we conducted detailed immunohistochemical analysis of chimeric whole fat compartments and subsequently isolated and characterized adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) from GFP+ BM chimeras. In immunohistochemistry, a large fraction of GFP+ cells in adipose tissue were strongly positive for CD45 and smooth muscle actin and were evenly scattered around the adipocytes and blood vessels, whereas all CD45+ cells within the blood vessels were GFP+. A small fraction of GFP+ cells with the mesenchymal marker CD90 also existed in the perivascular area. Flow cytometric and immunocytochemical analyses showed that cultured ASCs were CD45−/CD90+/CD29+. There was a significant difference in both the cell number and phenotype of the GFP+ ASCs in two different adipose compartments, the omental (abdominal) and the inguinal (subcutaneous) fat pads; a significantly higher number of GFP−/CD90+ cells were isolated from the subcutaneous depot as compared with the abdominal depot. The in vitro adipogenic differentiation of the ASCs was achieved; however, all cells that had differentiated were GFP−. Based on phenotypical analysis, GFP+ cells in adipose tissue in this rat model appear to be of both hematopoietic and mesenchymal origin; however, infrequent isolation of GFP+ ASCs and their lack of adipogenic differentiation suggest that the contribution of BM to ASC generation might be minor.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
Early growth response gene-1 plays a pivotal role in down-regulation of a cohort of genes in uterine leiomyoma
Authors: Ishikawa Hiroshi , Shozu Makio , Okada Masahiko , Inukai Mai , Zhang Bo , Kato Keiichi , Kasai Tadayuki , Inoue Masaki
Published: November 2007

Microarray studies have identified many genes that are down-regulated in uterine leiomyoma compared with myometrium, including early growth response gene-1 (EGR1). However, the mechanisms underlying coordinated down-regulation of this gene cohort remain unknown. To address the transcriptional role of EGR1 in leiomyoma, EGR1 binding to promoter sequences on target genes was assessed by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay in leiomyoma tissues and myometrium-derived KW cells. Computer analysis demonstrated that 50 out of 135 genes listed as down-regulated in array reports possessed potential binding sites for EGR1 within 1 kb promoter sequence. ChIP assay was performed for a random selection of 13 genes possessing potential binding sites for EGR1 (Group A), 3 genes known as EGR1 targets in other tissues (Group B), and 4 control genes. Decreased EGR1 bindings were significant for 11 out of 16 genes (Group A+B) in leiomyoma tissues compared with myometrium, and mRNA levels in tissue samples were actually decreased for 7 out of the 11 genes. ChIP analyses performed on KW cells showed induction of EGR1 binding to the promoter region of all genes except one Group A+B gene, but for none of the control genes. These results indicate that EGR1 is a key player in coordinated down-regulation of genes in leiomyoma. Application of ChIP–quantitative PCR assay with the aid of computer-assisted analysis of genome databases appears useful for the comprehensive interpretation of array data.
Rac2 GTPase activation by angiotensin II is modulated by Ca2+/calcineurin and mitogen-activated protein kinases in human neutrophils
Authors: El Bekay Rajaa , Alba Gonzalo , Reyes M Edith , Chacón Pedro , Vega Antonio , Martín-Nieto José , Jiménez Juan , Ramos Eladio , Oliván Josefina , Pintado Elízabeth , Sobrino Francisco
Published: November 2007

Angiotensin II (Ang II) highly stimulates superoxide anion production by neutrophils. The G-protein Rac2 modulates the activity of NADPH oxidase in response to various stimuli. Here, we describe that Ang II induced both Rac2 translocation from the cytosol to the plasma membrane and Rac2 GTP-binding activity. Furthermore, Clostridium difficile toxin A, an inhibitor of the Rho-GTPases family Rho, Rac and Cdc42, prevented Ang II-elicited production, phosphorylation of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) p38, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1/2, and Rac2 activation. Rac2 GTPase inhibition by C. difficile toxin A was accompanied by a robust reduction of the cytosolic Ca2+ elevation induced by Ang II in human neutrophils. Furthermore, SB203580 and PD098059 act as inhibitors of p38MAPK and ERK1/2 respectively, wortmannin, an inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase, and cyclosporin A, a calcineurin inhibitor, hindered both translocation of Rac2 from the cytosol to the plasma membrane and enhancement of Rac2 GTP-binding elicited by Ang II. These results provide evidence that the activation of Rac2 by Ang II is exerted through multiple signalling pathways, involving Ca2+/calcineurin and protein kinases, the elucidation of which should be insightful in the design of new therapies aimed at reversing the inflammation of vessel walls found in a number of cardiovascular diseases.
Steroidogenic factor 1/adrenal 4 binding protein transforms human bone marrow mesenchymal cells into steroidogenic cells
Authors: Tanaka Tomoko , Gondo Shigeki , Okabe Taijiro , Ohe Kenji , Shirohzu Hisao , Morinaga Hidetaka , Nomura Masatoshi , Tani Kenzaburo , Takayanagi Ryoichi , Nawata Hajime , Yanase Toshihiko
Published: November 2007

