bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Poor Preservation Efficacy Versus Quality and Safety of Pediatric Extemporaneous Liquids
Authors: Ghulam Asif , Keen Kate , Tuleu Catherine , Wong Ian Chi-Kei , Long Paul F
Published: April 2007

Background:

Most medicines are available only as solid, adult-strength dosage forms from which oral extemporaneous liquids are often prepared for children. There are few comprehensive reference lists for the preparation of pediatric extemporaneous formulations. Some pediatric reformulations are made by diluting the suspending vehicle, and a shelf life of up to 3 months can be used without documented microbial stability. Although most commercially available ready-to-use vehicles are supplied as preserved formulations, it is still common practice in many European dispensaries to prepare and dilute these vehicles as required for specific prescriptions.

Objective:

To determine what influence dilution of vehicles has on the preservation efficiency of extemporaneous formulations.

Methods:

Suspending vehicles were made by diluting methylcellulose 1% and simple syrup, BP (British Pharmacopoeia) in ratios of 1:1 and 1:4. The efficacy of antimicrobial preservation was tested according to the 2007 standards required by the BP.

Results:

Dilution in ratios greater than 1:1 failed the BP 2007 criteria. Such dilution represents a potential biohazard, especially to premature, newborn, or immunocompromised children, exposing them not only to possible organoleptic changes of the preparation, but also to ingestion of either dangerous numbers of microorganisms or medicines that may have undergone biotransformation, rendering them inactive or toxic.

Conclusions:

Significant concerns have been raised regarding the quality of extemporaneous preparations. We call for further research in this neglected area to address issues of antimicrobial preservation, including revision of existing quality assurance monographs. Moreover, these monographs should take into account testing that simulates multiple dosing from a single storage container during the intended in-use shelf life of multidose extemporaneous preparations.
Efficacy of Various Intravenous Immunoglobulin Therapy Protocols in Autoimmune and Chronic Inflammatory Disorders
Authors: Gürcan Hakan M , Ahmed A Razzaque
Published: April 2007

Objective:

To determine the efficacy of various intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) protocols used in the treatment of autoimmune and chronic inflammatory disorders.

Data Sources:

Literature retrieval was accessed through MEDLINE (November 1984–March 2007) and a search was conducted using the term intravenous immunoglobulin. References cited in the selected articles were also reviewed.

Study Selection and Data Extraction:

Inclusion criteria for studies were (1) English language, (2) randomized controlled trials, (3) defined protocols, (4) a minimum of 15 patients, and (5) objective criteria provided to assess clinical outcomes and course.

Data Synthesis:

The therapeutic efficacy of IVIG therapy is well established, and defined protocols exist for treatment of Kawasaki disease, immune thrombocytopenic purpura, Guillain–Barré syndrome, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, multifocal motor neuropathy, and autoimmune mucocutaneous blistering diseases. In the absence of a defined protocol, studies have demonstrated that IVIG therapy is effective in the treatment of myasthenia gravis, dermatomyositis, stiff person syndrome, antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody positive systemic vasculitides, Graves' ophthalmopathy, and certain forms of systemic lupus erythematosus. It might also be of benefit in some patients with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis. The outcomes are variable in these studies. In toxic epidermal necrolysis and Stevens–Johnson syndrome, use of IVIG has dramatically influenced clinical response and reduced mortality.

Conclusions:

The cumulative evidence suggests that the clinical outcomes observed are significantly influenced by the use of a defined protocol. There is a need for multicenter trials approved by the Food and Drug Administration to better define the role of IVIG in many disease states. Such studies would be able to establish the indications for use, optimal dose, frequency of infusions, duration of therapy, and need for gradual withdrawal versus sudden cessation. Defined protocols resulting from the study of a large cohort of patients often convince insurance companies to create policies that provide access to IVIG therapy.
Immunolocalization and Cell Expression of Lung Resistance-related Protein (LRP) in Normal and Tumoral Human Respiratory Cells
Authors: Bouhamyia Lamiaâ , Chantot-Bastaraud Sandra , Zaidi Sakina , Roynard Patricia , Prengel Claudie , Bernaudin Jean-François , Fleury-Feith Jocelyne
Published: April 2007

Lung resistance-related protein (LRP) is an integral part of the multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype involved in cell resistance toward xenobiotics or chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to compare the intracellular localization and cell expression of LRP in normal bronchial cells and their tumoral counterparts from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). LRP expression was also investigated concurrently with DNA ploidy and chromosome 16 ( lrp gene locus) aberrations. Confocal microscopy showed that LRP localization was exclusively intracytoplasmic regardless of the cell type and was never observed in the nuclear pore complex. Flow cytometry demonstrated a similar level of LRP expression in normal bronchial cells and in cancer cells from NSCLC samples. FISH analysis, performed to evaluate the number of chromosome 16 and lrp loci, demonstrated a significant gain of chromosome 16 in DNA aneuploid tumors. Furthermore, we did not find any link between LRP expression and DNA ploidy status or chromosome 16 number. These results suggest that LRP expression observed in NSCLC, maintained through the carcinogenesis process of respiratory cells, is not altered by the increased number of copies of chromosome 16 and probably controlled by mechanisms different from those of MRP1 expression, whereas both proteins are associated with the MDR phenotype. (J Histochem Cytochem 55: 773–782, 2007)
Thalamocortical Up States: Differential Effects of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Cortical Inputs on Persistent Activity
Authors: Rigas Pavlos , Castro-Alamancos Manuel A.
Published: April 2007

