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Sample records for aerated agitation vessel

  1. The effects of agitation and aeration on the production of gluconic acid by Aspergillus niger

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    Dronawat, S.N.; Svihla, C.K.; Hanley, T.R. [Univ. of Louisville, KY (United States)

    1995-12-31

    The effects of agitation and aeration in the production of gluconic acid by Aspergillus niger from a glucose medium were investigated. Experiments were conducted at aeration rates of 5.0 and 10.0 L/min. Four different agitation speeds were investigated for each aeration rate. Gluconic acid concentration and biomass concentration were analyzed, and the rate of consumption of substrate by A. niger was noted. The main purpose of this work was to find the optimal conditions of agitation and aeration for the growth of A. niger and production of gluconic acid in submerged culture in a batch fermentor at a bench-top scale. The oxygen-transfer rates at different agitation and aeration rates were calculated. The gluconic acid concentration and rate of growth of A. niger increased with increase in the agitation and aeration rates.

  2. Maximization of beta-galactosidase production: a simultaneous investigation of agitation and aeration effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alves, Fernanda Germano; Filho, Francisco Maugeri; de Medeiros Burkert, Janaína Fernandes; Kalil, Susana Juliano

    2010-03-01

    In this work, the agitation and aeration effects in the maximization of the beta-galactosidase production from Kluyveromyces marxianus CCT 7082 were investigated simultaneously, in relation to the volumetric enzyme activity and the productivity, as well as the analysis of the lactose consumption and production of glucose, and galactose of this process. Agitation and aeration effects were studied in a 2 L batch stirred reactor. A central composite design (2(2) trials plus three central points) was carried out. Agitation speed varied from 200 to 500 rpm and aeration rate from 0.5 to 1.5 vvm. It has been shown in this study that the volumetric enzyme production was strongly influenced by mixing conditions, while aeration was shown to be less significant. Linear models for activity and productivity due to agitation and aeration were obtained. The favorable condition was 500 rpm and 1.5 vvm, which lead to the best production of 17 U mL(-1) for enzymatic activity, 1.2 U mL(-1) h(-1) for productivity in 14 h of process, a cellular concentration of 11 mg mL(-1), and a 167.2 h(-1) volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient.

  3. Influence of agitation speeds and aeration rates on the Xylanase activity of Aspergillus niger SS7

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    Yasser Bakri

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available In this study, the effect of agitation and aeration rates on xylanase activity of Aspergillus niger SS7 in 3-litre stirred tank bioreactor was investigated. The agitation rates tested were 100, 200 and 300 rpm at each airflow rates of 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 vvm. The maximum xylanase activity in mono- agitator system was at the agitation speed of 200 rpm and aeration rate of 1.0 vvm. In bi-agitator system, at low agitation speed (100 rpm, the xylanase activity was enhanced by 13% compared to mono- agitator system for an aeration rate of 1.0 vvm. Xylanase productivity in continuous culture was higher by approximately 3.5 times than in batch culture.

  4. Gas-liquid flow filed in agitated vessels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hormazi, F.; Alaie, M.; Dabir, B.; Ashjaie, M.

    2001-01-01

    Agitated vessels in form of sti reed tank reactors and mixed ferment ors are being used in large numbers of industry. It is more important to develop good, and theoretically sound models for scaling up and design of agitated vessels. In this article, two phase flow (gas-liquid) in a agitated vessel has been investigated numerically. A two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model, is used to predict the gas-liquid flow. The effects of gas phase, varying gas flow rates and variation of bubbles shape on flow filed of liquid phase are investigated. The numerical results are verified against the experimental data

  5. Iodine-infused aeration for hull fouling prevention: a vessel-scale study.

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    Dickenson, Natasha C; Krumholz, Jason S; Hunsucker, Kelli Z; Radicone, Michael

    2017-11-01

    Biofouling is a significant economic and ecological problem, causing reduced vessel performance and increases in fuel consumption and emissions. Previous research has shown iodine vapor (I 2 )-infused aeration to be an environmentally friendly method for deterring the settlement of fouling organisms. An aeration system was deployed on a vessel with hull sections coated with two types of antifoulant coatings, Intersleek ® 1100 (fouling-release) and Interspeed ® BRA-640 (ablative copper biocide), as well as an inert epoxy barrier coating, to assess the effectiveness of aeration in conjunction with common marine coatings. I 2 -infused aeration resulted in consistent reductions of 80-90% in hard fouling across all three coatings. Additionally, aeration reduced the soft fouling rate by 45-70% when used in conjunction with both Intersleek ® and Interspeed ® BRA versus those coatings alone. The results of this study highlight the contribution of I 2 -infused aeration as a standalone mechanism for fouling prevention or as a complement to traditional antifouling coatings.

  6. Effects of Agitation, Aeration and Temperature on Production of a Novel Glycoprotein GP-1 by Streptomyces kanasenisi ZX01 and Scale-Up Based on Volumetric Oxygen Transfer Coefficient

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    Yong Zhou

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The effects of temperature, agitation and aeration on glycoprotein GP-1 production by Streptomyces kanasenisi ZX01 in bench-scale fermentors were systematically investigated. The maximum final GP-1 production was achieved at an agitation speed of 200 rpm, aeration rate of 2.0 vvm and temperature of 30 °C. By using a dynamic gassing out method, the effects of agitation and aeration on volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient (kLa were also studied. The values of volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient in the logarithmic phase increased with increase of agitation speed (from 14.53 to 32.82 h−1 and aeration rate (from 13.21 to 22.43 h−1. In addition, a successful scale-up from bench-scale to pilot-scale was performed based on volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient, resulting in final GP-1 production of 3.92, 4.03, 3.82 and 4.20 mg/L in 5 L, 15 L, 70 L and 500 L fermentors, respectively. These results indicated that constant volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient was appropriate for the scale-up of batch fermentation of glycoprotein GP-1 by Streptomyces kanasenisi ZX01, and this scale-up strategy successfully achieved 100-fold scale-up from bench-scale to pilot-scale fermentor.

  7. Combined effects of agitation and aeration on the chitinolytic enzymes production by the Antarctic fungus Lecanicillium muscarium CCFEE 5003

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Background The Antarctic fungus Lecanicillium muscarium CCFEE 5003 is one of the most powerful chitinolytic organisms. It can produce high level of chitinolytic enzymes in a wide range of temperatures (5-30°C). Chitinolytic enzymes have lot of applications but their industrial production is still rather limited and no cold-active enzymes are produced. In view of massive production of L. muscarium chitinolytic enzymes, its cultivation in bioreactors is mandatory. Microbial cultivation and/or their metabolite production in bioreactors are sometime not possible and must be verified and optimized for possible exploitation. Agitation and aeration are the most important parameters in order to allow process up-scaling to the industrial level. Results In this study, submerged cultures of L. muscarium CCFEE 5003 were carried out in a 2-L bench-top CSTR bioreactor in order to optimise the production of chitinolytic enzymes. The effect of stirrer speed (range 200-500 rpm) and aeration rate (range 0.5-1.5 vvm) combination was studied, by Response Surface Methodology (RSM), in a medium containing 1.0% yeast nitrogen base and 1% colloidal chitin. Optimization was carried out, within a "quadratic D-optimal" model, using quantitative and quantitative-multilevel factors for aeration and agitation, respectively. The model showed very good correlation parameters (R2, 0.931; Q2, 0.869) and the maximum of activity (373.0 U/L) was predicted at ca. 327 rpm and 1.1 vvm. However, the experimental data showed that highest activity (383.7 ± 7.8 U/L) was recorded at 1 vvm and 300 rpm. Evident shear effect caused by stirrer speed and, partially, by high aeration rates were observed. Under optimized conditions in bioreactor the fungus was able to produce a higher number of chitinolytic enzymes than those released in shaken flasks. In addition, production was 23% higher. Conclusions This work demonstrated the attitude of L. muscarium CCFEE 5003 to grow in bench-top bioreactor; outlined the

  8. Combined effects of agitation and aeration on the chitinolytic enzymes production by the Antarctic fungus Lecanicillium muscarium CCFEE 5003

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    Fenice Massimiliano

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The Antarctic fungus Lecanicillium muscarium CCFEE 5003 is one of the most powerful chitinolytic organisms. It can produce high level of chitinolytic enzymes in a wide range of temperatures (5-30°C. Chitinolytic enzymes have lot of applications but their industrial production is still rather limited and no cold-active enzymes are produced. In view of massive production of L. muscarium chitinolytic enzymes, its cultivation in bioreactors is mandatory. Microbial cultivation and/or their metabolite production in bioreactors are sometime not possible and must be verified and optimized for possible exploitation. Agitation and aeration are the most important parameters in order to allow process up-scaling to the industrial level. Results In this study, submerged cultures of L. muscarium CCFEE 5003 were carried out in a 2-L bench-top CSTR bioreactor in order to optimise the production of chitinolytic enzymes. The effect of stirrer speed (range 200-500 rpm and aeration rate (range 0.5-1.5 vvm combination was studied, by Response Surface Methodology (RSM, in a medium containing 1.0% yeast nitrogen base and 1% colloidal chitin. Optimization was carried out, within a "quadratic D-optimal" model, using quantitative and quantitative-multilevel factors for aeration and agitation, respectively. The model showed very good correlation parameters (R2, 0.931; Q2, 0.869 and the maximum of activity (373.0 U/L was predicted at ca. 327 rpm and 1.1 vvm. However, the experimental data showed that highest activity (383.7 ± 7.8 U/L was recorded at 1 vvm and 300 rpm. Evident shear effect caused by stirrer speed and, partially, by high aeration rates were observed. Under optimized conditions in bioreactor the fungus was able to produce a higher number of chitinolytic enzymes than those released in shaken flasks. In addition, production was 23% higher. Conclusions This work demonstrated the attitude of L. muscarium CCFEE 5003 to grow in bench

  9. Evaluation and accuracy of the local velocity data measurements in an agitated vessel

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    Kysela Bohuš

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Velocity measurements of the flow field in an agitated vessel are necessary for the improvement and better understanding of the mixing processes. The obtained results are used for the calculations of the impeller pumping capacity, comparison of the power consumption etc. We performed various measurements of the local velocities in an agitated vessel final results of which should be processed for several purposes so it was necessary to make an analysis of the obtained data suitability and their quality. Analysed velocity data were obtained from the LDA (Laser Doppler Anemometry and PIV (Particle Image Velocimetry measurements performed on a standard equipment where the flat bottomed vessel with four baffles was agitated by the six-blade Rushton turbine. The results from both used methods were compared. The frequency analyses were examined as well as the dependency of the data rates, time series lengths etc. The demands for the data processed in the form of the ensemble-averaged results were also established.