Steroidogenic factor 1/adrenal 4 binding protein (SF-1/Ad4BP) is an essential nuclear receptor for steroidogenesis as well as for adrenal and gonadal gland development. Mesenchymal bone marrow cells (BMCs) contain pluripotent progenitor cells, which differentiate into multiple lineages. In a previous study, we reported that adenovirus-mediated forced expression of SF-1 could transform mouse primary long-term cultured BMCs into steroidogenic cells. For future clinical application, trials using human BMCs would be indispensable. In this study, we examined whether SF-1 could transform human BMCs into steroidogenic cells and compared the steroid profile of these cellswith that of mouse steroidogenic BMCs. Primary cultured human BMCs infected with adenovirus containing bovine SF-1 cDNA could produce progesterone, corticosterone, cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone, testosterone, and estradiol. Such a mixed character of adrenal and gonadal steroid production in human BMCs was supported by the expressions of P450scc, 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD), P450c21, P450c11, P450c17, 17β-HSD, and P450arom mRNAs. Unlike mouse steroidogenic BMCs, introduction of SF-1 into human BMCs caused dramatic inductions of both ACTH and LH receptors, thus leading to good responsiveness of the cells to ACTH and LH respectively. Importantly, among several factors that are known to be closely associated with adrenal and/or gonadal development, introduction of only SF-1 enabled the human BMCs to express P450scc and to produce cortisol and testosterone, suggesting that SF-1 is truly a master regulator for the production of steroidogenic cells from human BMCs.
Experiments on stilling basins for dam outlets
Authors: Goel A.
Published: November 2007

A series of experiments was performed with the aim of developing shorter and more efficient stilling basins for dam outlets (in comparison with Garde's stilling basin), keeping the floor of the basin at the invert level (lowest level of outlet) of the outlet. The experiments were conducted for a pipe outlet diameter d = 58 mm, inflow Froude number Fr = 3·44 and basin lengths of 12d, 10d, 8d and 7d. New models were developed by conducting systematic experimentation on stilling basin models using different types of appurtenances such as wedge-shaped blocks, a grid, an intermediate sill and an end step. It was found that the newly developed stilling basin models are not only shorter in length but also show superior performance in terms of maximum depth of scour and its location when compared to Garde's model.
How Roman engineers selected their water supplies
Authors: Kucukali S.
Published: November 2007

An account of a historical Roman water supply system in Zonguldak, northwest Turkey on the Black Sea coast is presented. This ancient water supply system demonstrates Roman engineering expertise in water management and hydraulic engineering applications. Although there is a river located near the Roman city (Filyos) with an average annual discharge of 89 m3/s (1970–2005 data), Roman engineers preferred to provide water from a 15 km distant karstic spring. The region, unlike the Mediterranean region, has good rainfall (1100 mm), which indicates another water quality criterion for selecting the karst spring as a water source. The most important factor in the Roman choice appears to be water temperature. This selection criterion closely agrees with suggestions on water quality issues made by the Roman architect Vitruvius.
Water quality trading in the United States: trading programs and one-time offset agreements
Authors: Morgan Cynthia , Wolverton Ann
Published: November 2007