During behavioral quiescence, the neocortex generates spontaneous slow oscillations that consist of Up and Down states. Up states are short epochs of persistent activity that resemble the activated neocortex during arousal and cognition. Although Up states are generated within the cortex, the impact of extrinsic (thalamocortical) and intrinsic (intracortical) inputs on the persistent activity is not known. Using thalamocortical slices, we found that the persistent cortical activity during spontaneous Up states effectively drives thalamocortical relay cells through corticothalamic connections. However, thalamic activity can also precede the onset of cortical Up states, which suggests a role of thalamic activity in triggering cortical Up states through thalamocortical connections. In support of this hypothesis, we found that cutting the connections between thalamus and cortex reduced the incidence of spontaneous Up states in the cortex. Consistent with a facilitating role of thalamic activity on Up states, electrical or chemical stimulation of the thalamus triggered cortical Up states very effectively and enhanced those occurring spontaneously. In contrast, stimulation of the cortex triggered Up states only at very low intensities but otherwise had a suppressive effect on Up states. Moreover, cortical stimulation suppressed the facilitating effect of thalamic stimulation on Up states. In conclusion, thalamocortical inputs facilitate and intracortical inputs suppress cortical Up states. Thus, extrinsic and intrinsic cortical inputs differentially regulate persistent activity, which may serve to adjust the processing state of thalamocortical networks during behavior.
Dietary Docosahexaenoic Acid and Docosapentaenoic Acid Ameliorate Amyloid-β and Tau Pathology via a Mechanism Involving Presenilin 1 Levels
Authors: Green Kim N. , Martinez-Coria Hilda , Khashwji Hasan , Hall Eileen B. , Yurko-Mauro Karin A. , Ellis Lorie , LaFerla Frank M.
Published: April 2007

The underlying cause of sporadic Alzheimer disease (AD) is unknown, but a number of environmental and genetic factors are likely to be involved. One environmental factor that is increasingly being recognized as contributing to brain aging is diet, which has evolved markedly over modern history. Here we show that dietary supplementation with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, in the 3xTg-AD mouse model of AD reduced the intraneuronal accumulation of both amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau. In contrast, combining DHA with n-6 fatty acids, either arachidonic acid or docosapentaenoic acid (DPAn-6), diminished the efficacy of DHA over a 12 month period. Here we report the novel finding that the mechanism accounting for the reduction in soluble Aβ was attributable to a decrease in steady-state levels of presenilin 1, and not to altered processing of the amyloid precursor protein by either the α- or β-secretase. Furthermore, the presence of DPAn-6 in the diet reduced levels of early-stage phospho-tau epitopes, which correlated with a reduction in phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase, a putative tau kinase. Collectively, these results suggest that DHA and DPAn-6 supplementations could be a beneficial natural therapy for AD.
Dorsal Radial Glia Generate Olfactory Bulb Interneurons in the Postnatal Murine Brain
Authors: Ventura Rachel E. , Goldman James E.
Published: April 2007

During embryogenesis, dorsal radial glia generate pyramidal cell neurons but not interneurons, and are thought to degenerate or transform into astrocytes in the postnatal brain. Ventral radial glia, in contrast, retract their processes to form GFAP+ subventricular zone (SVZ) astrocytes that continue to generate interneurons into adulthood. We sought to fate map dorsal radial glia by codelivering an adenovirus expressing Cre recombinase and a lentivirus expressing dsRedExpress to the dorsal cortical surface of ROSA26R-YFP mice. Whereas the adenovirus is retrogradely transported to the cell body, the VSV-G (vesicular stomatitis virus G) pseudotyped lentivirus is not and allows us to control for viral diffusion from the site of infection. We found that dorsal radial glia give rise to gray and white matter astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. In addition, the dorsal radial glia fate map to astrocytes lining the dorsal aspect of the SVZ that persist at least 8 weeks postnatally. Finally, we found that dorsal radial glial-derived cells generate granule cell and periglomerular interneurons in the olfactory bulb and continue to form interneuronal precursors into adulthood.
Glucocorticoids Enhance the Excitability of Principal Basolateral Amygdala Neurons
Authors: Duvarci Sevil , Paré Denis
Published: April 2007

A large body of pharmaco-behavioral data implicates the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLA) in the facilitation of memory consolidation by emotions. Overall, this evidence suggests that stress hormones released during emotional arousal increase the activity of BLA neurons. In turn, this increased BLA activity would facilitate synaptic plasticity elsewhere in the brain, to which the BLA projects. However, the direct effects of glucocorticoids on BLA neurons are incompletely understood. In the present study, we examined the direct effects of corticosterone (CORT) on principal neurons of the rat BLAin vitrousing whole-cell patch-clamp recordings. We found that application of a stress level of CORT for 20 min caused significant changes in the passive properties and responsiveness of BLA cells measured 1–2 h later. Indeed, CORT application produced a depolarization of the resting potential, an increase in input resistance, and a dramatic decrease in spike-frequency adaptation. In addition, GABAAIPSPs evoked by stimulation of the external capsule were significantly reduced by CORT application. This effect of CORT was not attributable to a reduction in the amount of GABA released because GABABIPSPs were unchanged and the resistance drop associated with GABAAIPSPs was not altered. Rather, we found that this effect of CORT resulted from a positive shift of the GABAAreversal potential. Overall, these results suggest that, in agreement with previous behavioral findings, glucocorticoids enhance the excitability of principal BLA cells by increasing their intrinsic excitability and decreasing the impact of GABAAIPSPs.
A Calcium- and Calmodulin-Dependent Kinase Iα/Microtubule Affinity Regulating Kinase 2 Signaling Cascade Mediates Calcium-Dependent Neurite Outgrowth
Authors: Uboha Nataliya V. , Flajolet Marc , Nairn Angus C. , Picciotto Marina R.
Published: April 2007