  10. LDA measurements and turbulence spectral analysis in an agitated vessel

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    Chára Zdeněk

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available During the last years considerable improvement of the derivation of turbulence power spectrum from Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA has been achieved. The irregularly sampled LDA data is proposed to approximate by several methods e.g. Lomb-Scargle method, which estimates amplitude and phase of spectral lines from missing data, methods based on the reconstruction of the auto-correlation function (referred to as correlation slotting technique, methods based on the reconstruction of the time series using interpolation between the uneven sampling and subsequent resampling etc. These different methods were used on the LDA data measured in an agitated vessel and the results of the power spectrum calculations were compared. The measurements were performed in the mixing vessel with flat bottom. The vessel was equipped with four baffles and agitated with a six-blade pitched blade impeller. Three values of the impeller speed (Reynolds number were tested. Long time series of the axial velocity component were measured in selected points. In each point the time series were analyzed and evaluated in a form of power spectrum.

  11. LDA measurements and turbulence spectral analysis in an agitated vessel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kysela, Bohuš; Konfršt, Jiří; Chára, Zdeněk

    2013-04-01

    During the last years considerable improvement of the derivation of turbulence power spectrum from Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) has been achieved. The irregularly sampled LDA data is proposed to approximate by several methods e.g. Lomb-Scargle method, which estimates amplitude and phase of spectral lines from missing data, methods based on the reconstruction of the auto-correlation function (referred to as correlation slotting technique), methods based on the reconstruction of the time series using interpolation between the uneven sampling and subsequent resampling etc. These different methods were used on the LDA data measured in an agitated vessel and the results of the power spectrum calculations were compared. The measurements were performed in the mixing vessel with flat bottom. The vessel was equipped with four baffles and agitated with a six-blade pitched blade impeller. Three values of the impeller speed (Reynolds number) were tested. Long time series of the axial velocity component were measured in selected points. In each point the time series were analyzed and evaluated in a form of power spectrum.

  12. Modeling and optimization of poly(3hydroxybutyrate-co-3hydroxyvalerate) production from cane molasses by Azohydromonas lata MTCC 2311 in a stirred-tank reactor: effect of agitation and aeration regimes.

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    Zafar, Mohd; Kumar, Shashi; Kumar, Surendra; Dhiman, Amit K

    2012-07-01

    The effects of agitation and aeration rates on copolymer poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) [P(3HB-co-3HV)] production by Azohydromonas lata MTCC 2311 using cane molasses supplemented with propionic acid in a bioreactor were investigated. The experiments were conducted in a three-level factorial design by varying the impeller (150-500 rev min(-1)) and aeration (0.5-1.5 vvm) rates. Further, the data were fitted to mathematical models [quadratic polynomial equation and artificial neural network (ANN)] and process variables were optimized by genetic algorithm-coupled models. ANN and hybrid ANN-GA were found superior for modeling and optimization of process variables, respectively. The maximum copolymer concentration of 7.45 g l(-1) with 21.50 mol% of 3HV was predicted at process variables: agitation speed, 287 rev min(-1); and aeration rate, 0.85 vvm, which upon validation gave 7.20 g l(-1) of P(3HB-co-3HV) with 21 mol% of 3HV with the prediction error (%) of 3.38 and 2.32, respectively. Agitation speed established a relative high importance of 72.19% than of aeration rate (27.80%) for copolymer accumulation. The volumetric gas-liquid mass transfer coefficient (k (L) a) was strongly affected by agitation and aeration rates. The highest P(3HB-co-3HV) productivity of 0.163 g l(-1) h(-1) was achieved at 0.17 s(-1) of k (L) a value. During the early phase of copolymer production process, 3HB monomers were accumulated, which were shifted to 3HV units (9-21%) during the cultivation period of 24-42 h. The enhancement of 7.5 and 34% were reported for P(3HB-co-3HV) production and 3HV content, respectively, by hybrid ANN-GA paradigm, which revealed the significant utilization of cane molasses for improved copolymer production.

  13. CFD simulation of gas-liquid floating particles mixing in an agitated vessel

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    Li Liangchao

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Gas dispersion and floating particles suspension in an agitated vessel were studied numerically by using computational fluid dynamics (CFD. The Eulerian multi-fluid model along with standard k-ε turbulence model was used in the simulation. A multiple reference frame (MRF approach was used to solve the impeller rotation. The velocity field, gas and floating particles holdup distributions in the vessel were first obtained, and then, the effects of operating conditions on gas dispersion and solid suspension were investigated. The simulation results show that velocity field of solid phase and gas phase are quite different in the agitated vessel. Floating particles are easy to accumulate in the center of the surface region and the increasing of superficial gas velocity is in favor of floating particles off-surface suspension. With increasing solids loading, the gas dispersion becomes worse, while relative solid holdup distribution changes little. The limitations of the present modeling are discussed and further research in the future is proposed.

  14. Selection of Co-Substrate and Aeration Conditions for Vanillin Production by Escherichia coli JM109/pBB1

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    Paolo Torre

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available Yeast extract, Luria-Bertani medium and tryptone were tested as co-substrates for vanillin production from ferulic acid by resting cells of Escherichia coli JM109/pBB1. Yeast extract proved to be the best component for sustaining such a bioconversion, which is not self-sustained from the bioenergetic point of view. Tests were also performed under variable aeration conditions by simultaneously varying the ratio of medium to vessel volume and the agitation speed. The results of these tests suggest that, under excess aeration, a non-specific oxidase activity was very likely responsible for the oxidation of a significant portion of vanillin to vanillic acid, thus reducing the vanillin yield.

  15. Turbulent flow in a vessel agitated by side entering inclined blade turbine with different diameter using CFD simulation

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    Fathonah, N. N.; Nurtono, T.; Kusdianto; Winardi, S.

    2018-03-01

    Single phase turbulent flow in a vessel agitated by side entering inclined blade turbine has simulated using CFD. The aim of this work is to identify the hydrodynamic characteristics of a model vessel, which geometrical configuration is adopted at industrial scale. The laboratory scale model vessel is a flat bottomed cylindrical tank agitated by side entering 4-blade inclined blade turbine with impeller rotational speed N=100-400 rpm. The effect of the impeller diameter on fluid flow pattern has been investigated. The fluid flow patterns in a vessel is essentially characterized by the phenomena of macro-instabilities, i.e. the flow patterns change with large scale in space and low frequency. The intensity of fluid flow in the tank increase with the increase of impeller rotational speed from 100, 200, 300, and 400 rpm. It was accompanied by shifting the position of the core of circulation flow away from impeller discharge stream and approached the front of the tank wall. The intensity of fluid flow in the vessel increase with the increase of the impeller diameter from d=3 cm to d=4 cm.

  16. Local velocity scaling in T400 vessel agitated by Rushton turbine in a fully turbulent region

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    Šulc, Radek; Ditl, Pavel; Fořt, Ivan; Jašíkova, Darina; Kotek, Michal; Kopecký, Václav; Kysela, Bohuš

    The hydrodynamics and flow field were measured in an agitated vessel using 2-D Time Resolved Particle Image Velocimetry (2-D TR PIV). The experiments were carried out in a fully baffled cylindrical flat bottom vessel 400 mm in inner diameter agitated by a Rushton turbine 133 mm in diameter. The velocity fields were measured in the zone in upward flow to the impeller for impeller rotation speeds from 300 rpm to 850 rpm and three liquids of different viscosities (i.e. (i) distilled water, ii) a 28% vol. aqueous solution of glycol, and iii) a 43% vol. aqueous solution of glycol), corresponding to the impeller Reynolds number in the range 50 000 < Re < 189 000. This Re range secures the fully-developed turbulent flow of agitated liquid. In accordance with the theory of mixing, the dimensionless mean and fluctuation velocities in the measured directions were found to be constant and independent of the impeller Reynolds number. On the basis of the test results the spatial distributions of dimensionless velocities were calculated. The axial turbulence intensity was found to be in the majority in the range from 0.388 to 0.540, which corresponds to the high level of turbulence intensity.

  17. Local velocity scaling in T400 vessel agitated by Rushton turbine in a fully turbulent region

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    Šulc Radek

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The hydrodynamics and flow field were measured in an agitated vessel using 2-D Time Resolved Particle Image Velocimetry (2-D TR PIV. The experiments were carried out in a fully baffled cylindrical flat bottom vessel 400 mm in inner diameter agitated by a Rushton turbine 133 mm in diameter. The velocity fields were measured in the zone in upward flow to the impeller for impeller rotation speeds from 300 rpm to 850 rpm and three liquids of different viscosities (i.e. (i distilled water, ii a 28% vol. aqueous solution of glycol, and iii a 43% vol. aqueous solution of glycol, corresponding to the impeller Reynolds number in the range 50 000 < Re < 189 000. This Re range secures the fully-developed turbulent flow of agitated liquid. In accordance with the theory of mixing, the dimensionless mean and fluctuation velocities in the measured directions were found to be constant and independent of the impeller Reynolds number. On the basis of the test results the spatial distributions of dimensionless velocities were calculated. The axial turbulence intensity was found to be in the majority in the range from 0.388 to 0.540, which corresponds to the high level of turbulence intensity.

  18. The experimental study of the coherent structures generated in the agitated vessels and effected by fluid viscosity

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Jašíková, D.; Kysela, Bohuš; Kotek, M.; Kopecký, V.

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 9, č. 2015 (2015), s. 61-68 ISSN 1998-4448 Institutional support: RVO:67985874 Keywords : agitated vessels * oscillating pattern decomposition * proper orthogonal decomposition * time-resolved PIV Subject RIV: JP - Industrial Processing http://www.naun.org/main/NAUN/mechanics/2015/a162003-044.pdf

  19. LOCAL VELOCITY PROFILES MEASURED BY PIV IN AN VESSEL AGITATED BY RUSHTON TURBINE

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    Radek Šulc

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The hydrodynamics and flow field were measured in an agitated vessel using 2-D Time Resolved Particle Image Velocimetry (2-D TR PIV. The experiments were carried out in a fully baffled cylindrical flat bottom vessel 300 mm in inner diameter. The tank was agitated by a Rushton turbine 100 mm in diameter. The velocity fields were measured for three impeller rotation speeds 300 rpm, 450 rpm and 600 rpm and the corresponding Reynolds numbers in the range 50 000 < Re < 100 000, which means that the fully-developed turbulent flow was reached. In accordance with the theory of mixing, the dimensionless mean and fluctuation velocities in the measured directions were found to be constant and independent of the impeller rotational speed. The velocity profiles were averaged, and were expressed by Chebyshev polynomials of the 1st order. Although the experimentally investigated area was relatively far from the impeller, and it was located in upward flow to the impeller, no state of local isotropy was found. The ratio of the axial rms fluctuation velocity to the radial component was found to be in the range from 0.523 to 0.768. The axial turbulence intensity was found to be in the range from 0.293 to 0.667, which corresponds to a high turbulence intensity.

