bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Crisis and Opportunity in Drug Policy: Changing the Direction of British Drug Services in the 1980s
Authors: Mold Alex , Berridge Virginia
Published: March 2007

During the 1980s illegal drug use in Britain appeared to be increasing at an alarming rate and spreading across the country on an unprecedented scale. An apparent growth in the use of heroin caused particular concern: the number of known heroin addicts rose from just over two thousand in 1977 to more than ten thousand by 1987. Moreover, heroin use was being reported in urban areas throughout the country. This was in contrast to previous decades, when it was thought that drug use was largely confined to London. By 1985 the Conservative government was able to assert that “the misuse of drugs is one of the most worrying problems facing our society today.” Growing fears about drug use prompted a flurry of activity from both central and local government, from law enforcement bodies, voluntary organizations, and health professionals.
The Contingent Power of Experts: Public Health Policy in the United States, Britain, and France
Authors: Nathanson Constance A.
Published: March 2007

Dangers to life and health abound. Even among the subset known to medicine and science, however, there is no guarantee that any particular danger will rise to the level of a recognized public health problem or elicit a response from the makers of public policy. The path from knowledge to policy is not straightforward; scientific consensus does not lead automatically to policy consensus. Judgments of what dangers should be most feared, how to explain them, what to do about them, and even whether they are public health problems at all are the outcome of social processes. A couple of examples may help to clarify these points.
Learning to Walk Slow: America's Partial Policy Success in the Arena of Intellectual Disability
Authors: Pollack Harold
Published: March 2007

The history of policies affecting individuals with intellectual disabilities has received attention from social historians interested in gender and family, from the emerging discipline of disability studies, and from scholars interested in the evolving role of eugenic arguments and medical genetics in American life. That history has received less systematic study from the community of policy analysts and scholars traditionally concerned with welfare, poverty, and public health. This is unfortunate because the history of policies affecting intellectual disability offers at least three significant lessons.
Sanemori's Revenge: Insects, Eco-System Accidents, and Policy Decisions in Japan's Environmental History
Authors: Walker Brett L.
Published: March 2007

Normally we do not think of living organisms as machines or as relays in complex, tightly coupled technological systems. Nonetheless, in recent years this is precisely the manner in which many environmental historians have come to approach the study of certain organisms and their natural or anthropogenic environments. Over the millennia and across the globe, humans have so manipulated certain organisms that they have come to exist solely as parts of technological systems or industrialized chains of production and consumption. Technological artifacts are, of course, only nature refashioned: nonetheless, modern industrialized societies tend to view themselves as gradually distancing themselves from, replacing, or, in some instances, even killing nature with their advanced technologies and gadgetries, when actually they are only refashioning their inseparable relationship to it.
Down-regulation of human extracellular cysteine protease inhibitors by the secreted staphylococcal cysteine proteases, staphopain A and B
Authors: Vincents Bjarne , Önnerfjord Patrik , Gruca Milosz , Potempa Jan , Abrahamson Magnus
Published: March 2007

Of seven human cystatins investigated, none inhibited the cysteine proteases staphopain A and B secreted by the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. Rather, the extracellular cystatins C, D and E/M were hydrolyzed by both staphopains. Based on MALDI-TOF time-course experiments, staphopain A cleavage of cystatin C and D should be physiologically relevant and occur upon S. aureus infection. Staphopain A hydrolyzed the Gly11 bond of cystatin C and the Ala10 bond of cystatin D with similar K
m values of approximately 33 and 32 μM, respectively. Such N-terminal truncation of cystatin C caused >300-fold lower inhibition of papain, cathepsin B, L and K, whereas the cathepsin H activity was compromised by a factor of ca. 10. Similarly, truncation of cystatin D caused alleviated inhibition of all endogenous target enzymes investigated. The normal activity of the cystatins is thus down-regulated, indicating that the bacterial enzymes can cause disturbance of the host protease-inhibitor balance. To illustrate the in vivo consequences, a mixed cystatin C assay showed release of cathepsin B activity in the presence of staphopain A. Results presented for the specificity of staphopains when interacting with cystatins as natural protein substrates could aid in the development of therapeutic agents directed toward these proteolytic virulence factors.
Obesity resistance of the stearoyl-CoA desaturase-deficient (scd1
-/-) mouse results from disruption of the epidermal lipid barrier and adaptive thermoregulation
Authors: Binczek Erika , Jenke Britta , Holz Barbara , Günter Robert Heinz , Thevis Mario , Stoffel Wilhelm
Published: March 2007

Targeted deletion of the stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 gene (scd1) in mouse causes obesity resistance and a severe skin phenotype. Here, we demonstrate that SCD1 deficiency disrupts the epidermal lipid barrier and leads to uncontrolled transepidermal water loss, breakdown of adaptive thermoregulation and cold resistance, as well as a metabolic wasting syndrome. The loss of ω-hydroxylated very long-chain fatty acids (VLCFA) and ceramides substituted with ω-hydroxylated VLCFA covalently linked to corneocyte surface proteins leads to the disruption of the epidermal lipid barrier in scd1
-/- mutants. Artificial occlusion of the skin by topical lipid application largely reconstituted the epidermal barrier and also reversed dysregulation of thermogenesis and cold resistance, as well as the metabolic disturbances. Interestingly, SCD1 deficiency abolished expression of the key transcription factor Lef1, which is essential for interfollicular epidermis, sebaceous glands, and hair follicle development. Finally, the occurrence of SCD1 and a newly described hSCD5 (ACOD4) gene in humans suggests that the scd1
-/- mouse mutant might be a valuable animal model for the study of human skin diseases associated with epidermal barrier defects.
Localization and organization of protein factors involved in chromosome inheritance in Dictyostelium discoideum
Authors: Kaller Markus , Földesi Balint , Nellen Wolfgang
Published: March 2007

Heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) proteins are highly conserved heterochromatin components required for genomic integrity. We have previously shown that the two HP1 isoforms expressed in Dictyostelium, HcpA and HcpB, are mainly localized to (peri-)centromeric heterochromatin and have largely overlapping functions. However, they cause distinct phenotypes when overexpressed. We show here that these isoforms display quantitative differences in dimerization behavior. Dimerization preference, as well as the mutant phenotype in overexpression strains, depends on the C-terminus containing the hinge and chromo shadow domains. Both Hcp proteins are targeted to distinct subnuclear regions by different chromo shadow domain-dependent and -independent mechanisms. In addition, both proteins bind to DNA and RNA in vitro and binding is independent of the chromo shadow domain. Thus, this DNA and/or RNA binding activity may contribute to protein targeting. To further characterize heterochromatin, we cloned the Dictyostelium homolog of the origin recognition complex subunit 2 (OrcB). OrcB localizes to distinct subnuclear foci that were also targeted by HcpA. In addition, it is associated with the centrosome throughout the cell cycle. The results indicate that, similar to Orc2 homologs from other organisms, it is required for different processes in chromosome inheritance.
Neprilysin carboxydipeptidase specificity studies and improvement in its detection with fluorescence energy transfer peptides
Authors: Barros Nilana M.T. , Campos Marcelo , Bersanetti Patrícia A. , Oliveira Vitor , Juliano Maria A. , Boileau Guy , Juliano Luiz , Carmona Adriana K.
Published: March 2007

We examined the substrate specificity of the carboxydipeptidase activity of neprilysin (NEP) using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) peptides containing ortho-aminobenzoyl (Abz) and 2,4-dinitrophenyl (Dnp) as a donor/acceptor pair. Two peptide series with general sequences Abz-RXFK(Dnp)-OH and Abz-XRFK(Dnp)-OH (X denotes the position of the altered amino acid) were synthesized to study P1 (cleavage at the X-F bond) and P2 (cleavage at R-F bond) specificity, respectively. In these peptides a Phe residue was fixed in P1′ to fulfill the well-known NEP S1′ site requirement for a hydrophobic amino acid. In addition, we explored NEP capability to hydrolyze bradykinin (RPPGFSPFR) and its fluorescent derivative Abz-RPPGFSPFRQ-EDDnp (EDDnp=2,4-dinitrophenyl ethylenediamine). The enzyme acts upon bradykinin mainly as a carboxydipeptidase, preferentially cleaving Pro-Phe over the Gly-Phe bond in a 9:1 ratio, whereas Abz-RPPGFSPFRQ-EDDnp was hydrolyzed at the same bonds but at an inverted proportion of 1:9. The results show very efficient interaction of the substrates' C-terminal free carboxyl group with site S2′ of NEP, confirming the enzyme's preference to act as carboxydipeptidase at substrates with a free carboxyl-terminus. Using data gathered from our study, we developed sensitive and selective NEP substrates that permit continuous measurement of the enzyme activity, even in crude tissue extracts.
Histone Deacetylase 6 Inhibition Compensates for the Transport Deficit in Huntington's Disease by Increasing Tubulin Acetylation
Authors: Dompierre Jim P. , Godin Juliette D. , Charrin Bénédicte C. , Cordelières Fabrice P. , King Stephen J. , Humbert Sandrine , Saudou Frédéric
Published: March 2007

A defect in microtubule (MT)-based transport contributes to the neuronal toxicity observed in Huntington's disease (HD). Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors show neuroprotective effects in this devastating neurodegenerative disorder. We report here that HDAC inhibitors, including trichostatin A (TSA), increase vesicular transport of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) by inhibiting HDAC6, thereby increasing acetylation at lysine 40 of α-tubulin. MT acetylationin vitroand in cells causes the recruitment of the molecular motors dynein and kinesin-1 to MTs. In neurons, acetylation at lysine 40 of α-tubulin increases the flux of vesicles and the subsequent release of BDNF. We show that tubulin acetylation is reduced in HD brains and that TSA compensates for the transport- and release-defect phenotypes that are observed in disease. Our findings reveal that HDAC6 inhibition and acetylation at lysine 40 of α-tubulin may be therapeutic targets of interest in disorders such as HD in which intracellular transport is altered.
Feedforward Inhibition Contributes to the Control of Epileptiform Propagation Speed
Authors: Trevelyan Andrew J. , Sussillo David , Yuste Rafael
Published: March 2007