This paper provides a systematic overview of water quality trading programs and one-time offset agreements in the USA. The primary source of information for this overview is a detailed database, collected and compiled by a team of researchers at Dartmouth College. Details discussed include: sources of the pollutant, types of pollutants traded, legal liability, main regulatory drivers, market structure, trading ratios, transaction and administrative costs and difficulties encountered in trading. We find that trading has often been explored as a way to meet more stringent discharge limits or watershed-wide caps. The most common type of trading program in the United States is between point sources and non-point sources. Point sources are usually held liable for non-point source reductions. The pollutants most commonly traded in the USA are nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen and almost all offset and trading programs focus on one pollutant only. However, market structures, trading ratios and other details of the trading framework vary widely among programs. No single characteristic appears to be a good predictor of a successful trading program.
Critical review of water supply services in urban and rural areas of Tanzania
Authors: Marobhe Nancy Jotham
Published: November 2007

Despite several reforms in the water sector coupled with significant external financial assistance for water development projects, a large population in Tanzania faces water supply problems. This paper analyses issues and problems pertaining to urban and rural water supply services in Tanzania by citing examples from Dar es Salaam City and Singida rural district. Desk study, field visits, discussions and personal observations were used for collecting information. Water supply coverage is 73% and 53% for urban and rural areas, respectively. Only 30% of the population in Dar es Salaam is served by piped water. The unserved poorer segments of the population pay higher for water services. The water distribution systems are worn out and account for 60% of water loss. Inadequate coverage of water supply is associated with prevalence of waterborne diseases. Urban water authorities are inefficient in financial management. Water tariffs are low, ranging between US$ 0.25 and US$ 0.35/m3/month and unregistered customers exceed 110, 000. Singida rural water sources include dams, shallow and deep wells. About 70% of installed pumps are impaired owing to poor management. Rural populations use polluted sources which are purified using local seeds. Finally the paper gives recommendations for improving water supply services.
An intersectoral comparison of Australian water reforms
Authors: Crase Lin , Dollery Brian , Byrnes Joel
Published: November 2007

Reformation of the policies for allocating Australia's water resources has now assumed profound political, economic and social significance. However, there are marked contrasts between urban and agricultural sectors, in the approach to policy reform. Whereas governments have embarked on a range of mandated initiatives to alter or constrain the behaviour of urban dwellers, the approach adopted for irrigated agriculture has been characterised by an emphasis on markets and private property rights. This paper explores the extent of these disparate and potentially incongruous policies by focussing primarily on the states with the largest irrigation sectors, New South Wales and Victoria. Whilst acknowledging the high transaction costs of individual households engaging in a water market, the paper argues for more liberal market participation by urban water authorities on behalf of their constituents. The paper also calls for more rigorous economic assessment of the plethora of water-saving and demand-management strategies being proposed in the urban water setting.
Calculating constant-reliability water supply unit costs
Authors: Wolff Gary
Published: November 2007

Water planners facing a choice between water “supply” options (including conservation) customarily use the average unit cost of each option as a decision criterion. This approach is misleading and potentially costly when comparing options with very different reliability characteristics. For example, surface water, desalinated seawater or recycled wastewater and some outdoor demand management programs have very different yield patterns. This paper presents a method for calculating constant-reliability unit costs that adapts some concepts and mathematics from financial portfolio theory. Comparison on a constant-reliability basis can significantly change the relative attractiveness of options. In particular, surface water, usually a low cost option, is more expensive after its variability has been accounted for. Further, options that are uncorrelated or inversely correlated with existing supply sources—such as outdoor water conservation—will be more attractive than they initially appear. This insight, which implies options should be evaluated and chosen as packages rather than individually, opens up a new dimension of yield and financial analysis for water planners.
Comparing private and public performance of Portuguese water services
Authors: Cunha Marques Rui
Published: November 2007

This article compares the performance of the Portuguese water services (WS) according to their ownership. Several techniques, such as performance indicators, total factor productivity and data envelopment analysis were used. First, the paper describes the water sector institutional framework in Portugal. Then, it reviews the major theories that relate performance to WS ownership and the main empirical studies developed in this area. Finally, it presents the case study. The conclusions drawn from the study seem to prove the outperformance of the WS under private management in Portugal when compared with the public ones. The quality of service provided by the former is better than that of the latter, which is particularly evident with regard to water quality. Productivity is also superior in private companies. However, the results suggest an opposite trend as far as efficiency is concerned.
Joint use of monitoring and modelling
Authors: Jørgensen L.F. , Refsgaard J.C. , Højberg A.L.
Published: November 2007