  20. Energy consumption of agitators in activated sludge tanks - actual state and optimization potential.

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    Füreder, K; Svardal, K; Frey, W; Kroiss, H; Krampe, J

    2018-02-01

    Depending on design capacity, agitators consume about 5 to 20% of the total energy consumption of a wastewater treatment plant. Based on inhabitant-specific energy consumption (kWh PE 120 -1 a -1 ; PE 120 is population equivalent, assuming 120 g chemical oxygen demand per PE per day), power density (W m -3 ) and volume-specific energy consumption (Wh m -3 d -1 ) as evaluation indicators, this paper provides a sound contribution to understanding energy consumption and energy optimization potentials of agitators. Basically, there are two ways to optimize agitator operation: the reduction of the power density and the reduction of the daily operating time. Energy saving options range from continuous mixing with low power densities of 1 W m -3 to mixing by means of short, intense energy pulses (impulse aeration, impulse stirring). However, the following correlation applies: the shorter the duration of energy input, the higher the power density on the respective volume-specific energy consumption isoline. Under favourable conditions with respect to tank volume, tank geometry, aeration and agitator position, mixing energy can be reduced to 24 Wh m -3 d -1 and below. Additionally, it could be verified that power density of agitators stands in inverse relation to tank volume.

  1. Pollutants' Release, Redistribution and Remediation of Black Smelly River Sediment Based on Re-Suspension and Deep Aeration of Sediment.

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    Zhu, Lin; Li, Xun; Zhang, Chen; Duan, Zengqiang

    2017-04-01

    Heavily polluted sediment is becoming an important part of water pollution, and this situation is particularly acute in developing countries. Sediment has gradually changed from being the pollution adsorbent to the release source and has influenced the water environment and public health. In this study, we evaluated the pollutant distribution in sediment in a heavily polluted river and agitated the sediment in a heavily polluted river to re-suspend it and re-release pollutants. We found that the levels of chemical oxygen demand (COD), NH₄⁺-N, total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) in overlying water were significantly increased 60 min after agitation. The distribution of the pollutants in the sediment present high concentrations of pollutants congregated on top of the sediment after re-settling, and their distribution decreased with depth. Before agitation, the pollutants were randomly distributed throughout the sediment. Secondly, deep sediment aeration equipment (a micro-porous air diffuser) was installed during the process of sedimentation to study the remediation of the sediment by continuous aeration. The results revealed that deep sediment aeration after re-suspension significantly promoted the degradation of the pollutants both in overlying water and sediment, which also reduced the thickness of the sediment from 0.9 m to 0.6 m. Therefore, sediment aeration after suspension was efficient, and is a promising method for sediment remediation applications.

  2. Americium behaviour in plastic vessels

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    Legarda, F.; Herranz, M. [Departamento de Ingenieria Nuclear y Mecanica de Fluidos, Escuela Tecnica Superior de Ingenieria de Bilbao, Universidad del Pais Vasco (UPV/EHU), Alameda de Urquijo s/n, 48013 Bilbao (Spain); Idoeta, R., E-mail: raquel.idoeta@ehu.e [Departamento de Ingenieria Nuclear y Mecanica de Fluidos, Escuela Tecnica Superior de Ingenieria de Bilbao, Universidad del Pais Vasco (UPV/EHU), Alameda de Urquijo s/n, 48013 Bilbao (Spain); Abelairas, A. [Departamento de Ingenieria Nuclear y Mecanica de Fluidos, Escuela Tecnica Superior de Ingenieria de Bilbao, Universidad del Pais Vasco (UPV/EHU), Alameda de Urquijo s/n, 48013 Bilbao (Spain)

    2010-07-15

    The adsorption of {sup 241}Am dissolved in water in different plastic storage vessels was determined. Three different plastics were investigated with natural and distilled waters and the retention of {sup 241}Am by these plastics was studied. The same was done by varying vessel agitation time, vessel agitation speed, surface/volume ratio of water in the vessels and water pH. Adsorptions were measured to be between 0% and 70%. The adsorption of {sup 241}Am is minimized with no water agitation, with PET or PVC plastics, and by water acidification.

  3. Americium behaviour in plastic vessels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Legarda, F.; Herranz, M.; Idoeta, R.; Abelairas, A.

    2010-01-01

    The adsorption of 241 Am dissolved in water in different plastic storage vessels was determined. Three different plastics were investigated with natural and distilled waters and the retention of 241 Am by these plastics was studied. The same was done by varying vessel agitation time, vessel agitation speed, surface/volume ratio of water in the vessels and water pH. Adsorptions were measured to be between 0% and 70%. The adsorption of 241 Am is minimized with no water agitation, with PET or PVC plastics, and by water acidification.

  4. Americium behaviour in plastic vessels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Legarda, F; Herranz, M; Idoeta, R; Abelairas, A

    2010-01-01

    The adsorption of (241)Am dissolved in water in different plastic storage vessels was determined. Three different plastics were investigated with natural and distilled waters and the retention of (241)Am by these plastics was studied. The same was done by varying vessel agitation time, vessel agitation speed, surface/volume ratio of water in the vessels and water pH. Adsorptions were measured to be between 0% and 70%. The adsorption of (241)Am is minimized with no water agitation, with PET or PVC plastics, and by water acidification. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. CRYSTALLIZATION KINETICS OF AMMONIUM PERCHLORATE IN AN AGITATED VESSEL

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    Nahidh Kaseer

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available 31Overall crystal growth kinetics for ammonium perchlorate in laboratory scale batch  agitated vessel crystallizer have been determined from batch experiments performed in an integral mode. The effects of temperature between 30-60ºC, seed size 0.07, 0.120 and 0.275 mm and stirrer speed 160, 340, and 480 rpm, on the kinetics of crystal growth were investigated. Two different methods, viz. polynomial fitting and initial derivative were used to predict the kinetics expression. In general both methods gave comparable results for growth kinetics estimation. The order of growth process is not more than two. The activation energy for crystal growth of ammonium perchlorate was determined and found  to be equal to 5.8 kJ/ mole.            Finally, the influence of the affecting parameters on the crystal growth rate gives general expression that had an obvious dependence of the growth rate on each variables of concern (temperature, seed size, and stirrer speed .The general overall growth rate expression had shown that super saturation is the most significant variable. While the positive dependence of the stirrer speed demonstrates the importance of the diffusional step in the growth rate model. Moreover, the positive dependence of the seed size demonstrate the importance of the surface integration  step in the growth rate model. All the studied variables tend to suggest that the growth rate characteristics  of ammonium perchlorate from aqueous solution commenced in a batch crystallizer are diffusion kinetic controlled process.

  6. Estimation of turbulence dissipation rate by Large eddy PIV method in an agitated vessel

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    Kysela Bohuš

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The distribution of turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate is important for design of mixing apparatuses in chemical industry. Generally used experimental methods of velocity measurements for measurement in complex geometries of an agitated vessel disallow measurement in resolution of small scales close to turbulence dissipation ones. Therefore, Particle image velocity (PIV measurement method improved by large eddy Ply approach was used. Large eddy PIV method is based on modeling of smallest eddies by a sub grid scale (SGS model. This method is similar to numerical calculations using Large Eddy Simulation (LES and the same SGS models are used. In this work the basic Smagorinsky model was employed and compared with power law approximation. Time resolved PIV data were processed by Large Eddy PIV approach and the obtained results of turbulent kinetic dissipation rate were compared in selected points for several operating conditions (impeller speed, operating liquid viscosity.

  7. Characterization of Odorant Compounds from Mechanical Aerated Pile Composting and Static Aerated Pile Composting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumari, Priyanka; Lee, Joonhee; Choi, Hong-Lim

    2016-04-01

    We studied airborne contaminants (airborne particulates and odorous compounds) emitted from compost facilities in South Korea. There are primarily two different types of composting systems operating in Korean farms, namely mechanical aerated pile composting (MAPC) and aerated static pile composting (SAPC). In this study, we analyzed various particulate matters (PM10, PM7, PM2.5, PM1, and total suspended particles), volatile organic compounds and ammonia, and correlated these airborne contaminants with microclimatic parameters, i.e., temperature and relative humidity. Most of the analyzed airborne particulates (PM7, PM2.5, and PM1) were detected in high concentration at SAPC facilities compered to MAPC; however these differences were statistically non-significant. Similarly, most of the odorants did not vary significantly between MAPC and SAPC facilities, except for dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and skatole. DMS concentrations were significantly higher in MAPC facilities, whereas skatole concentrations were significantly higher in SAPC facilities. The microclimate variables also did not vary significantly between MAPC and SAPC facilities, and did not correlate significantly with most of the airborne particles and odorous compounds, suggesting that microclimate variables did not influence their emission from compost facilities. These findings provide insight into the airborne contaminants that are emitted from compost facilities and the two different types of composting agitation systems.

  8. Design of agitation systems in Bingham slurries by pilot simulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nielsen, M.G.

    1987-01-01

    A method was required to determine the optimum agitator speed needed to produce overall motion of the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) high-level waste slurries in remote process cell vessels. Project schedule and limited process space required an accurate determination of agitator horsepower and size without the benefit of full-scale testing. The small scale testing of unique clear rheologically similar fluid is described along with tests and scale-up procedures. 2 refs., 3 figs

  9. Characterization of Odorant Compounds from Mechanical Aerated Pile Composting and Static Aerated Pile Composting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Priyanka Kumari

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available We studied airborne contaminants (airborne particulates and odorous compounds emitted from compost facilities in South Korea. There are primarily two different types of composting systems operating in Korean farms, namely mechanical aerated pile composting (MAPC and aerated static pile composting (SAPC. In this study, we analyzed various particulate matters (PM10, PM7, PM2.5, PM1, and total suspended particles, volatile organic compounds and ammonia, and correlated these airborne contaminants with microclimatic parameters, i.e., temperature and relative humidity. Most of the analyzed airborne particulates (PM7, PM2.5, and PM1 were detected in high concentration at SAPC facilities compered to MAPC; however these differences were statistically non-significant. Similarly, most of the odorants did not vary significantly between MAPC and SAPC facilities, except for dimethyl sulfide (DMS and skatole. DMS concentrations were significantly higher in MAPC facilities, whereas skatole concentrations were significantly higher in SAPC facilities. The microclimate variables also did not vary significantly between MAPC and SAPC facilities, and did not correlate significantly with most of the airborne particles and odorous compounds, suggesting that microclimate variables did not influence their emission from compost facilities. These findings provide insight into the airborne contaminants that are emitted from compost facilities and the two different types of composting agitation systems.

  10. Application of airlift bioreactor for the cultivation of aerobic oleaginous yeast Rhodotorula glutinis with different aeration rates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yen, Hong-Wei; Liu, Yi Xian

    2014-08-01

    The high cost of microbial oils produced from oleaginous microorganisms is the major obstacle to commercial production. In this study, the operation of an airlift bioreactor is examined for the cultivation of oleaginous yeast-Rhodotorula glutinis, due to the low process cost. The results suggest that the use of a high aeration rate could enhance cell growth. The maximum biomass concentration of 25.40 g/L was observed in the batch with a 2.0 vvm aeration rate. In addition, a higher aeration rate of 2.5 vvm could achieve the maximum growth rate of 0.46 g/L h, about twice the 0.22 g/L h obtained in an agitation tank. However, an increase in tank pressure instead of the aeration rate did not enhance cell growth. The operation of airlift bioreactor described in this work has the advantages of simple operation and low energy consumption, thus making it suitable for the accumulation of microbial oils. Copyright © 2014 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Effect of aeration on the fermentative activity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cultured in apple juice

    OpenAIRE

    Estela-Escalante, W.; Rychtera, M.; Melzoch, K.; Hatta-Sakoda, B.