It is still poorly understood how epileptiform events can recruit cortical circuits. Moreover, the speed of propagation of epileptiform dischargesin vivoandin vitrocan vary over several orders of magnitude (0.1–100 mm/s), a range difficult to explain by a single mechanism. We previously showed how epileptiform spread in neocortical slices is opposed by a powerful feedforward inhibition ahead of the ictal wave. When this feedforward inhibition is intact, epileptiform spreads very slowly (∼100 μm/s). We now investigate whether changes in this inhibitory restraint can also explain much faster propagation velocities. We made use of a very characteristic pattern of evolution of ictal activity in the zero magnesium (0 Mg2+) model of epilepsy. With each successive ictal event, the number of preictal inhibitory barrages dropped, and in parallel with this change, the propagation velocity increased. There was a highly significant correlation (p< 0.001) between the two measures over a 1000-fold range of velocities, indicating that feedforward inhibition was the prime determinant of the speed of epileptiform propagation. We propose that the speed of propagation is set by the extent of the recruitment steps, which in turn is set by how successfully the feedforward inhibitory restraint contains the excitatory drive. Thus, a single mechanism could account for the wide range of propagation velocities of epileptiform events observedin vitroandin vivo.
Adaptation of Prefrontal Cortical Firing Patterns and Their Fidelity to Changes in Action–Reward Contingencies
Authors: Kargo William J. , Szatmary Botond , Nitz Douglas A.
Published: March 2007

Animals adapt action-selection policies when the relationship between possible actions and associated outcomes changes. Prefrontal cortical neurons vary their discharge patterns depending on action choice and rewards received and undoubtedly play a pivotal role in maintaining and adapting action policies. Here, we recorded neurons from the medial precentral subregion of mouse prefrontal cortex to examine neural substrates of goal-directed behavior. Discharge patterns were recorded after animals developed stable action-selection policies, wherein four possible action sequences were invariably related to different reward magnitudes and during adaptation to changes in the action–reward contingencies. During the adaptation period, when the same action sequence resulted in different reward magnitudes, many neurons (38%) exhibited significantly different discharge patterns for identical action sequences, well before reaching the reward site. In addition, trial-to-trial reliability of ensemble pattern production leading up to reward was found to vary both positively and negatively with increases and decreases in reward magnitude, respectively. Pairwise analyses of simultaneously recorded neurons revealed that decreased reliability in part reflected fluctuations between different ensemble activity patterns as opposed to within-pattern variability. Increases in reliability were related to an increased probability of both selecting highly rewarding actions and completing such actions without pause or reversal, whereas decreases in reliability were associated with the opposite pattern. Thus, we suggest that both the spatiotemporal pattern and fidelity of prefrontal cortical discharge are impacted by action–outcome relationships and that each of these features serve to adapt action choices and maintain behaviors leading to reward.
Robo1 and Robo2 Cooperate to Control the Guidance of Major Axonal Tracts in the Mammalian Forebrain
Authors: López-Bendito Guillermina , Flames Nuria , Ma Le , Fouquet Coralie , Di Meglio Thomas , Chedotal Alain , Tessier-Lavigne Marc , Marín Oscar
Published: March 2007

The function of the nervous system depends on the precision of axon wiring during development. Previous studies have demonstrated that Slits, a family of secreted chemorepellent proteins, are crucial for the proper development of several major forebrain tracts. Mice deficient in Slit2 or, even more so, in both Slit1 and Slit2 have defects in multiple axonal pathways, including corticofugal, thalamocortical, and callosal connections. In the spinal cord, members of the Robo family of proteins help mediate the function of Slits, but the relative contribution of these receptors to the guidance of forebrain projections remains to be determined. In the present study, we addressed the function of Robo1 and Robo2 in the guidance of forebrain projections by analyzingRobo1-,Robo2-, andRobo1;Robo2-deficient mice. Mice deficient in Robo2 and, more dramatically, in both Robo1 and Robo2, display prominent axon guidance errors in the development of corticofugal, thalamocortical, and corticocortical callosal connections. Our results demonstrate that Robo1 and Robo2 mostly cooperate to mediate the function of Slit proteins in guiding the major forebrain projections.
Interhemispheric Integration of Visual Processing during Task-Driven Lateralization
Authors: Stephan Klaas E. , Marshall John C. , Penny Will D. , Friston Karl J. , Fink Gereon R.
Published: March 2007

The mechanisms underlying interhemispheric integration (IHI) remain poorly understood, particularly for lateralized cognitive processes. To test competing theories of IHI, we constructed and fitted dynamic causal models to functional magnetic resonance data from two visual tasks that operated on identical stimuli but showed opposite hemispheric dominance. Using a systematic Bayesian model selection procedure, we found that, in the ventral visual stream, which was activated by letter judgments, interhemispheric connections mediated asymmetric information transfer from the nonspecialized right to the specialized left hemisphere when the latter did not have direct access to stimulus information. Notably, this form of IHI did not engage all areas activated by the task but was specific for areas in the lingual and fusiform gyri. In the dorsal stream, activated by spatial judgments, it did not matter which hemisphere received the stimulus: interhemispheric coupling increased bidirectionally, reflecting recruitment of the nonspecialized left hemisphere. Again, not all areas activated by the task were involved in this form of IHI; instead, it was restricted to interactions between areas in the superior parietal gyrus. Overall, our results provide direct neurophysiological evidence, in terms of effective connectivity, for the existence of context-dependent mechanisms of IHI that are implemented by specific visual areas during task-driven lateralization.
The Vanilloid Receptor TRPV1 Is Tonically ActivatedIn Vivoand Involved in Body Temperature Regulation
Authors: Gavva Narender R. , Bannon Anthony W. , Surapaneni Sekhar , Hovland David N. , Lehto Sonya G. , Gore Anu , Juan Todd , Deng Hong , Han Bora , Klionsky Lana , Kuang Rongzhen , Le April , Tamir Rami , Wang Jue , Youngblood Brad , Zhu Dawn , Norman Mark H. , Magal Ella , Treanor James J. S. , Louis Jean-Claude
Published: March 2007