There is much to gain in joining monitoring and modelling efforts, especially in the present process of implementing the European Water Framework Directive. Nevertheless, it is rare to see forces combined in these two disciplines. To bring the monitoring and the modelling communities together, a number of workshops have been arranged with discussions on benefits and constraints in joint use of monitoring and modelling. The workshops have been attended by scientists, water managers, policy makers as well as stakeholders and consultants. Emphasis has been put on data availability and accessibility, remote sensing and data assimilation techniques, monitoring programmes and modelling support to the design or optimisation of these as well as potential benefits of using supporting modelling tools in the process of designing Programmes of Measures by impact assessment etc. The way models can support in extrapolation in time and space, in data analysis, in process understanding (conceptual models), in accessing correct interaction between pressures and impacts etc. have also been elaborated. Although practitioners have been open-minded to the presented ideas, they are somewhat reluctant towards how to implement this in their daily work. This paper presents some experiences from the workshops.
A new approach to aid urban water management decision making using trade-off sacrifice modelled by fuzzy logic
Authors: Lai E. , Lundie S. , Ashbolt N.J.
Published: November 2007

An approach to aid decision making for urban water management is presented that is based on the concept of trade-off sacrifice level in pairwise comparisons between criteria, modelled using fuzzy logic. This approach is illustrated by a case study – selection of alternative water supplies for a Sydney household. Four key decision making criteria covering health, economic, environment and technical aspects are selected: annual probability of infection, life cycle energy use, life cycle cost and reliability. The decision making problem is to select between cases with different volume and application of recycled greywater and rainwater in light of the four criteria. Decision maker's preference is expressed by five levels of trade-off sacrifice between pairs of criteria. The decision makers can assign their preferences for sacrifice level by linguistic assessment and the output trade-off weight (TOW). Measures of decision makers' perceived trade-off level are modelled by a rule-based fuzzy logic control system. The final analysis shows the performance for each sacrifice class for each case, to aid overall decision making with stakeholders.
A complementary modelling approach to manage uncertainty of computationally expensive models
Authors: Vojinovic Z.
Published: November 2007

The fact that the models applied in the ‘water domain’ are far from reality can be attributed to many reasons. In this context, a systematic analysis of uncertainties reflected by the model error can provide insight into the level of confidence in the model results and how to approach estimation of optimal model parameters. This paper discusses the four commonly used approaches for estimation of model parameters and suggests that an alternative complementary modelling approach should be considered in cases where the traditional model calibration gives limited results and particularly in cases where the computationally expensive models are concerned. It treats uncertainty as modelling the total discrepancy between the model and physical process. The proposed approach combines the results from a physically-based model and Support Vector Machine model into the final solution.
Comparing global sensitivity analysis for a biofilm model for two-step nitrification using the qualitative screening method of Morris or the quantitative variance-based Fourier Amplitude Sensitivity Test (FAST)
Authors: Brockmann D. , Morgenroth E.
Published: November 2007

Two different methods for global sensitivity analysis were compared exemplarily for a biofilm model for two-step nitrification. Especially for biofilm models, local sensitivity analysis is not very useful as parameters can vary over a large range. Parameters that were evaluated included kinetic and stoichiometric parameters, and also biofilm parameters, such as internal and external mass transfer, the biofilm thickness, and the biomass density. Global sensitivity analyses were performed for a range of operating conditions of a biofilm reactor. The results of the qualitative screening method of Morris were compared with the results of the quantitative variance-based method FAST regarding the input parameters indicated as unimportant. Both methods resulted in similar sets of parameters with a small influence on the model output, but the screening method of Morris required a much smaller number of model evaluations to compute the sensitivity measures than the FAST method.
New mathematical procedure for the automatic estimation of influent characteristics in WWTPs
Authors: Grau P. , Beltrán S. , de Gracia M. , Ayesa E.
Published: November 2007