    2012-01-01

    The influence of aeration on the fermentative activity of Saccharomyces cerevisiaeRTVE V 15-1-416 was studied in order to evaluate the synthesis of fermentation by-products. To achieve this, the strain was cultured in Erlenmeyer flasks and bioreactor containing sterilized and aroma removed apple juice. The chemical compounds produced during fermentations in shaken (200 min-¹) and static (without agitation) flasks and bioreactor, all in batch mode, were determined by GC and HPLC. The results s...

  12. Investigation on flow pattern by submersible mechanical aerator aused in anaerobic-aerobic tank. Kenki koki ken'yo suichu aerator ni yoru sonai ryudo no chosa kensho

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ogasawara, M; Inoue, H; Kamei, T; Kato, N [Ebara Corp., Tokyo (Japan)

    1994-01-20

    As explained in the present report, flow pattern was verified in a submersible aerator tank for both anaerobic and aerobic wastewater treatment (submersible plant for the mechanical agitation and aeration). The verification was made in a water passage of the sewage treatment plant. The flowing was conditioned as per the measurement of both flow velocity and activated sludge concentration. The submersible aerator was installed so that balance might be kept in ventilating pressure between it and the diffusing plate. The flowing on the tank bottom was stabilized by installing a special guide at the outlet of aerator. The result was as follows: in both tanks during the anaerobic operation, the flow velocity was 0.15m/s as a whole and higher than the standard of 0.1m/s on the tank bottom. Under the tank top and at the middle of tank height, the flow velocity is lower than that on the tank bottom and the intake of dissolved oxygen is weak. In both tanks during the aerobic operation, the flow velocity as a whole is higher than that during the anaerobic operation. It is attributable to the airlift effect. The flow pattern during the aerobic operation is characterized by the flow which is generated, by airlift effect, under the tank top toward the wall. Then, that flow effectively works for the flowing on the tank bottom. Hardly dispersed, the pollutant concentration indicates that the flowing is sufficient in the tank. 4 refs., 6 figs., 3 tabs.

  13. Influence of agitation and aeration in xanthan production by Xanthomonas campestris pv pruni strain 101 Influencia de la agitación y la aireación en la producción de xantano por Xanthomonas campestris pv. pruni cepa 101

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. D. Borges

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available Production, viscosity, and chemical composition of xanthan synthesized by bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv pruni strain 101 were evaluated in bioreactor systems. During the process, the volumetric oxygen mass transfer coefficient (kLa and the biomass were determined and the pH was monitored. The cultures were grown in a 3 l bioreactor, with aeration and agitation varying as follows: conditions (A 300 rpm, 3 vvm and (B 200 rpm, 2 vvm, at 28 °C. Our results showed that gum production was dependent on kLa, with a maximum yield of 8.15 g/l at 300 rpm, 3 vvm, 54 h of fermentation, kLa 21.4/h, while biomass was not affected. All aqueous solutions of 3% (w/v xanthans synthesized showed a pseudoplastic behavior. The highest viscosity was reached under the strongest aeration/agitation conditions. All xanthan samples contained glucose, mannose, rhamnose, and glucuronic acid as their main components. The highest agitation and aeration rates used under condition A (300 rpm and 3 vvm favorably influenced the yield and viscosity of the xanthan produced by bacterium X. campestris pv pruni 101 at different fermentation times.Se evaluó la producción, viscosidad y composición química del xantano sintetizado por la bacteria Xanthomonas campestris pv. pruni cepa 101 en un fermentador. Durante el proceso se controló el pH y se determinaron el coeficiente de transferencia de masa de oxígeno (kLa y la producción de masa celular seca. Los cultivos se realizaron en un fermentador de 3 l variando la aireación y la agitación, en las siguientes condiciones: (A 300 rpm, 3 vvm y (B 200 rpm, 2 vvm; a 28 °C. Nuestros resultados mostraron que la producción de goma fue dependiente del kLa, con un rendimiento máximo de 8,15 g/l a 300 rpm y 3 vvm a las 54 h de fermentación, kLa de 21,4/h, mientras que la producción de biomasa no se afectó. Todas las soluciones acuosas de xantano al 3% (m/v sintetizadas presentaron comportamiento pseudoplástico. La mayor

  14. Increased Production of Hydrogen Peroxide by Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus upon Aeration: Involvement of an NADH Oxidase in Oxidative Stress

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marty-Teysset, C.; de la Torre, F.; Garel, J.-R.

    2000-01-01

    The growth of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus) on lactose was altered upon aerating the cultures by agitation. Aeration caused the bacteria to enter early into stationary phase, thus reducing markedly the biomass production but without modifying the maximum growth rate. The early entry into stationary phase of aerated cultures was probably related to the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide in the medium. Indeed, the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in aerated cultures was two to three times higher than in unaerated ones. Also, a similar shift from exponential to stationary phase could be induced in unaerated cultures by adding increasing concentrations of hydrogen peroxide. A significant fraction of the hydrogen peroxide produced by L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus originated from the reduction of molecular oxygen by NADH catalyzed by an NADH:H2O2 oxidase. The specific activity of this NADH oxidase was the same in aerated and unaerated cultures, suggesting that the amount of this enzyme was not directly regulated by oxygen. Aeration did not change the homolactic character of lactose fermentation by L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and most of the NADH was reoxidized by lactate dehydrogenase with pyruvate. This indicated that NADH oxidase had no (or a very small) energetic role and could be involved in eliminating oxygen. PMID:10618234

  15. Studies of radon mitigation in well water by aeration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mafra, Karina Cristina; Paschuk, Sergei A.; Denyak, Valeriy; Reque, Marilson; Correa, Janine Nicolosi; Barbosa, Laercio

    2011-01-01

    The 222 Rn concentration in natural water in different countries usually is about few Bq/L and is the subject of the National legislation as well as International norms and recommendations. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) established a limit of 11.1 Bq/L for the radon level in drinking water and this limit is considered as guideline in Canada and many countries of the European Union. This work presents the results of study of radon ( 222 Rn) concentration reduction in well water using the aeration process developed at the Laboratory of Applied Nuclear Physics of the Federal University of Technology (UTFPR). The water samples were collected from a well at Pinheirinho region of Curitiba in 2011. Experimental setup was based on the Radon Monitor (AlphaGUARD). The 222 Rn concentration was analyzed using the software DataEXPERT by Genitron Instruments, taking into account the volume of water sample, its temperature, atmospheric pressure and the total volume of the air in the vessels. Initial concentration of radon in water samples was 28,67 Bq/L which is bigger than maximum concentration recommended by USEPA. The mitigation was performed by means of diffusion aeration of water samples of 15L during the time interval of 24 hours following a period of 4 days. The efficiency of aeration mitigation was controlled by comparing the activity of radon in aerated water with reference water samples that were not aerated. Obtained results show very satisfactory decrease of 222 Rn activity in water samples even after few hours of intense aeration. (author)

  16. The development of furrower model blade to paddlewheel aerator for improving aeration efficiency

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bahri, Samsul; Praeko Agus Setiawan, Radite; Hermawan, Wawan; Zairin Junior, Muhammad

    2018-05-01

    The successful of intensive aquaculture is strongly influenced by the ability of the farmers to overcome the deterioration of water quality. The problem is low dissolved oxygen through aeration process. The aerator device which widely used in pond farming is paddle wheel aerator because it is the best aerator in aeration mechanism and usable driven power. However, this aerator still has a low performance of aeration, so that the cost of aerator operational for aquaculture is still high. Up to now, the effort to improve the performance of aeration was made by two-dimensional blade design. Obviously, it does not provide the optimum result due to the power requirements for aeration is directly proportional to the increase of aeration rate. The aim of this research is to develop three-dimensional model furrowed blades. Design of Furrower model blades was 1.6 cm diameter hole, 45º of vertical angle blade position and 30º of the horizontal position. The optimum performance furrowed model blades operated on the submerged blade 9 cm with 567.54 Watt of electrical power consumption and 4.322 m3 of splash coverage volume. The standard efficiency aeration is 2.72 kg O2 kWh-1. The furrowed model blades can improve the aeration efficiency of paddlewheel aerator.

  17. [Acute agitation conditions].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mavrogiorgou, P; Juckel, G

    2015-09-01

    Acute agitation psychiatric emergencies as frequently occur in psychiatric as well as in non-psychiatric settings, such as general hospitals, specialized clinics, emergency services and private practices. Psychiatric emergencies can be life-threatening and necessitate immediate treatment. This article presents the core symptomatology, differential diagnoses and treatment options of acute agitation emergencies. Case control studies and reliable data regarding prevalence and treatment of acute agitation in psychiatric and general hospitals or private practices are sparse. Existing evidence suggests that optimization of diagnosis and therapy of psychiatric emergencies, such as acute agitation is warranted. Treatment of acute agitation, psychological distress and other psychiatric emergencies are highly demanding regarding psychiatric expertise and concerning the personality and behavior of the therapist. The basis of therapy comprises the ability to form a stable and trustworthy relationship with the patient as well as to patiently calm down agitated patients. Unambiguous and rapid decision-making that takes effective pharmacological treatment options into account usually leads to swift amelioration of the acute symptomatology.