The vanilloid receptor TRPV1 (transient receptor potential vanilloid 1) is a cation channel that serves as a polymodal detector of pain-producing stimuli such as capsaicin, protons (pH <5.7), and heat. TRPV1 antagonists block pain behaviors in rodent models of inflammatory, neuropathic, and cancer pain, suggesting their utility as analgesics. Here, we report that TRPV1 antagonists representing various chemotypes cause an increase in body temperature (hyperthermia), identifying a potential issue for their clinical development. Peripheral restriction of antagonists did not eliminate hyperthermia, suggesting that the site of action is predominantly outside of the blood–brain barrier. Antagonists that are ineffective against proton activation also caused hyperthermia, indicating that blocking capsaicin and heat activation of TRPV1 is sufficient to produce hyperthermia. All TRPV1 antagonists evaluated here caused hyperthermia, suggesting that TRPV1 is tonically activatedin vivoand that TRPV1 antagonism and hyperthermia are not separable. TRPV1 antagonists caused hyperthermia in multiple species (rats, dogs, and monkeys), demonstrating that TRPV1 function in thermoregulation is conserved from rodents to primates. Together, these results indicate that tonic TRPV1 activation regulates body temperature.
Brain Mechanisms Supporting Spatial Discrimination of Pain
Authors: Oshiro Yoshitetsu , Quevedo Alexandre S. , McHaffie John G. , Kraft Robert A. , Coghill Robert C.
Published: March 2007

Pain is a uniquely individual experience that is heavily shaped by evaluation and judgments about afferent sensory information. In visual, auditory, and tactile sensory modalities, evaluation of afferent information engages brain regions outside of the primary sensory cortices. In contrast, evaluation of sensory features of noxious information has long been thought to be accomplished by the primary somatosensory cortex and other structures associated with the lateral pain system. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging and a delayed match-to-sample task, we show that the prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, posterior parietal cortex, thalamus, and caudate are engaged during evaluation of the spatial locations of noxious stimuli. Thus, brain mechanisms supporting discrimination of sensory features of pain extend far beyond the somatosensory cortices and involve frontal regions traditionally associated with affective processing and the medial pain system. These frontoparietal interactions are similar to those involved in the processing of innocuous information and may be critically involved in placing afferent sensory information into a personal historical context.
Sensory Experience Alters Cortical Connectivity and Synaptic Function Site Specifically
Authors: Cheetham Claire E. J. , Hammond Martin S. L. , Edwards Clarissa E. J. , Finnerty Gerald T.
Published: March 2007

Neocortical circuitry can alter throughout life with experience. However, the contributions of changes in synaptic strength and modifications in neuronal wiring to experience-dependent plasticity in mature animals remain unclear. We trimmed whiskers of rats and made electrophysiological recordings after whisker cortical maps have developed. Measurements of miniature EPSPs suggested that synaptic inputs to layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons were altered at the junction of deprived and spared cortex in primary somatosensory cortex. Whole-cell recordings were made from pairs of synaptically connected pyramidal neurons to investigate possible changes in local excitatory connections between layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons. The neurons were filled with fluorescent dyes during recording and reconstructed in three dimensions using confocal microscopy and image deconvolution to identify putative synapses. We show that sensory deprivation induces a striking reduction in connectivity between layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons in deprived cortex without large-scale, compensatory increases in the strength of remaining local excitatory connections. A markedly different situation occurs in spared cortex. Connection strength is potentiated, but local excitatory connectivity and synapse number per connection are unchanged. Our data suggest that alterations in local excitatory circuitry enhance the expansion of spared representations into deprived cortex. Moreover, our findings offer one explanation for how the responses of spared and deprived cortex to sensory deprivation can be dissociated in developed animals.
Control of Hair Cell Excitability by Vestibular Primary Sensory Neurons
Authors: Brugeaud Aurore , Travo Cécile , Demêmes Danielle , Lenoir Marc , Llorens Jordi , Puel Jean-Luc , Chabbert Christian
Published: March 2007

In the rat utricle, synaptic contacts between hair cells and the nerve fibers arising from the vestibular primary neurons form during the first week after birth. During that period, the sodium-based excitability that characterizes neonate utricle sensory cells is switched off. To investigate whether the establishment of synaptic contacts was responsible for the modulation of the hair cell excitability, we used an organotypic culture of rat utricle in which the setting of synapses was prevented. Under this condition, the voltage-gated sodium current and the underlying action potentials persisted in a large proportion of nonafferented hair cells. We then studied whether impairment of nerve terminals in the utricle of adult rats may also affect hair cell excitability. We induced selective and transient damages of afferent terminals using glutamate excitotoxicityin vivo. The efficiency of the excitotoxic injury was attested by selective swellings of the terminals and underlying altered vestibular behavior. Under this condition, the sodium-based excitability transiently recovered in hair cells. These results indicate that the modulation of hair cell excitability depends on the state of the afferent terminals. In adult utricle hair cells, this property may be essential to set the conditions required for restoration of the sensory network after damage. This is achieved via re-expression of a biological process that occurs during synaptogenesis.
Regulation of Protein Kinase Mζ Synthesis by Multiple Kinases in Long-Term Potentiation
Authors: Kelly Matthew Taylor , Crary John Fonda , Sacktor Todd Charlton
Published: March 2007