Calcium is a critical regulator of neuronal differentiation and neurite outgrowth during development, as well as synaptic plasticity in adulthood. Calcium- and calmodulin-dependent kinase I (CaMKI) can regulate neurite outgrowth; however, the signal transduction cascades that lead to its physiological effects have not yet been elucidated. CaMKIα was therefore used as bait in a yeast two-hybrid assay and microtubule affinity regulating kinase 2 (MARK2)/Par-1b was identified as an interacting partner of CaMKI in three independent screens. The interaction between CaMKI and MARK2 was confirmedin vitroandin vivoby coimmunoprecipitation. CaMKI binds MARK2 within its kinase domain, but only if it is activated by calcium and calmodulin. Expression of CaMKI and MARK2 in Neuro-2A (N2a) cells and in primary hippocampal neurons promotes neurite outgrowth, an effect dependent on the catalytic activities of these enzymes. In addition, decreasing MARK2 activity blocks the ability of the calcium ionophore ionomycin to promote neurite outgrowth. Finally, CaMKI phosphorylates MARK2 on novel sites within its kinase domain. Mutation of these phosphorylation sites decreases both MARK2 kinase activity and its ability to promote neurite outgrowth. Interaction of MARK2 with CaMKI results in a novel, calcium-dependent pathway that plays an important role in neuronal differentiation.
Changes in Motoneuron Properties and Synaptic Inputs Related to Step Training after Spinal Cord Transection in Rats
Authors: Petruska Jeffrey C. , Ichiyama Ronaldo M. , Jindrich Devin L. , Crown Eric D. , Tansey Keith E. , Roy Roland R. , Edgerton V. Reggie , Mendell Lorne M.
Published: April 2007

Although recovery from spinal cord injury is generally meager, evidence suggests that step training can improve stepping performance, particularly after neonatal spinal injury. The location and nature of the changes in neural substrates underlying the behavioral improvements are not well understood. We examined the kinematics of stepping performance and cellular and synaptic electrophysiological parameters in ankle extensor motoneurons in nontrained and treadmill-trained rats, all receiving a complete spinal transection as neonates. For comparison, electrophysiological experiments included animals injured as young adults, which are far less responsive to training. Recovery of treadmill stepping was associated with significant changes in the cellular properties of motoneurons and their synaptic input from spinal white matter [ipsilateral ventrolateral funiculus (VLF)] and muscle spindle afferents. A strong correlation was found between the effectiveness of step training and the amplitude of both the action potential afterhyperpolarization and synaptic inputs to motoneurons (from peripheral nerve and VLF). These changes were absent if step training was unsuccessful, but other spinal projections, apparently inhibitory to step training, became evident. Greater plasticity of axonal projections after neonatal than after adult injury was suggested by anatomical demonstration of denser VLF projections to hindlimb motoneurons after neonatal injury. This finding confirmed electrophysiological measurements and provides a possible mechanism underlying the greater training susceptibility of animals injured as neonates. Thus, we have demonstrated an “age-at-injury”-related difference that may influence training effectiveness, that successful treadmill step training can alter electrophysiological parameters in the transected spinal cord, and that activation of different pathways may prevent functional improvement.
Episodic Stimulation of α1-Adrenoreceptors Induces Protein Kinase C-Dependent Persistent Changes in Motoneuronal Excitability
Authors: Neverova Natalia V. , Saywell Shane A. , Nashold Lisa J. , Mitchell Gordon S. , Feldman Jack L.
Published: April 2007

In vitrolong-term facilitation (ivLTF) is a novel form of activity-independent postsynaptic enhancement of AMPA receptor function in hypoglossal (XII) motoneurons that can be induced by intermittent activation of 5-HT2receptors.In vivorespiratory long-term facilitation (LTF) is characterized by a persistent 5-HT2receptor-dependent increase in respiratory motor output or ventilation after episodic exposures to hypoxia in adult rats. Here, we demonstrate that ivLTF can also be induced by episodic but not continuous stimulation of α1-adrenergic receptors that requires protein kinase C (PKC), but not PKA (protein kinase A), activation. Additionally, we show thatin vivorespiratory LTF is also α1-adrenergic receptor dependent. We suggest that,in vivo, concurrent episodic activation of 5-HT2and α1-adrenergic receptors is necessary to produce long-lasting changes in the excitability of respiratory motoneurons, possibly involving PKC activation via the Gαq–PLC (phospholipase C) signaling pathway common to both receptor subtypes. Such plasticity of XII motor output may increase upper airway muscle (innervated by XII nerve) tone and improve the likelihood that airway patency will be maintained. Elucidating the mechanism underlying LTF can be of clinical importance to the patients suffering from sleep-disordered breathing.
MrgD Activation Inhibits KCNQ/M-Currents and Contributes to Enhanced Neuronal Excitability
Authors: Crozier Robert A. , Ajit Seena K. , Kaftan Edward J. , Pausch Mark H.
Published: April 2007