This paper proposes a new methodology for the automatic characterization of the influent wastewater in WWTP. With this methodology, model components are automatically estimated by means of optimization algorithms combining a-priori knowledge of the expected wastewater composition with experimental information from the available measurement data. The characterization is carried out based on an extended model components list in which components are described by means their elemental mass fractions. This allows an easy establishment of relationships between model components with experimental data and also, to obtain a general methodology applicable to any model used for wastewater biological treatments. The characterization of the wastewater influent of Galindo-Bilbao according this methodology has demonstrated its validity and the easy application to the ASM1 model influent characterization.
Parameter subset selection for the dynamic calibration of activated sludge models (ASMs): experience versus systems analysis
Authors: Ruano M.V. , Ribes J. , De Pauw D.J.W. , Sin G.
Published: November 2007

In this work we address the issue of parameter subset selection within the scope of activated sludge model calibration. To this end, we evaluate two approaches: (i) systems analysis and (ii) experience-based approach. The evaluation has been carried out using a dynamic model (ASM2d) calibrated to describe nitrogen and phosphorus removal in the Haaren WWTP (The Netherlands). The parameter significance ranking shows that the temperature correction coefficients are among the most influential parameters on the model output. This outcome confronts the previous identifiability studies and the experience based approaches which excluded them from their analysis. Systems analysis reveals that parameter significance ranking and size of the identifiable parameter subset depend on the information content of data available for calibration. However, it suffers from heavy computational demand. In contrast, although the experience-based approach is computationally affordable, it is unable to take into account the information content issue and therefore can be either too optimistic (giving poorly identifiable sets) or pessimistic (small size of sets while much more can be estimated from the data). An appropriate combinations of both approaches is proposed which offers a realistic (doable) and sound approach for parameter subset selection in activated sludge modelling.
Biosorption and bioreduction of Cr(VI) by locally isolated Cr-resistant bacteria
Authors: Zakaria Z.A. , Aruleswaran N. , Kaur S. , Ahmad W.A.
Published: November 2007

Cr(VI) biosorption and bioreduction ability of locally isolated Cr-resistant bacteria was investigated using the shake-flask technique. A mixture of S. epidermidis and B. cereus showed the highest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) level at 750 mg/L Cr(VI) followed by S. aureus and Bacillus sp. of 250 mg/L, and A. haemolyticus of 70 mg/L. From the Langmuir adsorption isotherm, the treatment of cells with heat-acid resulted in the highest amount of Cr(VI) adsorped (78.25 mg/g dry wt. for S. epidermidis) compared to heat-acetone (67.93 mg/g dry wt. Bacillus sp.), heat only (36.05 mg/g dry wt. S. epidermidis) or untreated cells (45.40 mg/g dry wt. S. epidermidis and B. cereus). FTIR analysis showed the involvement of amine groups in Cr(VI) adsorption. In the bioreduction study, A. haemolyticus was able to completely reduce Cr(VI) up to 50 mg/L.
Performance of cellulose acetate – polyethersulphone blend membrane prepared using microwave heating for palm oil mill effluent treatment
Authors: Idris A. , Ahmed I. , Jye H.W.
Published: November 2007

The objective of this research is to investigate the performance of blend cellulose acetate (CA)–polyethersulphone (PES) membranes prepared using microwave heating (MWH) techniques and then compare it with blend CA-PES membranes prepared using conventional heating (CH) methods using bovine serum albumin solution. The superior membranes were then used in the treatment of palm oil mill effluent (POME). Various blends of CA-PES have been blended with PES in the range of 1–5 wt%. This distinctive series of dope formulations of blend CA/PES and pure CA was prepared using N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF) as solvent. The dope solution was prepared by MW heating for 5 min at a high pulse and the membranes were prepared by phase inversion method. The performances of these membranes were evaluated in terms of pure water and permeate flux, percentage removal of total suspended solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD). The results indicate that blend membranes prepared using the microwave technique is far more superior compared to that prepared using CH. Blend membranes with 19% CA, 1–3% PES and 80% of DMF solvent were found to be the best membrane formulation.
Intracellular biopolymer productions using mixed microbial cultures from fermented POME
Authors: Salmiati  , Ujang Z. , Salim M.R. , Md Din M.F. , Ahmad M.A.
Published: November 2007