The persistent activity of protein kinase Mζ (PKMζ) maintains synaptic long-term potentiation (LTP) and spatial memory, but the interactions between PKMζ and the other protein kinases implicated in synaptic plasticity are unknown. During LTP, PKMζ is rapidly synthesized from a PKMζ mRNA that encodes a protein kinase Cζ (PKCζ) catalytic domain without a regulatory domain; thus, second messengers that activate full-length PKC isoforms are not required to stimulate PKMζ. Like other PKCs, however, PKMζ must be phosphorylated on its activation loop by phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase-1 (PDK1) for optimal catalytic activity. Thus, two sequential steps are required for the persistent increased PKMζ activity that maintains LTP:de novosynthesis of PKMζ and phosphorylation of its activation loop. Here, using a panel of antisera to phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated sites on PKMζ, we show that PI3-kinase (phosphoinositide 3-kinase), CaMKII (Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II), MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase), PKA (protein kinase A), mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin), all important for LTP induction, as well as preexisting PKMζ, regulate the new synthesis of PKMζ during LTP. In contrast, PDK1 forms a complex with PKMζ and maintains maximal phosphorylation of its activation loop. Thus, the two steps of PKMζ formation serve separate functions in LTP: the initial regulated synthesis of PKMζ is the site of convergence and integration for multiple kinases of induction, whereas the constitutive phosphorylation of PKMζ by PDK1 initiates the persistent autonomous activity that sustains maintenance.
Beweisbare Sicherheit durch Quantenkryptografie (Provable Security in Quantum Cryptography)
Authors: Renner Renato
Published: March 2007

Die Sicherheit heutiger kryptografischer Verfahren beruht meist auf der nicht beweisbaren Annahme, dass einem Gegner nur beschränkte Rechenleistung zur Verfügung steht. Im Gegensatz dazu bietet die Quantenkryptografie, die quantenmechanische Eigenschaften kleinster Teilchen wie zum Beispiel Photonen nutzt, beweisbare Sicherheit. Dieser Artikel erläutert die Funktionsweise dieser neuartigen Technik.
Juristen im IT-Projekt „Elektronische Gesundheitskarte”: Spielverderber oder Joker? (Jurists in the IT-Project „Electronic Health Card”: Kill Joy or Joker?)
Authors: Tschoepe Sven
Published: March 2007

Die Einführung einer Telematik-Infrastruktur im Gesundheitswesen durch die elektronische Gesundheitskarte ist eines der weltweit größten IT-Projekte. Seine gesetzlich vorgeschriebene Umsetzung durch die Selbstverwaltung vollzieht sich bislang im Wesentlichen bestimmt von ökonomischen Interessen unter geringer Beteiligung von Juristen. Der Beitrag widmet sich nach einer Beschreibung des Projekts ausgewählten projektkritischen rechtlichen Aspekten unter Einbeziehung informationstechnischer und ökonomischer Begleitumstände. Dabei ist die Einführung der elektronischen Gesundheitskarte zugleich ein spannendes Beispiel für die künftige Welt allgegenwärtigen Rechnens.
Experimental determination of deuteron-induced activation cross sections of yttrium
Authors: Uddin Md. Shuza , Baba M. , Hagiwara M. , Tárkányi F. , Ditrói F.
Published: March 2007

Excitation functions were measured for the89Y(d,x)90m,88,87m,87m+gY,89Y(d,x)88,89Zr and89Y(d,x)85Sr reactions in the energy range 9–40 MeV by the stacked-foil activation technique in combination with high resolution HPGe γ-ray spectroscopy. The data above 27 MeV have been measured for the first time. Yield calculations revealed that in the deuteron-induced activation of yttrium the direct production of88Y is about two times lower than that of88Zr. The maximum cross section for the production of the PET isotope89Zr by the Y+dprocess is higher than by Y+p. The yields and decay characteristics of the88Y and88Zr nuclides are suitable for thin layer activation (TLA) analysis.
Metal extraction by N,N′-dialkyl-N,N′-diaryl-dipicolinamides from nitric acid solutions
Authors: Babain V. A. , Alyapyshev M. Yu. , Kiseleva R. N.
Published: March 2007

A study of americium, uranium and europium extraction by various dialkyl-diarylamides of 2,6-pyridine-dicarboxylic (dipicolinic) acid has shown that maximum extractability is achieved by using polar fluorine-substituted diluents. Generally, the diamide extractability is found to increase with the alkyl radical length. We have demonstrated the possibility to separate Am and Eu in solutions with a nitric acid concentration of 0.5–2 mol/l. The extractability of these diamides with respect to the three metals rises with the acid concentration increase to 6 mol/l.
Preparation of spherical, dense uranium fuel kernels with carbon
Authors: Hunt Rodney D. , Lindemer Terrence B. , Hu Michael Z. , Cul Guillermo D. del , Collins Jack L.
Published: March 2007