The recently identified Mas-related gene (Mrg) family of G-protein-coupled receptors is expressed almost exclusively in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. The expression of one family member, MrgD, is even further confined to IB4+, nonpeptidergic, small-diameter nociceptors. Although the functional consequences of MrgD activation are not known, this expression profile provides intriguing potential for a role in pain sensation or modulation. In a recombinant cell line, we first assessed the functional significance of MrgD activation by coexpressing MrgD with the KCNQ2/3 potassium channel, a channel implicated in pain. Whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings revealed that bath application of the ligand for MrgD, β-alanine, resulted in robust inhibition of KCNQ2/3 activity. Pharmacological blockade of Gi/oand phospholipase C signaling revealed a partial and complete block of the response, respectively. We extended these observations to dissociated DRG neuron cultures by examining MrgD modulation of M-currents (carried primarily by KCNQ2/3). Here too, β-alanine-induced activation of endogenous MrgD inhibited M-currents, but primarily via a pertussis toxin-sensitive pathway. Finally, we assessed the consequence of β-alanine-induced activation of MrgD in phasic neurons. Phasic neurons that fired a single action potential (AP) before β-alanine application fired multiple APs during β-alanine exposure. In sum, we provide evidence for a novel interaction between MrgD and KCNQ/M-type potassium channels that contributes to an increase in excitability of DRG neurons and thus may enhance the signaling of primary afferent nociceptive neurons.
Shape Change Controls Supporting Cell Proliferation in Lesioned Mammalian Balance Epithelium
Authors: Meyers Jason R. , Corwin Jeffrey T.
Published: April 2007

Mature mammals are uniquely vulnerable to permanent auditory and vestibular deficits, because the cell proliferation that produces replacement hair cells in other vertebrates is limited in mammals. To investigate the cellular mechanisms responsible for that difference, we created excision lesions in the sensory epithelium of embryonic and 2-week-old mouse utricles. Lesions in embryonic utricles closed in <24 h via localized expansion of supporting cells, which then reentered the cell cycle. Pharmacological treatments combined with time-lapse microscopy demonstrated that the healing depended on Rho-mediated contraction of an actin ring at the leading edge of the lesion. In contrast, lesions in utricles from 2-week-old and older mice remained open even after 48 h. Supporting cells in those utricles remained compact and columnar and had significantly stouter cortical actin belts than those in embryonic sensory epithelia. This suggests that cytoskeletal changes may underlie the age-related loss of proliferation in mammalian ears by limiting the capacity for mature supporting cells to change shape. In mature utricles, exogenous stimulation with lysophosphatidic acid overcame this maturational block and induced closure of lesions, promoting supporting cell expansion and subsequent proliferation. After lysophosphatidic acid treatment, 85% of the mature supporting cells that had spread to a planar area >300 μm2entered S-phase, whereas only 10% of those cells that had a planar area <100 μm2entered S-phase. Together, these results indicate that cellular shape change can overcome the normal postnatal cessation of supporting cell proliferation that appears to limit regeneration in mammalian vestibular epithelia.
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Restores Synaptic Plasticity in a Knock-In Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease
Authors: Lynch Gary , Kramar Eniko A. , Rex Christopher S. , Jia Yousheng , Chappas Danielle , Gall Christine M. , Simmons Danielle A.
Published: April 2007

Asymptomatic Huntington's disease (HD) patients exhibit memory and cognition deficits that generally worsen with age. Similarly, long-term potentiation (LTP), a form of synaptic plasticity involved in memory encoding, is impaired in HD mouse models well before motor disturbances occur. The reasons why LTP deteriorates are unknown. Here we show that LTP is impaired in hippocampal slices from presymptomaticHdhQ92andHdhQ111knock-in mice, describe two factors contributing to this deficit, and establish that potentiation can be rescued with brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Baseline physiological measures were unaffected by the HD mutation, but LTP induction and, to a greater degree, consolidation were both defective. The facilitation of burst responses that normally occurs during a theta stimulation train was reduced in HD knock-in mice, as was theta-induced actin polymerization in dendritic spines. The decrease in actin polymerization and deficits in LTP stabilization were reversed by BDNF, concentrations of which were substantially reduced in hippocampus of bothHdhQ92andHdhQ111mice. These results suggest that the HD mutation discretely disrupts processes needed to both induce and stabilize LTP, with the latter effect likely arising from reduced BDNF expression. That BDNF rescues LTP in HD knock-in mice suggests the possibility of treating cognitive deficits in asymptomatic HD gene carriers by upregulating production of the neurotrophin.
Differential Intrinsic Response Dynamics Determine Synaptic Signal Processing in Frog Vestibular Neurons
Authors: Beraneck Mathieu , Pfanzelt Sandra , Vassias Isabelle , Rohregger Martin , Vibert Nicolas , Vidal Pierre-Paul , Moore Lee E. , Straka Hans
Published: April 2007