  18. A Controlled Agitation Process for Improving Quality of Canned Green Beans during Agitation Thermal Processing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Anika; Pratap Singh, Anubhav; Ramaswamy, Hosahalli S

    2016-06-01

    This work introduces the concept of a controlled agitation thermal process to reduce quality damage in liquid-particulate products during agitation thermal processing. Reciprocating agitation thermal processing (RA-TP) was used as the agitation thermal process. In order to reduce the impact of agitation, a new concept of "stopping agitations after sufficient development of cold-spot temperature" was proposed. Green beans were processed in No. 2 (307×409) cans filled with liquids of various consistency (0% to 2% CMC) at various frequencies (1 to 3 Hz) of RA-TP using a full-factorial design and heat penetration results were collected. Corresponding operator's process time to impart a 10-min process lethality (Fo ) and agitation time (AT) were calculated using heat penetration results. Accordingly, products were processed again by stopping agitations as per 3 agitation regimes, namely; full time agitation, equilibration time agitation, and partial time agitation. Processed products were photographed and tested for visual quality, color, texture, breakage of green beans, turbidity, and percentage of insoluble solids in can liquid. Results showed that stopping agitations after sufficient development of cold-spot temperatures is an effective way of reducing product damages caused by agitation (for example, breakage of beans and its leaching into liquid). Agitations till one-log temperature difference gave best color, texture and visual product quality for low-viscosity liquid-particulate mixture and extended agitations till equilibration time was best for high-viscosity products. Thus, it was shown that a controlled agitation thermal process is more effective in obtaining high product quality as compared to a regular agitation thermal process. © 2016 Institute of Food Technologists®

  19. Solar powered dugout aeration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Murrell, S.

    2001-10-01

    Pasture dugouts are a significant source of water for livestock on the Canadian Prairies and as such, must maintain the best water quality possible. Aeration improves the water quality and is part of a good management plan to reduce overall water treatment costs. Although dugouts can be aerated naturally through wind and wave action and photosynthesis, this generally aerates only the top portion of the dugout. Artificial aeration by air injection into the lowest point of the dugout ensures that the water is oxygenated throughout the entire dugout. Solar aeration can be used in remote areas where grid power is not practical. With solar powered aeration systems, solar panels are used to generate the electrical power needed to run the compressor while storing excess energy in batteries. A solar aeration system includes solar panels, deep cycle batteries to store excess power, a control board with a regulator, a compressor, a weighed feeder hose, and an air diffuser. This publication presented the design of a solar aeration system and its cost. 1 tab., 3 figs

  20. AERATION OF THE ICE-COVERED WATER POOLS USING THE WAVE FLOW AERATOR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Solomin E.E

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available This article describes the technical advantages and economic benefits of the ice-covered pool aeration plants consuming power from renewable energy sources. We made a comparative evaluation of the wave flow-aeration method and other methods of pool aeration. We showed the indexes and the characteristics of the wave flow-maker for aeration of ice-covered pools on the territory of Russia. We also made calculations of the economic benefits of aeration plants using the devices converting renewable energy. The project can be scaled and extended to the territory of the CIS, Europe, USA and Canada in the changing climate conditions and the variety of feed reservoirs around the world.

  1. Modeling enzyme production with Aspergillus oryzae in pilot scale vessels with different agitation, aeration, and agitator types

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Albæk, Mads Orla; Gernaey, Krist; Hansen, Morten S.

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how a model can be constructed such that the progress of a submerged fed‐batch fermentation of a filamentous fungus can be predicted with acceptable accuracy. The studied process was enzyme production with Aspergillus oryzae in 550 L pilot plant stirred...

  2. A CFD model for determining mixing and mass transfer in a high power agitated bioreactor

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bach, Christian; Albæk, Mads O.; Stocks, Stuart M.

    performance of a high power agitated pilot scale bioreactor has been characterized using a novel combination of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and experimental investigations. The effect of turbulence inside the vessel was found to be most efficiently described by using the k-ε model with regards...... simulations, and the overall mass transfer coefficient was found to be in accordance with experimental data. This work illustrates the possibility of predicting the hydrodynamic performance of an agitated bioreactor using validated CFD models. These models can be applied in the testing of new bioreactor...

  3. Design characteristics of Curved Blade Aerator w.r.t. aeration ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    user

    To provide the required amount of oxygen, an aeration system is always ... and number of blades, depth of flow etc and physicochemical properties of the liquid. .... amounts to 29 cm with 12 blades (fiber strips) mounted on each aerator rotor.

  4. Effect of sonic agitation, manual dynamic agitation on removal of Enterococcus faecalis biofilm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rajshekhar Chatterjee

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: The aim of the study was to compare manual dynamic agitation with sonic agitation on removal of intra radicular Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis biofilm. Material and Methods: Extracted mandibular premolars for orthodontic purpose were sectioned at cervical level and divided into three groups (n = 30. The root canals were instrumented using Protaper rotary instruments up to apical file F4. Roots were sterilized and E. faecalis bacteria were incubated within their root canal space for four weeks. Confirmation of biofilm was done using scanning electron microscopy and Gram staining. All groups were irrigated with side vented needle by using three percent sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl for 60 seconds. Two experimental groups were agitated with manual dynamic agitation (with master gutta-percha cone and sonic agitation (EndoActivator. Remaining bacteria were collected using sterile paper point, which were incubated inside brain-heart infusion (BHI broth to check turbidity. The turbid broth was streaked on blood agar plate for colony counts. Result: Both experimental groups showed highly significant difference in their mean colony count when compared with control group; with P < 0.001. Conclusion: Passive sonic agitation with EndoActivator has proven to be the best irrigating system followed by manual dynamic agitation and conventional needle irrigation.

  5. Influence of aeration in the fermentative activity of Kloeckera apiculata during fermentation of apple juice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Estela Escalante, Waldir D; Rychtera, Mojmir; Melzoch, Karel; Guerrero Ochoa, Manuel R

    2012-01-01

    The influence of aeration on the fermentative activity of Kloeckera apiculata RIVE 9-2-1 was studied in order to evaluate the production of metabolites of the fermentation. To achieve this, the strain was cultured in Erlenmeyer flasks containing sterilized and aroma removed apple juice, and the chemical compounds produced during fermentation in shaken (200 min-1) and static (without agitation) cultivation were determined. The results showed that the agitation of the culture medium increases production of higher alcohols (till 591.0 mg/L) compared to static cultivation, whereas on the contrary, the production of acetic acid, ethyl acetate and glycerol (260.0 ± 11.0 mg/L, 196.0 ± 10.0 mg/L y 2.6±0.2 g/L) were higher compared to shaken cultivation (222.0 ± 8.0 mg/L, 96.0 ± 4.5 mg/L and 1.8 ± 0.2 g/L) respectively. Batch cultivations carried out in bioreactor with air flux of 25 l/h reported a growth rate μ of 0.17 h-1, production of ethanol (12.5 ± 2.0 g/L) and other compounds typically produced during alcoholic fermentation. The concentration of dissolved oxygen in the fermentation medium affects its metabolism thus; insufficient amounts of oxygen would provoke a respirofermentative metabolism. The best results in terms of organoleptic quality of the fermented beverage regarding to aroma, taste and flavor was obtained when fermented in static cultivation. The control of aeration during fermentation can be used to control the synthesis of chemical compounds of sensory impact in the production of fermented beverages.

  6. Use of transsplenic injection of agitated saline and heparinized blood for the ultrasonographic diagnosis of macroscopic portosystemic shunts in dogs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gómez-Ochoa, Pablo; Llabrés-Díaz, Francisco; Ruiz, Sergio; Corda, Andrea; Prieto, Saul; Sosa, Ivan; Gregori, Tommaso; Gascón, Manuel; Couto, Guillermo C

    2011-01-01

    We describe the use of ultrasonography-guided percutaneous splenic injection of agitated saline and heparinized blood for the diagnosis of portosystemic shunts (PSS) in 34 dogs. Agitated saline mixed with 1 ml of heparinized autologous blood was injected into the spleen of 34 sedated dogs under sonographic guidance. The transducer was then sequentially repositioned to visualize the portal vein, the caudal vena cava, and the right atrium through different acoustic windows. It was possible to differentiate between intrahepatic and extrahepatic shunts depending on the entry point of the microbubbles into the caudal vena cava. Portoazygos shunts and portocaval shunts could be differentiated based on the presence of microbubbles in the caudal vena cava and/or the right atrium. In one dog, collateral circulation due to portal hypertension was identified. In dogs with a single extrahepatic shunt, the microbubbles helped identify the shunting vessel. The technique was also used postoperatively to assess the efficacy of shunt closure. All abnormal vessels were confirmed by exploratory laparotomy or with ultrasonographic identification of the shunting vessel. Ultrasound-guided transsplenic injection of agitated saline with heparinized blood should be considered as a valuable technique for the diagnosis of PSS; it is easy to perform, safe, and the results are easily reproducible.

  7. 1st International Experts’ Meeting on Agitation: Conclusions Regarding the Current and Ideal Management Paradigm of Agitation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Martínez-Raga

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Agitation is a heterogeneous concept without a uniformly accepted definition, however, it is generally considered as a state of cognitive and motor hyperactivity characterized by excessive or inappropriate motor or verbal activity with marked emotional arousal. Not only the definition but also other aspects of agitated patients’ care are still unsolved and need consensus and improvement. To help the discussion about agitation among experts and improve the identification, management, and treatment of agitation, the 1st International Experts’ Meeting on Agitation was held in October 2016 in Madrid. It was attended by 20 experts from Europe and Latin America with broad experience in the clinical management of agitated patients. The present document summarizes the key conclusions of this meeting and highlights the need for an updated protocol of agitation management and treatment, the promotion of education and training among healthcare professionals to improve the care of these patients and the necessity to generate clinical data of agitated episodes.

  8. [The acute management of agitation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bakay, S; Iweins, A; Scantamburlo, G; Ansseau, M; Pitchot, W

    2013-11-01

    Agitation in psychiatry is defined as "a request to which an answer cannot be deferred". If some types of controllable agitation can be solved by human means or psychotropic drugs, others may require the intervention of intensivists who will contribute to the onset of crisis resolution. In addition, an organic aetiology must be carefully excluded a before considering a psychiatric origin of agitation, especially in patients with no psychiatric history and in the elderly. Indeed, acute agitation can hide serious somatic traps and be life threatening.

  9. [Incidence of acute agitation and variation in acute agitation management by emergency services].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casado Flórez, Isabel; Sánchez Santos, Luis; Rodríguez Calzada, Rafael; Rico-Villademoros, Fernando; Roset Arissó, Pere; Corral Torres, Ervigio

    2017-07-01

    To describe the management of acute agitation by Spanish emergency medical services (EMS) and assess the incidence of acute agitation. Observational descriptive study based on aggregate data from unpublished internal EMS reports. Seven participating emergency services received 4 306 213 emergency calls in 2013; 111 599 (2.6%, or 6.2 calls per 1000 population) were categorized as psychiatric emergencies. A total of 84 933 interventions (4.2%, or 4 per 1000 population) were required; 37 951 of the calls concerned agitated patients (1.9%, or 2 cases per 1000 population). Only 3 EMS mandated a specific procedure for their responders to use in such cases. The agitated patient is a common problem for EMS responders. Few teams apply specific procedures for managing these patients.

  10. Monitoring Agitated Behavior After acquired Brain Injury

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Aadal, Lena; Mortensen, Jesper; Nielsen, Jørgen Feldbaek

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: To describe the onset, duration, intensity, and nursing shift variation of agitated behavior in patients with acquired brain injury (ABI) at a rehabilitation hospital. Design: Prospective descriptive study. Methods: A total of 11 patients with agitated behavior were included. Agitated...... behavior was registered with the Agitated Behavior Scale (ABS). The nurse or therapist allocated the individual patient assessed ABS during each shift. Intensity of agitated behavior was tested using exact test. A within-subject shift effect was analyzed with repeated-measure ANOVA. Findings: The onset...... of agitated behavior was at a median of 14 (1–28) days from admission. Seven patients remained agitated beyond 3 weeks from onset. Severe intensity of agitation was observed in 86 of 453 nursing shifts. Differences in agitated behavior between day, evening, and night shifts were found, F(2.20) = 7.90, p...