The internal gelation process and a suitable broth formulation with an uranium concentration of 1.3 M was used to produce air-dried uranium trioxide dihydrate (UO3·2H2O) and carbon microspheres with crush strengths greater than 600 g per microsphere. The addition of carbon lowered the slow-pour densities of the air-dried microspheres by a minimum of 9% if all other conditions were held constant. The crush strengths of the air-dried microspheres with and without carbon remained very good. These microspheres were not prone to leach when they were washed with ammonium hydroxide, and they did not have the tendency to crack during subsequent heat treatments. For the UO3·2H2O microspheres with and without carbon, dehydration occurred at the same rate. The dehydration was accompanied by spontaneous reduction of the urania to UO2.67. In the same temperature range, hydrogen and carbon can be used to further reduce the urania to uranium dioxide. Therefore, the loss of carbon during calcination appears to be unavoidable. The current recommendation on calcinations is to use a temperature of 600 °C or higher to minimize the loss of carbon. Dense and strong uranium fuel kernels with carbon were produced in argon at 1680 °C.
American Memory, Culture Wars, and the Challenge of Presenting Science and Technology in a National Museum
Authors: LAUNIUS ROGER D.
Published: March 2007

There is no question that the American public has an unabashed appetite for history. This is demonstrated in numerous ways from bestsellers by popular historians to tourism at historic sites and museums to the popularity of films and other media depicting versions of the past. Although historians might think that the discourse presented in most of these forums is simplistic and stilted, little doubt exists that it is passionate. This discussion explores a few of the issues affecting the public's deep fascination with the past, especially in the context of the history of science and technology, and the presentation of these issues in the Smithsonian Institution. These thoughts are tentative and speculative, but, I hope, stimulating and worthy of further consideration.
Burying Atomic History: The Mound Builders of Fernald and Weldon Spring
Authors: KRUPAR JASON
Published: March 2007

The Fernald, Ohio and Weldon Spring, Missouri uranium refinery sites performed critical functions in the nation's nuclear weapons manufacturing complex during the Cold War. Now, the U.S. Department of Energy has created two radioactive tombs on the former grounds of these industrial centers. These mounds may be viewed as unofficial monuments to the billions spent building and maintaining the country's atomic arsenal. Radioactive contamination precludes the adaptive reuse of Fernald and Weldon Spring. Yet these two sites reside in counties that continue to experience steady population growth. The present and future generations need to be informed about the activities conducted at the sites for health, environmental, and educational reasons. Policy choices made by federal government officials concerning Weldon Spring and Fernald indicate a pattern shift from disclosure/preservation to exclusion/destruction by 2005.
“A Wealth of Historical Interest”: The Medical Artifact Collection at the University of Western Ontario
Authors: HAMILTON MICHELLE A. , WOODS REBECCA
Published: March 2007

Along with a teaching collection, the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Western Ontario, London, Canada, began accepting medical artifacts for a historical museum in the early 1920s, although it never developed into more than an unofficial collection until the 1970s, when it was transformed into the Medical Museum and Archives at the University Hospital. In the 1990s, the artifacts were dispersed among several local institutions. The remaining objects at the university have been now reorganized as the Medical Artifact Collection. While these objects were once used to educate students about the practice and philosophy of medicine, they are now used to teach students about local, medical, Canadian and public history.
Application of statistical experimental design to the treatment of bleaching kraft mill effluent using a mediated free radical system
Authors: Arantes V. , Milagres A.M.F.
Published: March 2007

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of chelator mediated-Fenton reaction (CMFR) on the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal from bleaching kraft mill effluent. Effluent treatments were carried out to study the effect of the chelator 3, 4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), Fe3 +  and H2O2 concentrations on COD removal. For optimization of COD removal, the methodology of statistical experimental design was employed. The estimated second-order polynomial multiple regression model predicts a maximum COD removal of 75.5% (COD/COD0 = 0.245) at the confidence level of 95%. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a good coefficient of determination (R2) value of 0.90, thus ensuring a satisfactory adjustment of the second-order regression model with the experimental data. Indeed, CMFR proved to be a potential process to treat industrial effluents characterized by its high COD.
A filtrate phase perspective to organic matter balance in ECF bleached kraft fiberline
Authors: Luonsi Antero
Published: March 2007

In the process of making high quality pulp from wood chips, much water will continuously be needed. The fate of the used water with the organic and inorganic impurities remains optional. Mills with zero liquid effluent have been mentioned as the target in environmental loading minimization of pulp and paper mills with hardly any debate. To avoid inappropriate solutions when approaching this target, thorough knowledge of loading element behavior in liquid streams of production processes should be available before decisions are made for development alternatives. Based on empirical measurements of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in liquid streams of fiberline and utilizing them together with routine mill data in process simulation, this study aims at mapping DOM and its fate in elemental chlorine free (ECF) softwood kraft pulp production. The results of this study act as a demonstration for determining the essential fates and their quantities in the ECF fiberline.
Kraft mill sludge to improve vegetal production in Chilean Andisol
Authors: Gallardo F. , Mora M.L. , Diez M.C.
Published: March 2007