Central vestibular neurons process head movement-related sensory signals over a wide dynamic range. In the isolated frog whole brain, second-order vestibular neurons were identified by monosynaptic responses after electrical stimulation of individual semicircular canal nerve branches. Neurons were classified as tonic or phasic vestibular neurons based on their different discharge patterns in response to positive current steps. With increasing frequency of sinusoidally modulated current injections, up to 100 Hz, there was a concomitant decrease in the impedance of tonic vestibular neurons. Subthreshold responses as well as spike discharge showed classical low-pass filter-like characteristics with corner frequencies ranging from 5 to 20 Hz. In contrast, the impedance of phasic vestibular neurons was relatively constant over a wider range of frequencies or showed a resonance at ∼40 Hz. Above spike threshold, single spikes of phasic neurons were synchronized with the sinusoidal stimulation between ∼20 and 50 Hz, thus showing characteristic bandpass filter-like properties. Both the subthreshold resonance and bandpass filter-like discharge pattern depend on the activation of anIDpotassium conductance. External current or synaptic stimulation that produced impedance increases (i.e., depolarization in tonic or hyperpolarization in phasic neurons) had opposite and complementary effects on the responses of the two types of neurons. Thus, membrane depolarization by current steps or repetitive synaptic excitation amplified synaptic inputs in tonic vestibular neurons and reduced them in phasic neurons. These differential, opposite membrane response properties render the two neuronal types particularly suitable for either integration (tonic neurons) or signal detection (phasic neurons), respectively, and dampens variations of the resting membrane potential in the latter.
The Politics of Identity
Authors: Berrey Ellen C.
Published: April 2007

Diversity policies and programs have become commonplace across the United States, from multinational companies to colleges and universities. Some scholars are beginning to question who benefits from these policies. Among them is Walter Benn Michaels, professor and chair of the Department of English at the University of Illinois, Chicago. An iconoclast in his field, Michaels published The Trouble with Diversity: How We Learned to Love Identity and Ignore Inequality (Metropolitan Books) last year. He met me at his UIC office, his throat sore from speaking engagements.
Can the Labor Movement Succeed Without the Strike?
Authors: Dixon Marc , Martin Andrew
Published: April 2007

Despite growing interest in revitalizing the labor movement, the role of the strike has hardly been discussed. Can unions make gains without it?
A numerical examination of the direct shear test
Authors: zhang L. , Thornton C.
Published: April 2007

The paper presents results of two-dimensional simulations of the direct shear test using the discrete element method (DEM). The heterogeneous distributions of stress and strain are illustrated and, taking advantage of the numerical technique, the evolution of the stress tensor and porosity changes in the shear zone are monitored. The results demonstrate that the dilation inside the shear zone is much greater than that deduced from boundary measurements. The stress ratio τ/σ calculated from the boundary forces is about 10% greater than that calculated in the shear zone. It is also demonstrated that coaxiality of stress and strain rate exists at the critical state. Further simulations show that the influence of wall friction along the vertical faces of the specimen can be minimised by adopting the ‘symmetrical arrangement’ suggested by Jewell, and that the actual stress–strain–dilation behaviour within the shear zone is unaffected by the detailed boundary conditions. Comparison with previously published simulations results suggests that, in laboratory experiments, more reliable data, in the context of both stress ratio and dilation, would be obtained if the shear box aspect ratio was reduced below the value of 1:2 adopted in the traditional Casagrande shear box.
Undrained anisotropy and rotational shear in granular soil
Authors: Yang Z. X. , Li X. S. , Yang J.
Published: April 2007

The impact of fabric anisotropy on the behaviour of granular soil remains a subject of great interest. In particular, the effects of principal stress rotation on the undrained response of saturated sand are not fully understood. This paper describes an experimental investigation conducted in an automated hollow cylinder apparatus into the undrained anisotropic behaviour of saturated sand in rotational shear, which is defined as a class of non-proportional loading with a continuous rotation of the principal stress directions but a constant deviatoric stress. Special attention in this investigation was placed on the influence of the relative magnitude of the intermediate principal stress, characterised by the parameter b = (σ2 − σ3)/(σ1 − σ3), on the pore pressure response and deformation characteristics. The experimental observations indicate that soil specimens, even in very dense state, were weakened by the build-up of pore water pressure in rotational shear. The intermediate principal stress parameter b was not a negligible factor for the behaviour of saturated sand in the rotation shear, but had significant impact. Under otherwise identical conditions, the soil specimen rotationally sheared under the condition b = 0 exhibited a much stronger resistance to pore pressure build-up and a less dramatic stiffness degradation than that sheared under the condition b = 1·0. This observation is considered to be directly associated with the soil fabric anisotropy.
Effects of Anaerobic Selector Hydraulic Retention Time on Biological Foam Control and Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal in a Pure‐Oxygen Activated Sludge System
Authors: Jolis Domènec , Mitch Azalea A. , Marneri Matina , Ho Chu‐Fei
Published: April 2007

Increased anaerobic selector hydraulic retention times (HRTs) in a high‐purity oxygen activated sludge process resulted in an increase in soluble orthophosphate release and biodegradable chemical oxygen demand removal, confirming that enhanced biological phosphorus removal occurs at aeration solids retention times (SRTs) below 1.7 days. Under operating conditions that included biological foam trapping and recycling, an anaerobic selector with HRTs higher than 55 minutes resulted in a decrease in filament counts and effective foam control. Effective norcardioform control is achieved through the combination of metabolic selective pressure and increased soluble organic substrate removal in the anaerobic selector and low aeration SRT.
Kinetics of Chemoheterotrophic Microbially Mediated Reduction of Ferric EDTA and the Nitrosyl Adduct of Ferrous EDTA for the Treatment and Regeneration of Spent Nitric Oxide Scrubber Liquor
Authors: Dilmore Robert , Neufeld Ronald D. , Hammack Richard W.
Published: April 2007