  11. Predictors of agitation in critically ill adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burk, Ruth S; Grap, Mary Jo; Munro, Cindy L; Schubert, Christine M; Sessler, Curtis N

    2014-09-01

    Agitation in critically ill adults is a frequent complication of hospitalization and results in multiple adverse outcomes. Potential causes of agitation are numerous; however, data on factors predictive of agitation are limited. To identify predictors of agitation by examining demographic and clinical characteristics of critically ill patients. A medical record review was performed. Documentation of agitation was indicated by scores on the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale or the use of an agitation keyword. Records of 200 patients from 1 medical and 1 surgical intensive care unit were used for the study. Risk factors were determined for 2 points in time: admission to the intensive care unit and within 24 hours before the first episode of agitation. Data on baseline demographics, preadmission risk factors, and clinical data were collected and were evaluated by using logistic multivariable regression to determine predictors of agitation. Predictors of agitation on admission to intensive care were history of use of illicit substances, height, respiratory and central nervous system subscores on the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment, and use of restraints. Predictors of agitation within 24 hours before the onset of agitation were history of psychiatric diagnosis, height, score on the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment, ratio of Pao2 to fraction of inspired oxygen less than 200, serum pH, percentage of hours with restraints, percentage of hours of mechanical ventilation, pain, and presence of genitourinary catheters. Predictors of agitation on admission and within 24 hours before the onset of agitation were primarily clinical variables. ©2014 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

  12. Intermittent Aeration Suppresses Nitrite-Oxidizing Bacteria in Membrane-Aerated Biofilms: A Model-Based Explanation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ma, Yunjie; Domingo Felez, Carlos; Plósz, Benedek G.

    2017-01-01

    . On the basis of dissolved oxygen (DO), ammonium, nitrite, and nitrate profiles within the biofilm and in the bulk, a 1-dimensional nitrifying biofilm model was developed and calibrated. The model was utilized to explore the potential mechanisms of NOB suppression associated with intermittent aeration...... nitritation, strategies to suppress nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) are needed, which are ideally grounded on an understanding of underlying mechanisms. In this study, a nitrifying MABR was operated under intermittent aeration. During eight months of operation, AOB dominated, while NOB were suppressed...... during intermittent aeration was mostly explained by periodic inhibition caused by free ammonia due to periodic transient pH upshifts. Dissolved oxygen limitation did not govern NOB suppression. Different intermittent aeration strategies were then evaluated for nitritation success in intermittently...

  13. Agitation in the medically ill elderly

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Treatment of agitation is therefore imperative in order to prevent potential danger to patients and caregivers as well as to prevent excessive use of physical restraints and psychotropic medications. Classification of agitation. Agitation has been classified in several ways. Most commonly, it is classified as either mild or severe.

  14. Autotrophic Nitrogen Removal in a Membrane-Aerated Biofilm Reactor Under Continuous Aeration: A Demonstration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gilmore, Kevin R.; Terada, Akihiko; Smets, Barth F.

    2013-01-01

    This work describes the successful coupling of partial nitrification (nitritation) and anaerobic ammonium oxidation in a membrane-aerated biofilm reactor (MABR) with continuous aeration. Controlling the relative surface loadings of oxygen versus ammonium prevented complete nitrite oxidation and a...

  15. Automated agitation management accounting for saturation dynamics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rudge, A D; Chase, J G; Shaw, G M; Lee, D

    2004-01-01

    Agitation-sedation cycling in critically ill is damaging to patient health and increases length of and cost. A physiologically representative model of the agitation-sedation system is used as a platform to evaluate feedback controllers offering improved agitation management. A heavy-derivative controller with upper and infusion rate bounds maintains minimum plasma concentrations through a low constant infusion, and minimizes outbursts of agitation through strong, timely boluses. controller provides improved agitation management using from 37 critically ill patients, given the saturation of effect at high concentration. Approval was obtained the Canterbury Ethics Board for this research.

  16. New jet-aeration system using 'Supercavitation'.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmid, Andreas

    2010-03-01

    A newly developed fine bubble aeration system, by which air is transferred under supercavitation conditions, shows a clearly better performance than traditional, well-known aerators that rely on the jet-pump principle and its performance can be compared to oxygen transfer rates achieved in membrane and foil plate aerators. A prototype supercavitation aerator installed at a sewage treatment plant revealed an air input rate, which was about one third lower than that of the jet-pump system, which it replaced. In spite of this low air input rate, the daily demand of pure oxygen for the additionally installed membrane aeration system went down by approximately 49%, from the original level of about 1,200 m(3)/day to about 600 m(3)/day-and this over a test period of more than 7 months. The observed high oxygen transfer rates cannot be explained by traditional mass transfer mechanisms. It is assumed that a large amount of water being transferred into the gas phase by supercavitation contacting directly oxygen also in the gas phase and thereby overcoming mass transfer hindrances which might be favoured by hydroxyl radicals. With this new aerator, during the first 3 months of test phase, already more than 10,000 Euros had been saved because of the reduced pure oxygen demand.

  17. Sequential Aeration of Membrane-Aerated Biofilm Reactors for High-Rate Autotrophic Nitrogen Removal: Experimental Demonstration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pellicer i Nàcher, Carles; Sun, Sheng-Peng; Lackner, Susanne

    2010-01-01

    One-stage autotrophic nitrogen (N) removal, requiring the simultaneous activity of aerobic and anaerobic ammonium oxidizing bacteria (AOB and AnAOB), can be obtained in spatially redox-stratified biofilms. However, previous experience with Membrane-Aerated Biofilm Reactors (MABRs) has revealed...... a difficulty in reducing the abundance and activity of nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB), which drastically lowers process efficiency. Here we show how sequential aeration is an effective strategy to attain autotrophic N removal in MABRs: Two separate MABRs, which displayed limited or no N removal under...... continuous aeration, could remove more than 5.5 g N/m2/day (at loads up to 8 g N/m2/day) by controlled variation of sequential aeration regimes. Daily averaged ratios of the surficial loads of O2 (oxygen) to NH4+ (ammonium) (LO2/LNH4) were close to 1.73 at this optimum. Real-time quantitative PCR based on 16...

  18. Psychomotor Agitation Following Treatment with Hydroxychloroquine

    OpenAIRE

    Manzo, Ciro; Gareri, Pietro; Castagna, Alberto

    2017-01-01

    We describe the case of an elderly woman with elderly-onset rheumatoid arthritis, where the use of 4 mg/kg/day of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) was followed by the onset of psychomotor agitation with marked physical and verbal violence towards her partner, including throwing objects at her partner. No disturbance in sleep and no anxiety, nervousness, or irritability had emerged before the onset of her psychomotor agitation. The disappearance of agitation following targeted pharmacologic interventi...

  19. Monoamine oxidase and agitation in psychiatric patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nikolac Perkovic, Matea; Svob Strac, Dubravka; Nedic Erjavec, Gordana; Uzun, Suzana; Podobnik, Josip; Kozumplik, Oliver; Vlatkovic, Suzana; Pivac, Nela

    2016-08-01

    Subjects with schizophrenia or conduct disorder display a lifelong pattern of antisocial, aggressive and violent behavior and agitation. Monoamine oxidase (MAO) is an enzyme involved in the degradation of various monoamine neurotransmitters and neuromodulators and therefore has a role in various psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders and pathological behaviors. Platelet MAO-B activity has been associated with psychopathy- and aggression-related personality traits, while variants of the MAOA and MAOB genes have been associated with diverse clinical phenotypes, including aggressiveness, antisocial problems and violent delinquency. The aim of the study was to evaluate the association of platelet MAO-B activity, MAOB rs1799836 polymorphism and MAOA uVNTR polymorphism with severe agitation in 363 subjects with schizophrenia and conduct disorder. The results demonstrated significant association of severe agitation and smoking, but not diagnosis or age, with platelet MAO-B activity. Higher platelet MAO-B activity was found in subjects with severe agitation compared to non-agitated subjects. Platelet MAO-B activity was not associated with MAOB rs1799836 polymorphism. These results suggested the association between increased platelet MAO-B activity and severe agitation. No significant association was found between severe agitation and MAOA uVNTR or MAOB rs1799836 polymorphism, revealing that these individual polymorphisms in MAO genes are not related to severe agitation in subjects with schizophrenia and conduct disorder. As our study included 363 homogenous Caucasian male subjects, our data showing this negative genetic association will be a useful addition to future meta-analyses. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Individual Music Therapy for Agitation in Dementia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ridder, Hanne Mette Ochsner; Stige, Brynjulf; Qvale, Liv Gunnhild

    2013-01-01

    Objectives: Agitation in nursing home residents with dementia leads to increase in psychotropic medication, decrease in quality of life, and to patient distress and caregiver burden. Music therapy has previously been found effective in treatment of agitation in dementia care but studies have been...... methodologically insufficient. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of individual music therapy on agitation in persons with moderate/severe dementia living in nursing homes, and to explore its effect on psychotropic medication and quality of life. Method: In a crossover trial, 42 participants...... with dementia were randomized to a sequence of six weeks of individual music therapy and six weeks of standard care. Outcome measures included agitation, quality of life and medication. Results: Agitation disruptiveness increased during standard care and decreased during music therapy. The difference at −6...