This study aimed to produce polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) from organic wastes by mixed bacterial cultures using anaerobic-aerobic fermentation systems. Palm oil mill effluent (POME) was used as an organic source, which was cultivated in a two-step-process of acidogenesis and acid polymerization. POME was operated in a continuous flow anaerobic reactor to access volatile fatty acids (VFAs) for PHAs production. During fermentation, VFA concentration was produced in the range of 5 to 8 g/L and the COD concentration reduced up to 80% from 65 g/L. The VFA from anaerobic fermentation was then utilised for PHA production using a mixed culture in availability of aerobic bioreactor. Production of PHAs was recorded high when using a high volume of substrates because of the higher VFA concentration. Even though the maximum PHA content was observed at only 40% of the cell dried weight (CDW), their production and performance are significant in mixed microbial culture.
Removal of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) using low pressure reverse osmosis membrane (LPROM)
Authors: Razak A.R.A. , Ujang Z. , Ozaki H.
Published: November 2007

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are the focus of current environmental issues, as they can cause adverse health effects to animals and human, subsequent to endocrine function. The objective of this study was to remove a specific compound of EDCs (i.e. pentachlorophenol, C6OCL5Na, molecular weight of 288 g/mol) using low pressure reverse osmosis membrane (LPROM). A cross flow module of LPROM was used to observe the effects of operating parameters, i.e. pH, operating pressure and temperature. The design of the experiment was based on MINITABTM software, and the analysis of results was conducted by factorial analysis. It was found that the rejection of pentachlorophenol was higher than 80% at a recovery rate of 60 to 70%. The rejection was subjected to increase with the increase of pH. The flux was observed to be increased with the increase of operating pressure and temperature. This study also investigated the interaction effects between operating parameters involved.
Sludge conditioning by using alumina nanoparticles and polyelectrolyte
Authors: Wang Z.S. , Hung M.T. , Liu J.C.
Published: November 2007

The combined use of nanoparticle and polyelectrolyte as retention aids in pulp and paper industry tend to give better flocculation (retention) and drainage (dewatering) than conventional polyelectrolyte flocculation. The combined use of alumina nanoparticle and polyelectrolyte in conditioning waste activated sludge was investigated in the current study. Alumina with three different sizes (139.5, 241.7, and 326.4 nm) was utilized in combination with a cationic polyelectrolyte (T3052) of molecular weight of 1.1 × 107 and charge density of 2.1 meq/g. It was found from capillary suction time (CST) and specific resistance to filtration (SRF) measurement that sludge conditioned with alumina/polyelectrolyte showed a better dewaterability than polyelectrolyte alone. In addition, it was found that the better dewaterability was obtained as alumina became smaller. Floc size and fractal dimension of flocs were examined as well. The mechanism of enhanced dewaterability was proposed that alumina nanoparticles became adsorbed onto sludge and positive patches were formed. The electrostatic repulsion made the polyelectrolyte more stretched, and resulted in more effective flocculation and bridging as polyelectrolyte was added. Dosing sequence also affected the conditioning effectiveness. However, the combined use of silica nanoparticles and a cationic polelectrolyte, KP-201C, or alumina nanoparticles and an anionic polyelectrolyte, AP410, did not result in improved dewaterability of waste activated sludge. Possible explanation was discussed. Preliminary results show that some in-depth work is needed regarding the introduction of nanoparticles in sludge conditioning.
Alum recovery and wastewater sludge stabilization with sulfuric acid
Authors: Jiménez B. , Martínez M. , Vaca M.
Published: November 2007

Coagulation-flocculation is used to remove helminth ova from wastewater intended for agricultural reuse. Nevertheless, it has the drawback of producing a large amount of sludge which together with the chemicals used to treat the wastewater increases the operating cost. This can be overcome by recovering and recycling the aluminium contained in the sludge. This paper presents how an acid recovery process was applied to an Advanced Primary Treatment (APT) sludge to partially treat it and to reduce its quantity. This is a method applied several decades ago in water sludge that has not been used in secondary wastewater sludge to recover aluminium and to inactivate microorganisms. By adding sulphuric acid to a 6%TS sludge, more than 70% of the aluminium added during the coagulation flocculation process was recovered when a pH of 2 was maintained during 30 minutes and at 300 rpm of mixing conditions. This way the sludge was reduced by 45% in volume and by 63% by mass, inactivating 5 logs of faecal coliforms and 68% of helminth ova. Due to the lower alum consumption, the operating cost of the APT is reduced by 3.78 US$/1,000 m3.
Influence of solid retention time on the rheology of MBR sludge
Authors: Giordano C. , Pollice A. , Laera G. , Saturno D. , Mininni G.
Published: November 2007