Biomass from a prototype reactor was used to investigate the kinetics of chemoheterotrophic reduction of solutions of ferric ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and solutions containing the nitrosyl adduct of ferrous EDTA using ethanol as the primary electron donor and carbon source. A series of batch experiments were conducted using biomass extracted from the scrubber solution treatment and regeneration stage of a prototype iron EDTA‐based unit process for the absorption of nitric oxide with subsequent biological treatment. Using a linear‐sweep voltammetric method for analysis of the ferric EDTA concentration, iron‐reducing bacteria were found to behave according to the Monod kinetic model, at initial concentrations up to 2.16 g chemical oxygen demand (COD) as ethanol per liter, with a half‐velocity constant of 0.532 g COD as ethanol/L and a maximum specific utilization rate of 0.127 mol/L of ferric ethylenediamine‐tetraacetic acid [Fe(III)EDTA]*(g volatile suspended solids [VSS]/L)d−1. Based on batch analyses, biomass yield and endogenous decay values of iron‐reducing bacteria were estimated to be 0.055 g VSS/g COD and 0.017 L/d, respectively. An average of 1.64 times the theoretical (stoichiometric) demand of ethanol was used to complete reduction reactions. Kinetics of the reduction of the nitrosyl adduct of ferrous EDTA are summarized by the following kinetic constants: half‐velocity constant (K S) of 0.39 g COD/L, maximum specific utilization rate (k) of 0.2 mol/L [NO · Fe(II)EDTA2−](g VSS/L)d−1, and inhibition constant (K I) of 0.33 g COD/L, as applied to the modified Monod kinetic expression described herein. Based on batch analyses, the biomass yield of nitrosyl‐adduct‐reducing bacteria was estimated to be 0.259 g VSS/g COD, endogenous decay was experimentally determined to be 0.0569 L/d, and an average of 1.26 times the stoichiometric demand of ethanol was used to complete reduction reactions.
Effects of Freezing on the Survival of Escherichia coli and Bacillus and Response to UV and Chlorine After Freezing
Authors: Gao W. , Smith D. W. , Li Y.
Published: April 2007

Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Bacillus megaterium bacteria were frozen at −15°C using a freezer and a spray freezing method. The frozen Bacillus spores were also exposed to UV and free chlorine. An average of 4.7‐log inactivation was obtained from the spray ice with 2‐day storage time, while the freezer freezing only caused 0.84‐log reduction with the same storage time. Significantly higher inactivation levels were observed for the E. coli cells with 2‐day storage compared with those without storage. The spray freezing was found more effective in killing the E. coli cells, while more cells were sublethally injured by the freezer freezing. Freezing did not kill the Bacillus megaterium spores, but affected their response to UV and chlorine. Greater inactivation levels were observed at higher free chlorine doses or longer contact time, and the UV fluence‐response curve showed initial rapid kill followed by tailing for the frozen spores.
Treatment of Landfill Leachate by Electrochemical Oxidation and Anaerobic Process
Authors: Li Tinggang , Li Xiufen , Chen Jian , Zhang Guoping , Wang Hongchun
Published: April 2007

The removal performance of typical refractory organic compounds in landfill leachate was investigated during the electrochemical (EC) oxidation and anaerobic process combined treatment system in this paper. The results indicated that the treatment of landfill leachate by the combined system was highly effective. The toxicity of leachate was notably decreased after the electrochemical oxidation process and the biodegradability was improved. The concentration of the organic acid with low molecular weight in the leachate increased from 28% to 90% based on the biodegradability assays after the EC oxidation process. The anaerobic digestion could further remove the residual organic compounds. At a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 16 hours and an organic loading rate (OLR) of 8 kg COD/m3 d, the concentration of COD, SS, ALK, VA, N‐TKN, N‐NH4 + and P‐PO3 − in UASB effluent were 532, 12, 6744, 400, 540, 455 and 11.6 mg/L, respectively, with approximately 90% removal efficiency of COD. The organic compounds in the landfill leachate revealed different degradation characteristics in the combined system. p‐chloroaniline, bisphenol A, 6‐methyl‐2‐phenyl‐quinoline, dimethylnaphthaline and N′‐(2‐methyl‐4‐chlorophenyl)‐N‐cyclohexyformamidine, classified into the first group in this paper, were completely removed by the EC oxidation and did not reappear in the effluent of the UASB reactor. Phenylacetic acid, 3‐methyl‐indole and N‐cyclohexyl‐acetamide, called the second group, were completely removed, but reappeared in the UASB reactor. 4‐methyl‐phenol, 3,4‐dihydroisoquinoline, 2(3H)‐benzothiazolone, exo‐2‐hydroxycineole and benzothiazole, the third group, were degraded little in the EC oxidation process, but extensively removed by the anaerobic process. Benzoic acid, benzenepropanoic acid and 2‐cyano‐3,5‐dimethyl‐1‐hydroxy‐pyrrole, the fourth group, concentration obviously increased in the EC process, but was completely removed in the UASB reactor. The content of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) markedly increased from 0.68% in the leachate to 16.18% in the effluent from the electrochemical oxidation process (ECeffl). In addition, the degradation rate of organic compounds from the landfill leachate was different in the EC oxidation and anaerobic process.
Interactions Between Chloride and Sulfate or Silica Removals from Wastewater Using an Advanced Lime‐Aluminum Softening Process: Equilibrium Modeling
Authors: Abdel‐Wahab Ahmed , Batchelor Bill
Published: April 2007