  1. The New Hamburg-Hannover Agitation Scale in Clinical Samples: Manifestation and Differences of Agitation in Depression, Anxiety, and Borderline Personality Disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Stefanie; Proske, Miriam; Kahl, Kai G; Krüger, Tillmann H C; Wollmer, M Axel

    2016-01-01

    Agitation is a burdening phenomenon that occurs in a variety of psychiatric disorders. The aim of this study was to give a first direction for agitation occurrence in depression, anxiety disorder, and borderline personality disorder (BPD) as well as in healthy controls with and without psychiatric record. Using the Hamburg-Hannover Agitation Scale (H2A), an instrument that allows for the measurement of agitation independently of the presence of a specific disorder, a patient sample (n = 158) and a healthy control group (n = 685) with (n = 94) and without (n = 591) psychiatric record were examined. The data were mainly analysed using ANOVAs and post hoc tests. Patients showed significantly higher H2A agitation levels than healthy controls. Within the clinical sample, BPD patients exhibited the strongest manifestation of agitation, scoring significantly higher than the depression and the anxiety disorder sample, while these two subgroups did not significantly differ from each other. Moreover, healthy subjects with a psychiatric record experienced a significantly stronger agitation than subjects without a psychiatric record. Further studies are needed with larger, more balanced, and differentiated sample sizes including a wider range of clinical pictures. The results demonstrate that agitation occurs and differs in psychiatric patients as well as in healthy controls. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  2. Damage in agitated vessels of large visco-elastic particles dispersed in a highly viscous fluid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bouvier, Laurent; Moreau, Anne; Line, Alain; Fatah, Nouria; Delaplace, Guillaume

    2011-01-01

    Many food recipes entail several homogenization steps for solid particles in hot or cold viscous liquids, such as pureed fruit and sugar, jam or sauce with mushroom pieces. Unfortunately, these unavoidable processes induce damage to the solid particles. To date, little is known of the extent and nature of the damage caused. Consequently, few clear guidelines are available for monitoring solid particle integrity when mixing solid/liquid suspensions in an agitated tank. In this study, an attempt is made to quantify the impact of various physical parameters including the influence of the rotational speed of the impeller and the processing time on particle attrition, when a suspension of large visco-elastic particles in a highly viscous fluid is mixed under isothermal condition. Pectin gel particles were immerged in a viscous liquid and homogenized for various times and rotational speeds, while the evolution of the particle's morphological parameters was monitored. Then, a set of dimensionless numbers governing the attrition mechanism is established and some empirical process relationships are proposed to correlate these numbers to the morphological characteristics and mass balance ratios. From the conditions observed, it is clear that 2 dimensionless ratios could be responsible for a change in the damaging mechanisms. These 2 ratios are the Froude and impeller rotation numbers. Finally, in the conditions tested, mass balance ratios appear to be mainly sensitive to the impeller rotational number, while the shape ratios are both impacted by the Froude and impeller rotational numbers. Damage to solid particles suspended in a stirred vessel reduce the final product quality in industrial cooking processes. Examples of this are fruit in jam or sauces with mushroom pieces. The attrition phenomenon was measured and the influences of the impeller rotational speed and processing time were evaluated quantitatively in function of dimensionless numbers. This study contributes key

  3. Enhancement of ultrasonic disintegration of sewage sludge by aeration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, He; Zhang, Panyue; Zhang, Guangming; Cheng, Rong

    2016-04-01

    Sonication is an effective way for sludge disintegration, which can significantly improve the efficiency of anaerobic digestion to reduce and recycle use of sludge. But high energy consumption limits the wide application of sonication. In order to improve ultrasonic sludge disintegration efficiency and reduce energy consumption, aeration was introduced. Results showed that sludge disintegration efficiency was improved significantly by combining aeration with ultrasound. The aeration flow rate, gas bubble size, ultrasonic density and aeration timing had impacts on sludge disintegration efficiency. Aeration that used in later stage of ultrasonic irradiation with low aeration flow rate, small gas bubbles significantly improved ultrasonic disintegration sludge efficiency. At the optimal conditions of 0.4 W/mL ultrasonic irradiation density, 30 mL/min of aeration flow rate, 5 min of aeration in later stage and small gas bubbles, ultrasonic sludge disintegration efficiency was increased by 45% and one third of ultrasonic energy was saved. This approach will greatly benefit the application of ultrasonic sludge disintegration and strongly promote the treatment and recycle of wastewater sludge. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  4. Grey-box modelling of aeration tank settling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bechman, Henrik; Nielsen, Marinus K; Poulsen, Niels Kjølstad; Madsen, Henrik

    2002-04-01

    A model of the concentrations of suspended solids (SS) in the aeration tanks and in the effluent from these during Aeration tank settling (ATS) operation is established. The model is based on simple SS mass balances, a model of the sludge settling and a simple model of how the SS concentration in the effluent from the aeration tanks depends on the actual concentrations in the tanks and the sludge blanket depth. The model is formulated in continuous time by means of stochastic differential equations with discrete-time observations. The parameters of the model are estimated using a maximum likelihood method from data from an alternating BioDenipho waste water treatment plant (WWTP). The model is an important tool for analyzing ATS operation and for selecting the appropriate control actions during ATS, as the model can be used to predict the SS amounts in the aeration tanks as well as in the effluent from the aeration tanks.

  5. Intraoperative clonidine for prevention of postoperative agitation in children anaesthetised with sevoflurane (PREVENT AGITATION)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ydemann, Mogens; Nielsen, Bettina Nygaard; Henneberg, Steen

    2018-01-01

    Background Postoperative agitation is a frequent and stressful condition for a child, their family, and their health-care providers, and prevention would be of benefit. We aimed to assess the effects of intravenous clonidine administered intraoperatively on the incidence of postoperative agitation......, pain, and adverse events. Methods We did this randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial (PREVENT AGITATION) at one tertiary-level hospital and two urban-district hospitals in Denmark. Children aged 1–5 years, with an American Society of Anesthesiologists physical classification score of 1...... in the postoperative care unit (POCU) with the four-point Watcha scale (ie, Watcha >2). We analysed by intention to treat. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (number NCT02361476). Findings Between January and December, 2015, of the 379 eligible children, we randomly assigned 191 to receive clonidine...

  6. Mathematical model for carbon dioxide evolution from the thermophilic composting of synthetic food wastes made of dog food

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang, J.I.; Tsai, J.J.; Wu, K.H.

    2005-01-01

    The impacts of the aeration and the agitation on the composting process of synthetic food wastes made of dog food were studied in a laboratory-scale reactor. Two major peaks of CO 2 evolution rate were observed. Each peak represented an independent stage of composting associated with the activities of thermophilic bacteria. CO 2 evolutions known to correlate well with microbial activities and reactor temperatures were fitted successfully to a modified Gompertz equation, which incorporated three biokinetic parameters, namely, CO 2 evolution potential, specific CO 2 evolution rate, and lag phase time. No parameters that describe the impact of operating variables are involved. The model is only valid for the specified experimental conditions and may look different with others. The effects of operating parameters such as aeration and agitation were studied statistically with multivariate regression technique. Contour plots were constructed using regression equations for the examination of the dependence of CO 2 evolution potentials on aeration and agitation. In the first stage, a maximum CO 2 evolution potential was found when the aeration rate and the agitation parameter were set at 1.75 l/kg solids-min and 0.35, respectively. In the second stage, a maximum existed when the aeration rate and the agitation parameter were set at 1.8 l/kg solids-min and 0.5, respectively. The methods presented here can also be applied for the optimization of large-scale composting facilities that are operated differently and take longer time

  7. Hypokalemia and agitation in acute psychotic patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hatta, K; Takahashi, T; Nakamura, H; Yamashiro, H; Asukai, N; Yonezawa, Y

    1999-04-19

    Hypokalemia is caused partly by intensive exercise. Some evidence suggests that psychological distress may cause hypokalemia. The relationship between the decline of serum potassium concentration and the level of symptoms of acute agitation, which was defined as a total score on a subset of six categories on the 18-item Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (anxiety, tension, mannerism and posturing, hostility, uncooperativeness, psychomotor excitement), was examined in 313 schizophrenic men, admitted on an emergency basis during a 24-month period. In addition, change in serum potassium concentration after sedation was investigated. Serum potassium concentration in the severely agitated group was lower than that in the mild group. There was a significant correlation between serum potassium concentration and the level of symptoms of acute agitation (r = -0.30, P < 0.0001). Although the decline of serum potassium concentration in the patients who were sufficiently sedated improved within 8 h, that in the patients showing high scores on the acute agitation subset even 8 h after emergency admission was prolonged. Results indicate that sedation improves acute agitation-induced hypokalemia. rights

  8. Bioremediation of contaminated mixtures of desert mining soil and sawdust with fuel oil by aerated in-vessel composting in the Atacama Region (Chile)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Godoy-Faundez, Alex; Antizar-Ladislao, Blanca; Reyes-Bozo, Lorenzo; Camano, Andres; Saez-Navarrete, Cesar

    2008-01-01

    Since early 1900s, with the beginning of mining operations and especially in the last decade, small, although repetitive spills of fuel oil had occurred frequently in the Chilean mining desert industry during reparation and maintenance of machinery, as well as casual accidents. Normally, soils and sawdust had been used as cheap readily available sorbent materials of spills of fuel oil, consisting of complex mixtures of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. Chilean legislation considers these fuel oil contaminated mixtures of soil and sawdust as hazardous wastes, and thus they must be contained. It remains unknown whether it would be feasible to clean-up Chilean desert soils with high salinity and metal content, historically polluted with different commercial fuel oil, and contained during years. Thus, this study evaluated the feasibility of aerated in-vessel composting at a laboratory scale as a bioremediation technology to clean-up contaminated desert mining soils (fuel concentration > 50,000 mg kg -1 ) and sawdust (fuel concentration > 225,000 mg kg -1 ) in the Atacama Region. The composting reactors were operated using five soil to sawdust ratios (S:SD, 1:0, 3:1, 1:1, 1:3, 0:1, on a dry weight basis) under mesophilic temperatures (30-40 deg. C), constant moisture content (MC, 50%) and continuous aeration (16 l min -1 ) during 56 days. Fuel oil concentration and physico-chemical changes in the composting reactors were monitored following standard procedures. The highest (59%) and the lowest (35%) contaminant removals were observed in the contaminated sawdust and contaminated soil reactors after 56 days of treatment, respectively. The S:SD ratio, time of treatment and interaction between both factors had a significant effect (p < 0.050) on the contaminant removal. The results of this research indicate that bioremediation of an aged contaminated mixture of desert mining soil and sawdust with fuel oil is feasible. This study recommends a S:SD ratio 1:3 and a correct

  9. Bioremediation of contaminated mixtures of desert mining soil and sawdust with fuel oil by aerated in-vessel composting in the Atacama Region (Chile).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Godoy-Faúndez, Alex; Antizar-Ladislao, Blanca; Reyes-Bozo, Lorenzo; Camaño, Andrés; Sáez-Navarrete, César

    2008-03-01

    Since early 1900s, with the beginning of mining operations and especially in the last decade, small, although repetitive spills of fuel oil had occurred frequently in the Chilean mining desert industry during reparation and maintenance of machinery, as well as casual accidents. Normally, soils and sawdust had been used as cheap readily available sorbent materials of spills of fuel oil, consisting of complex mixtures of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. Chilean legislation considers these fuel oil contaminated mixtures of soil and sawdust as hazardous wastes, and thus they must be contained. It remains unknown whether it would be feasible to clean-up Chilean desert soils with high salinity and metal content, historically polluted with different commercial fuel oil, and contained during years. Thus, this study evaluated the feasibility of aerated in-vessel composting at a laboratory scale as a bioremediation technology to clean-up contaminated desert mining soils (fuel concentration>50,000 mg kg(-1)) and sawdust (fuel concentration>225,000 mg kg(-1)) in the Atacama Region. The composting reactors were operated using five soil to sawdust ratios (S:SD, 1:0, 3:1, 1:1, 1:3, 0:1, on a dry weight basis) under mesophilic temperatures (30-40 degrees C), constant moisture content (MC, 50%) and continuous aeration (16 l min(-1)) during 56 days. Fuel oil concentration and physico-chemical changes in the composting reactors were monitored following standard procedures. The highest (59%) and the lowest (35%) contaminant removals were observed in the contaminated sawdust and contaminated soil reactors after 56 days of treatment, respectively. The S:SD ratio, time of treatment and interaction between both factors had a significant effect (pcontaminant removal. The results of this research indicate that bioremediation of an aged contaminated mixture of desert mining soil and sawdust with fuel oil is feasible. This study recommends a S:SD ratio 1:3 and a correct nutrient balance

  10. Occurrence and severity of agitated behavior after severe traumatic brain injury

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Moth Wolffbrandt, Mia; Poulsen, Ingrid; Engberg, Aase W

    2013-01-01

    To investigate the occurrence and severity of agitation in patients after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), to identify predictors of agitation and to study interrater reliability for a translated version of the Agitated Behavior Scale (ABS).......To investigate the occurrence and severity of agitation in patients after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), to identify predictors of agitation and to study interrater reliability for a translated version of the Agitated Behavior Scale (ABS)....