The effect of kraft mill sludge addition (25 to 75 ton/ha) to soil derived from volcanic ashes (Andisol) on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.cv. Puken) biomass production, and in the nutrient absorption by the plants was evaluated. Respiration activity and seed germination tests were carried out on the soil/sludge mixtures, in order to evaluate possible toxic effects due to the sludge addition to the soil. Soil without sludge was used as a control treatment. The plants were grown in a greenhouse (25 °C, 14 h-photoperiod) during 120 days, then the plants were collected and dried at 65 °C for 72 h for the determination of biomass production (root and aerial) and analyzed for mineral content (Ca, Mg, K and P). The mixtures of soil/sludge showed no toxicity. Seed germination and respiration activity increased with the increment of the sludge. The accumulated CO2 in the soil without sludge was 41.66 mg CO2/100; this value shows a low microbial activity. The biomass increased with the increment of sludge addition to the soil and five times more biomass was obtained when 75 ton/ha sludge was added to the soil. The nutrient absorption efficiency was also improved with the sludge addition.
Comparison of the efficacy of oxidative processes and flocculation for the removal of colour from Eop effluent
Authors: Joss E.N. , McGrouther K.G. , Slade A.H.
Published: March 2007

Up to 30% of the released colour arising from bleached kraft pulp and paper production comes from the alkaline extraction stage. This waste stream can therefore be readily targeted to remove colour at source in mills where improved colour management is required. The efficacy of five advanced oxidative treatment and physico-chemical technologies in removing colour from a typical Eop stage effluent was compared. The most effective oxidative treatment was peroxymonosulphate (79% colour removal in 15 minutes). Ozone and TAML® treatments removed 74% and 58% of colour respectively within 30 minutes. In comparison, hydrogen peroxide alone was only able to remove 35% of the colour over 4 hours. Coagulation with polyaluminium chloride achieved 89% colour removal within 5 minutes. However, this treatment produced an undesirable sludge, and may cause toxicity in the treated wastewater. Overall, colour removal ability of the five technologies ranked from highest to lowest was polyaluminium chloride > peroxymonosulfate > ozone > TAML® > hydrogen peroxide. Other factors, such as operating costs, feedstock modification and capital infrastructure, also need to be taken into account when selecting the most suitable colour management option.
Long term experience with the nutrient limited BAS process for treatment of forest industry wastewaters
Authors: Malmqvist Å. , Welander T. , Olsson L.E.
Published: March 2007

The nutrient limited biofilm-activated sludge (BAS) process was developed with the aim to ensure maximum biological treatment efficiency in combination with good process stability, low sludge production and minimum effluent concentration of nutrients. The first full scale nutrient limited BAS (NLBAS) processes were implemented at Södra Cell Värö and Stora Enso Hylte in 2002. Since then another three full scale installations have been built. The aim of this study was to investigate and summarise the long-term treatment results, process stability, sludge production and sludge characteristics for the five full scale NLBAS processes. It was of particular interest to compare the nutrient limited operating mode with regard to the different types of production and wastewater that the mills represent (kraft, TMP and newsprint, bleached CTMP). The study showed that after the initial start-up period, which varied from a couple of weeks to three to four months, all plants meet their respective discharge limits. The sludge production for the different plants varies between 0.07 and 0.15 kg TSS/kg COD and the sludge characteristics are with few exceptions excellent. In conclusion, the nutrient limited BAS process is suitable for both upgrades and new installations of biological treatment for different types of forest industry wastewaters.
Advanced oxidation of bleached eucalypt kraft pulp mill effluent
Authors: Mounteer A.H. , Pereira R.O. , Morais A.A. , Ruas D.B. , Silveira D.S.A. , Viana D.B. , Medeiros R.C.
Published: March 2007

In this study a poorly biodegradable (BOD/COD = 0.3) industrial alkaline ECF bleaching filtrate was treated using different advanced oxidation processes to evaluate their use in combined chemical–biological treatment aimed at increasing recalcitrant COD removal and improving final effluent quality. Oxidative treatments included ozonation combined with hydrogen peroxide (2, 5, 10, 20 mmol L−1 O3/0.7, 2, 5, 10 mmol L−1 H2O2) and photocatalysis with hydrogen peroxide (UV/2, 4 and 8 mmol L−1 H2O2) and with TiO2 (UV/TiO2/0.7 and 4 mmol L−1 H2O2). The O3/H2O2 process increased effluent biodegradability by up to 68% as a result of increasing BOD and decreasing COD. Increasing the O3 dose had a greater effect on biodegradability improvement and lignin and colour removal efficiencies than increasing the H2O2 dose. A combined oxidant dose of 5 mmol L−1 O3 and 2 mmol L−1 H2O2 resulted in 75% lignin removal, 40% colour removal and 6% carbohydrate loss without mineralizing the organic carbon. The photocatalytic processes led to a decrease in effluent biodegradability through combined decrease in BOD and increase in COD and did not result in efficient lignin or colour removal. Photocatalytic oxidation was apparently inhibited by the high chloride and COD levels in the alkaline filtrate, and may be more efficient in recalcitrant COD removal if performed after biological.
Semi-continuous treatment of recalcitrant anaerobic effluent from pulp and paper industry using hybrid pellets of Trametes versicolor
Authors: Ortega-Clemente A. , Ponce-Noyola M.T. , Montes-Horcasitas M.C. , Vicent M.T. , Barrera-Cortés J. , Poggi-Varaldo H.M.
Published: March 2007