Interactions among chloride, sulfate, and silica removals from recycled industrial wastewater using an ultra‐high lime with aluminum process (UHLA) were studied. An equilibrium model that is able to accurately predict the chemical behavior and interactions between chloride and sulfate or silica with UHLA at various initial conditions and chemical reagents was developed. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis was conducted to identify the precipitated solids formed in the UHLA process. Model predictions indicated that simultaneous removal of sulfate and chloride can be best described by the formation of a solid solution containing calcium chloroaluminate, calcium sulfoaluminate (ettringite), calcium monosulfate, tricalcium hydroxyaluminate, and tetracalcium hydroxyaluminate. However, simultaneous removal of silica and chloride can be best described by precipitation of calcium silicate and calcium aluminosilicate in addition to a solid solution containing calcium chloroaluminate, tricalcium hydroxyaluminate, and tetracalcium hydroxyaluminate. The XRD results indicated the presence of the same solids assumed by the equilibrium model.
Performance and Stability of Two‐Stage Anaerobic Digestion
Authors: Zahller J. D. , Bucher R. H. , Ferguson J. F. , Stensel H. D.
Published: April 2007

The stability, capacity, and solids destruction efficiency of single versus two‐stage anaerobic digestion was studied in bench‐scale reactors using combined waste activated and primary sludge. Laboratory staged mesophilic digesters showed an improved volatile solids and volatile suspended solids destruction efficiency over a single‐stage system (at the same total solids retention time [SRT]) of approximately 3.2 and 5.8 percentage points, respectively. To quantify stability and capacity, a new digester monitoring method was introduced that measured the digester maximum acetate utilization capacity, V max, ac, and was used to investigate the potential for digester instability at different transient loadings. The ratio of the V max, ac value to the estimated acetate production rate for a given digester loading was termed the acetate capacity number (ACN). Values greater than 1.0 indicate excess acetate utilization capacity. The first stage of the laboratory two‐stage mesophilic system (10‐day SRT for each stage) had an ACN number of 1.3 compared with a value of 1.8 for the single‐stage 20‐day SRT digester. Thus, while a staged mesophilic system can improve solids destruction efficiency, it demonstrates a lower capacity for metabolizing highly variable loads.
Application of Activated Sludge Model No. 3 for the Modeling of Organic Matter Biodegradation at Thermophilic Temperatures
Authors: Kovács Róbert , Csikor Zsolt , Házi Ferenc , Miháltz Pál
Published: April 2007

The primary aim of our research was to investigate the applicability of activated sludge models (ASM) for aerobic thermophilic processes, especially autothermal thermophilic aerobic digestion (ATAD). The ASM3 model (Gujer et al., 1999) theoretically seems to be the most suitable, because storage plays an important role in a batch‐feed cycle system like ATAD. The ASM3 model was extended with an activation step of the thermophilic organisms. This model was calibrated and verified by independent test results, demonstrating its ability to describe the process. The growth (μH = 26.04 day−1), storage (k STO = 20.39 day−1), hydrolysis (k H = 11.15 day−1) and decay rates (b H,O2 = 1.28 day−1, b STO,O2 = 1.10 day−1) obtained from calibration are significantly higher at 55°C than at mesophilic temperatures, justifying the faster metabolism at higher temperatures. An inert fraction of the biomass (characterized by the model parameter f I = 0.4) was found to be significantly greater than in the mesophilic case. This can be attributed to the lower diversity of the thermophilic species and thus to their narrower substrate spectra.
Integrated Nanofiltration and Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Treatment of Textile Wastewater for In‐Plant Reuse
Authors: Gomes Arlindo Caniço , Gonçalves Isolina Cabral , de Pinho Maria Norberta , Porter John Jefferson
Published: April 2007

The filtration characteristics of simulated dyeing effluents containing Acid Orange 7, sodium sulfate, and a pH buffer made of acetic acid and sodium acetate is described using a commercially available nanofiltration membrane. The original membrane filtration properties were characterized with deionized water to provide a baseline of membrane performance. At high volumetric concentration of the test solutions, greater than 98% rejection of dye and sodium sulfate were obtained. Rejection of buffering chemicals was approximately 50% in all experiments, giving a permeate water not suitable for reuse in most dyeing operations. The final composite concentrate had a chemical oxygen demand (COD) value >2000 mg/L. No problems were encountered with anaerobic treatment of the concentrate obtained from the dyeing wastewater. Adjusting the sulfate concentration to give COD‐to‐sulfate ratios to 2.9, 5.4, and 18.2 in the reactor feed had no significant alterations in the performance of the upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor.
A Clovis Fluted Point from Coastal Waters in Southern New Jersey
Authors: Boldurian Anthony T.
Published: April 2007

This report documents a Clovis-like fluted point found in shallow waters of Great Egg Harbor Bay, a backbarrier lagoon along the Jersey shore. The artifact has a complicated life history and is significant by enriching the vastly incomplete Paleoindian data base from New Jersey's Outer Coastal Plain. Despite the extraordinary circumstances of its discovery, this fluted point calls new attention to the potential of nearshore and estuarine settings in our search for traces of the First Americans in eastern North America.
Relevance of Religion and Spirituality in German Patients with Chronic Diseases
Authors: Büssing Arndt , Ostermann Thomas , Koenig Harold G.
Published: April 2007

Objective:

Many American patients depend on religion to cope, but less is known about the spiritual/religious (SpR) characteristics of medical patients in Europe, a more secular environment. We examined self-categorizations of SpR (spiritual, religious, both, neither), patients' search for meaningful support, trust in higher source, positive interpretation of disease, and support in relations of life through SpR, as measured with the SpREUK questionnaire, in German medical patients.