The rheological characterization is of crucial importance in sludge management both for biomass dewatering and stabilization purposes and for the definition of design parameters for sludge handling operations. The sludge retention time (SRT) has a significant influence on biomass properties in biological wastewater treatment systems and in particular in membrane bioreactors (MBR). The aim of this work is to compare the rheological behaviour of the biomass in a membrane bioreactor operated under different SRT. A bench scale MBR was operated for four years under the same conditions except for the SRT, that ranged from 20 days to complete sludge retention. The rheological properties were measured over time and the apparent viscosity was correlated with the concentration of solid material under equilibrium conditions. The three models most commonly adopted for rheological simulations were evaluated and compared in terms of their parameters. Steady state average values of these parameters were related to the equilibrium biomass concentration (MLSS). The models were tested to select the one better fitting the experimental data in terms of Mean Root Square Error (MRSE). The relationship between the apparent viscosity and the shear rate, as a function of solid concentration, was determined and proposed.
Anaerobic digestion of municipal solid wastes containing variable proportions of waste types
Authors: Akunna J.C. , Abdullahi Y.A. , Stewart N.A.
Published: November 2007

In many parts of the world there are significant seasonal variations in the production of the main organic wastes, food and green wastes. These waste types display significant differences in their biodegradation rates. This study investigated the options for ensuring process stability during the start up and operation of thermophilic high-solids anaerobic digestion of feedstock composed of varying proportions of food and green wastes. The results show that high seed sludge to feedstock ratio (or low waste loading rate) is necessary for ensuring process pH stability without chemical addition. It was also found that the proportion of green wastes in the feedstock can be used to regulate process pH, particularly when operating at high waste loading rates (or low seed sludge to feedstock ratios). The need for chemical pH correction during start-up and digestion operation decreased with increase in green wastes content of the feedstock. Food wastes were found to be more readily biodegradable leading to higher solids reduction while green wastes brought about pH stability and higher digestate solid content. Combining both waste types in various proportions brought about feedstock with varying buffering capacity and digestion performance. Thus, careful selection of feedstock composition can minimise the need for chemical pH regulation as well as reducing the cost for digestate dewatering for final disposal.
1H NMR investigation of normal and osteoarthritic synovial fluid in the horse
Authors: Fanizzi F. P. , Francioso E. , Crovace A. , Lacitignola L.
Published: November 2007

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR) has been successfully used in the study of many biological fluids. The data presented here report on the metabolic profiles of normal equine synovial fluids compared with osteoarthritic (OA) fluids. Twenty-five OA synovial fluid samples and eight normal ones were collected from the forelimb fetlock joint in 22 horses, aged between five and 24 years. 1H NMR spectroscopy was carried out with a Bruker Avance DRX 500 equiped with a cryomagnet working at 11 Tesla, and ‘Mestre-C 4.9.9.6’ software was used to analyze the spectra. The study assessed the increase of lactate, alanine, acetate, N-acetylglucosamine, pyruvate, citrate, creatine/creatinine, glycerol, HDL choline, and α-glucose in OA synovial fluid. The variations observed in samples from horses with OA compared to those in the control group, and similar data found in other studies, confirm that this technique may be useful in the study of joint metabolism. Its practical application may be in the evaluation of the treatment of OA in athletic horses.
Treatment with rhBMP-2 of extreme radial bone atrophy secondary to fracture management in an Italian Greyhound
Authors: Furneaux R. , Adrega Da Silva C. , Bardet J.-F. , Bernard F.
Published: November 2007

rhBMP-2 solution on a collagen sponge was placed along the diaphysis of an atrophicradius, which had a history of recurring fractures. Two months after rhBMP-2 treatment, new mineralized bone was present, which significantly increased the diameter of the radius and allowed the removal of the external skeletal fixator (ESF). Due to carpo-metacarpal joint compromise, a pancarpal arthrodesis was performed seven months later. At follow-up evaluation two years later the dog was only very mildly lame.