The objective of this work was to evaluate the semi-continuous post-treatment of anaerobically-pre-treated weak black liquor (anaerobic effluent, AnE) by aerobic post-treatment using hybrid pellets of Trametes versicolor. The latter consisted of fungus immobilized onto holm oak sawdust (mixed or double pellets) or a mixture of holm oak sawdust and powdered activated carbon (triple pellets). First, a semi-continuous experiment was run to compare the effectiveness of triple and mixed pellets in agitated flasks for 15 cycles of 7 days each. A second extended batch test was implemented with 500 mL AnE and triple pellets to give 400 mg fungal biomass; some units were spiked with protease inhibitor. In the first experiment, triple pellets displayed consistently higher removal efficiencies of pollutant parameters than double pellets (10 to 15% higher), although overall averages were moderate and no statistical significance to the difference could be set because of the noise of fluctuations. Periodic fluctuations of removal were characterized by three periods of approximately six cycles each with maximum removals occurring at cycles 3–4, 7–9, 13, and 14. Evaluating pooled removals of the latter cycles showed that triple pellets were significantly more effective than double pellets, with removal efficiencies as high as 47% of COD, colour, and absorbance at 254 nm (A254). In general, protease activity seemed to increase in the third period (last six cycles), whereas activities of MnP, LiP and Lac significantly decreased. In the second experiment, pollutant removals and enzymatic activities of triple pellets with protease inhibitor were significantly higher than those of units without added protease inhibitor. These results indicate that protease could be the main cause of periodic falls of pollutant removal efficiencies found in the first experiment.
Treatment of an ECF effluent by combined use of activated sludge and advanced oxidation process
Authors: Silva F.T. , Mattos L.R. , Paiva T.C.B.
Published: March 2007

The combined biological and chemical treatments of the cellulose effluents have been studied aiming to promote a more significant degradation of their recalcitrant compounds and to reduce their toxicity, as compared with the isolated treatments. In this work the effluent from acid stages of the ECF bleaching of Eucalyptus urograndis pulp was treated by using separately activated sludge and UV radiation and its combination. The treatment efficiency was evaluated by colour, total phenol, COD, BOD, UV spectroscopy, molar weight distribution and toxicity. The untreated effluent presented 587 ± 18 CU, 19.3 ± 0.6 mg.L−1 of total phenol, 2,246 ± 137 mgO2.L−1 of COD and 904 ± 48 mgO2.L−1 of BOD. It did not show acute toxicity to Escherichia coli, but presented chronic toxicity to Selenastrum capricornutum (EC50 = 25%). The sludge treatment resulted in a colour increasing of 42% and decreasing of total phenol, COD and BOD of 33%, 64% and 92%, respectively. The UV radiation treatment for 120 min resulted in a decrease of colour, total phenol, BOD and COD of 70%, 43%, 62% and 43%, respectively. The combined treatment promoted an expressive decrease for colour and total phenol. The UV absorption indicated a degradation of the aromatic compounds. The biological treatment did not remove chronic toxicity and after UV radiation treatment, a 10 times improving toxicity was noticed.
Role of high molecular mass organics in colour formation during biological treatment of pulp and paper wastewater
Authors: Milestone C.B. , Stuthridge T.R. , Fulthorpe R.R.
Published: March 2007

This paper forms part of series of biological treatment colour behaviour studies. Surveys across a range of mills have observed colour increases in aerated stabilisation basins of 20–45%. Much of the colour formation has been demonstrated to occur in high molecular mass effluent organic constituents (HMM) present in bleach plant effluents. Removing material greater than 3,000 Da essentially eliminated the colour forming ability in both E and D stage wastewaters. We have also shown that pulp and paper sludges contain anaerobic bacteria capable of reducing humic like materials. Colour formation was correlated to the anoxic conditions and the availability of readily biodegradable organic constituents during the wastewater treatment process. Overall, these studies suggest that colour formation in pulp and paper biological treatment systems may be caused by anaerobic bacteria using HMM material from the bleaching effluents as an electron acceptor for growth. This leads to the reduction of the material, which in turn leads to non-reversible internal changes, such as intra-molecular polymerisation or formation of chromophoric functional groups.
Evaluation of white water reuse in the bleaching process for reducing fresh water consumption
Authors: Andrade A.A. , Glória P.M. , d'Angelo J.V.H. , Perissotto D.O. , Lima R.A.
Published: March 2007

The main objective of this work is to study the technical viability of using the effluent generated in paper machines (white water) in the wash presses of the bleaching stage, reducing fresh water consumption. As a case study, the industrial process of Ripasa S.A. Celulose e Papel was evaluated. White water rate is about 700 m3/h and it is not possible to reuse all this volume in the bleaching stage without causing operational problems (fouling in tubes and clogging in the screens). A mass balance of the bleaching unit was developed in an electronic spreadsheet in order to evaluate the possibility of reducing fresh water consumption, using only a fraction of the available white water in the wash presses. To achieve this objective some physical-chemistry properties of the white water stream and of other streams of the process were determined. The maximum concentration of some non-process elements (Si, Ca, Mn and Fe), which could accumulate in the process, were determined in order to establish some parameters to allow process integration of the streams involved, considering operational constraints. The results obtained have shown that it is possible to reduce approximately by 13% the consumption of fresh water and this methodology has been satisfactory.