Method:

We analyzed data on 710 West-German patients with a mean age of 54. Forty-two percent had chronic pain diseases, 25% cancer, 10% multiple sclerosis, 21% other chronic diseases, and 3% acute diseases.

Results:

The general interest in search for meaningful support was moderate. Trust in a higher source and support in life through SpR were rated higher, while almost all patients had a positive interpretation of their diseases, i.e, hint to change life. The interest in SpR issues was highest in cancer patients and lowest in patients with multiple sclerosis. Univariate analyses confirmed that the SpR self-categorization was the strongest predictor of all four factors, while trust in a higher source was also affected by religious affiliation and age. Positive interpretations of disease correlated well with search for meaningful support.

Conclusions:

Patients with chronic diseases differ with respect to their SpR self-categorizations and may thus utilize different aspects of SpR. Cancer patients, in particular, often depend on their trust in a higher power and in conventional religious activities to help them to cope with their illness.
Experiential Learning Methods, Simulation Complexity and Their Effects on Different Target Groups
Authors: Kluge Annette
Published: April 2007

This article empirically supports the thesis that there is no clear and unequivocal argument in favor of simulations and experiential learning. Instead the effectiveness of simulation-based learning methods depends strongly on the target group's characteristics. Two methods of supporting experiential learning are compared in two different complex simulations with students and apprentices as the target groups, and with knowledge acquisition and control performance as the learning criteria. As a main result, students outperform apprentices in knowledge acquisition and transfer performance in general. And whereas students feel most self-efficient in the guided exploration learning setting, for apprentices it is just the opposite: apprentices feel less self-efficient after the guided exploration learning phase. Also in respect to knowledge acquisition, students benefit from both support methods equally well in the low complex simulation, whereas for apprentices the difference is great. Transfer performance and processing time is also affected by the target group, although the simulation complexity plays a greater role here. Finally, after the experiment both target groups differed largely in their motivation to use simulation-based learning environments again. Psychologically relevant differences in target groups are discussed.
Bupropion in the Treatment of Outpatients with Asthma and Major Depressive Disorder
Authors: Brown E. Sherwood , Vornik Lana A. , Khan David A. , Rush A. John
Published: April 2007

Objective:

Depressive disorders are common in asthma. Despite the high prevalence, antidepressant therapy in asthma patients with depression remains under-investigated. The objective of this pilot study was to investigate the use of bupropion for depression and anxiety in depressed asthma patients.

Method:

We conducted a 12-week open-label study of bupropion in 18 depressed asthma patients. Participants were assessed with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D-17), Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A), Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology—Self-Report (IDS-SR), Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ) and spirometry at baseline and weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12.

Results:

Significant baseline to exit improvements were observed on the HAM-D-17 (mean change=4.72, SD = 7.78, p = 0.02) and the HAM-A (mean change=2.12, SD = 3.97, p = 0.04). Based on the HAM-D-17 scores, 27.8% of the patients were responders and 16.7% were remitters Significant correlations were found between changes in ACQ score and HAM-D-17 r = 0.73, p = 0.001), ACQ score and IDS-SR r = 0.58, p = 0.012), and FEV1% Predicted and HAM-D-17 r = −0.66, p = 0.006).

Conclusions:

Bupropion treatment was associated with significant improvements in depression and anxiety symptoms in asthma patients. Improvements in asthma correlated significantly with improvements in depression.
Depression and Diabetes in Iranian Patients: A Comparative Study
Authors: Khamseh Mohammad E. , Baradaran Hamid R. , Rajabali Hassan
Published: April 2007

Objective:

The aim of the present study was determine the rate of depression in people with diabetes in an Iranian population.

Method:

A hospital-based prospective study with a comparison group was conducted in Firozgar Teaching Hospital in Tehran, Iran. The condition of depression and relationship to diabetes was assessed among 375 individuals (206 people with diabetes and 169 without diabetes) who consecutively presented for this prospective study.

Results:

Of the total participation, 206 (54.9%) had diabetes (type 1=66 and type 2=140). Female made up 63.7% ( n = 239). The mean age of entire study was 47.2 years ( SD = 16.3 range, 15–87 years). Major depression was present among 71.8% of this sample with diabetes (both types; type 1 and type 2). Depression was more prevalent among women with diabetes than men (Adjusted OR=2.1 (95% CI 1.4–3.2)). Of the 375 participants, 135 (36%) had BID scores lower than 11 and 240 (64%) had BDI scores indicating moderate to severe depression (> 16).

Conclusions:

Diabetes appears to increase the risk of developing depression; therefore early detection and treatment intervention provide the best protective mechanisms available against the effects of depression on diabetes outcomes, and a psychological service provision for people with diabetes is needed.