  11. Potential of an asymmetrical agitation in industrial mixing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kazuhiko Nishi

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Mixing is one of the most fundamental operations in chemical engineering. Stirred tanks are widely used in the manufacture of such materials as chemicals, paints, inks, electronics materials, ceramics, foods, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Suitable mixing is indispensable to the purpose achievement of a process. Eccentric mixing, in which an impeller installed at eccentric position in a vessel, is one of the traditional methods of promoting mixing. An asymmetrical flow which occurs in vessel is complicated, and it promotes mixing, distribution, and mass transfer. In this study, a new mixing method which eccentric mixing using a large type impeller which attracts attention in recent years is shown. The high performance of a large impeller can be combined with the advantages of an eccentric impeller by using the impeller at an eccentric position. The power consumption and mixing time for MAXBLEND, which is a type of large impeller, were investigated. The power consumption, P, and mixing time, θM, were measured under various eccentric conditions. The relation between the power number (Np and Reynolds number (Re and that between the dimensionless mixing time (nθM and Re were investigated. When eccentric mixing is used industrially, we should be concerned about the horizontal load to a agitating shaft. The large oscillating horizontal load causes serious problems, such as the falling off of the impeller or the breakage of the motor, mechanical seal or gearbox. It is, therefore, important to understand the relation between these values and the impeller rotational speed when designing the mixing equipment and determining the operating conditions. In this study, the torque and horizontal load were measured in eccentric mixing under various eccentric conditions. The averages of both, the torque and the horizontal load, and their standard deviations, corresponding to the amplitude of fluctuation, were shown.Doi: 10.12777/ijse.5.2.73-80 [How to cite this

  12. Hospital Costs Associated With Agitation in the Acute Care Setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cots, Francesc; Chiarello, Pietro; Pérez, Victor; Gracia, Alfredo; Becerra, Virginia

    2016-01-01

    The study determined hospital costs associated with a diagnosis of agitation among patients at 14 general hospitals in Spain. Data from discharge records of adult patients (2008-2012) with a diagnosis of agitation (ICD-9-CM code 293.0) were analyzed. Incremental hospital costs for agitated patients and a control group of patients without agitation were quantified, and the adjusted cost and incremental cost for both groups were compared by use of a recycled-predictions approach. The analysis included 355,496 hospital discharges, 5,334 of which were of patients with a diagnosis of agitation. Among patients with a diagnosis of agitation, hospital stays were significantly longer (12 days versus nine days). A significant difference in mean costs of €472 (95% confidence interval [CI]=€351-€593) was noted between patients with agitation and those in the control group. A recycled-predictions approach showed a difference of €1,593(CI=€1,556-€1,631). Findings indicate that agitation increased the use of hospital resources by at least 8%.

  13. Experimental silo-dryer-aerator for the storage of soybean grains

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paulo C. Coradi

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT This study aimed to verify the capacity of silo-dryer-aerator prototype equipment operating as a silo-storage-aerator for soybean quality analysis. Soybeans with water content of 17% (wet basis – w.b. were dried and stored in a silo-dryer-aerator system that was designed using a drying chamber, four independent storage cells, and a static capacity of 164 kg. Another batch of grains was stored in a silo-storage-aerator with a capacity of 1,200 kg. The experiment was set up in a completely randomized factorial 5 × 4 experimental design including five grain batches stored after being dried at 30, 40, and 50 °C (mixed grains were dried at three temperatures in the silo-dryer-aerator cells and one mixed grain batch stored in the silo-storage-aerator system under ambient air conditions for four storage times (zero, one, two, and three months. There was no difference between the grains stored in the silo-dryer-aerator and silo-storage-aerator at the end of the three-month storage in terms of the physico-chemical quality. The storage time associated with drying at 50 °C caused a reduction in the physical-chemical quality of the grains. The silo-dryer-aerator system was presented as a possible alternative to store soybean (Glycine max L. grains.

  14. Study on oxygen transfer by solid jet aerator with multiple openings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B.K. Shukla

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available In the current study, two different sets of solid jet aerators having area of openings equal to 594.96 mm2 and 246.30 mm2 with rectangular nozzles having rounded ends were studied. Each set consisted of aerators having one, two, four and eight openings. The oxygenation performance of every model was studied for five different discharges of 1.11 l/s, 2.10 l/s, 2.96 l/s, 3.83 l/s and 4.69 l/s were studied. At low discharges, the aerator having lesser number of openings demonstrated more oxygen-transfer efficiency whereas at higher discharges, the aerator having more number of openings yielded more oxygenation-efficiency. Maximum value of oxygen-transfer efficiency of 21.53 kg-O2/kW-hr was obtained for the discharge of 1.11 l/s for single nozzle aerator; however the maximum oxygen-transfer factor of 2.0 × 10−2 s−1 was obtained at discharge of 4.69 l/s for aerator having eight numbers of openings having area of 594.96 mm2. On the other hand, maximum oxygen transfer efficiency of 10.93 kg-O2/kW-hr was demonstrated by aerator with single opening at a discharge of 1.11 l/s and maximum oxygen transfer factor of 7.83 × 10−3 s−1 was obtained from aerator with eight openings at a discharge of 4.69 l/s corresponding to set of aerators with area of openings equal to 246.30 mm2. Multiple non-linear regression modelling was applied to predict oxygen transfer of the aerators for different combinations of input parameters. At the end, the models were compared with conventional methods of aeration and were found to be competitive with traditional devices. Keywords: Plunging jet, Jet aerator, Oxygen transfer, Aeration, Dissolved oxygen

  15. Rirang Uranium Ore Processing System Design: Agitated Digester

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Erni, R.A.; Susilaningtyas

    1996-01-01

    A closed tank digester equipped with a pitched blades turbine agitator has been designed to facilities Rirang uranium ore dissolution using concentrated sulphuric acid at high temperature. The digester was designed to accommodate the digestion of 6 kg of-65 mesh ore at 200 o C, acid resistant material (SS-3 16). It has the dimension of 33 cm high, 22 cm diameter, and elliptical bottom and height of 4 cm. Moreover, the dimension of the 4 blades agitator is as follows: 8 cm long, 1,6 cm blades width. The distance between the blades and digester required 0, 007 Hp for a 500 rpm agitation speed and + 24. 103 kcal energy equipment for heating. Digestion experiment using the agitated digester yielded data that are in good agreement with laboratory scale experiment

  16. Emma Goldman: A Study in Female Agitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berry, Elizabeth

    The role of the agitator in society and the special characteristics of women agitators--in particular, Emma Goldman, an American anarchist from the early twentieth century--are discussed in this paper. Specific examples of the rhetoric used by Emma Goldman in her speeches (supporting anarchism, against women's suffrage, against abortion control,…

  17. Amlodipine and the Successful Management of Post-Electroconvulsive Therapy Agitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shahriari, Ali; Khooshideh, Maryam; Sheikh, Mahdi

    2016-01-01

    Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a highly effective nonpharmacologic treatment for the management of depression and some other psychiatric disorders. Post-ECT agitation occurs in up to 12% of ECT treatments and is characterized by motor restlessness, irritability, disorientation, and panic-like behaviors. The severity of post-ECT agitation ranges from mild and self-limited to serious and severe forms requiring prompt medical intervention to protect the patient and the medical staff. In severe agitation medical management may be necessary which consists of using sedative agents, either benzodiazepines or propofol. The side-effects of these sedative agents, especially in the elderly population, necessitate finding ways that could help the prevention of the occurrence of agitation after ECT treatments. We report a 68-year-old female with major depression who was referred for ECT. She experienced severe post-ECT agitation requiring medical intervention after all ECT treatments. Administering of oral amlodipine (5 mg) one hour before ECT treatment successfully prevented the occurrence of post-ECT agitation in this patient. We briefly discuss the possible underlying mechanisms and pathophysiology of amlodipine in the prevention of post-ECT agitation.

  18. Amlodipine and the Successful Management of Post-Electroconvulsive Therapy Agitation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Shahriari

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT is a highly effective nonpharmacologic treatment for the management of depression and some other psychiatric disorders. Post-ECT agitation occurs in up to 12% of ECT treatments and is characterized by motor restlessness, irritability, disorientation, and panic-like behaviors. The severity of post-ECT agitation ranges from mild and self-limited to serious and severe forms requiring prompt medical intervention to protect the patient and the medical staff. In severe agitation medical management may be necessary which consists of using sedative agents, either benzodiazepines or propofol. The side-effects of these sedative agents, especially in the elderly population, necessitate finding ways that could help the prevention of the occurrence of agitation after ECT treatments. We report a 68-year-old female with major depression who was referred for ECT. She experienced severe post-ECT agitation requiring medical intervention after all ECT treatments. Administering of oral amlodipine (5 mg one hour before ECT treatment successfully prevented the occurrence of post-ECT agitation in this patient. We briefly discuss the possible underlying mechanisms and pathophysiology of amlodipine in the prevention of post-ECT agitation.

  19. [Psychiatric emergencies: guidelines for the treatment of agitation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Majorana, M; Todini, L; Luciani, A; Orso, L

    2012-07-01

    Psychomotor agitation represents a common phenomenon in emergency psychiatry settings. The awareness of its clinical manifestations and the early management can permit the control over a potentially dangerous behavior that could otherwise convert itself into a violent one. Health professionals should be able to adopt de-escalation strategies, structured to achieve the stabilization of patients' aggressiveness and motor agitation. When abnormal behaviors persist clinicians should be competent in the adoption of the most adequate psychopharmacological treatment for patient de-escalation. In this work we analyze psychomotor agitation treatment guide-lines.

  20. Ketamine as a first-line treatment for severely agitated emergency department patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riddell, Jeff; Tran, Alexander; Bengiamin, Rimon; Hendey, Gregory W; Armenian, Patil

    2017-07-01

    Emergency physicians often need to control agitated patients who present a danger to themselves and hospital personnel. Commonly used medications have limitations. Our primary objective was to compare the time to a defined reduction in agitation scores for ketamine versus benzodiazepines and haloperidol, alone or in combination. Our secondary objectives were to compare rates of medication redosing, vital sign changes, and adverse events in the different treatment groups. We conducted a single-center, prospective, observational study examining agitation levels in acutely agitated emergency department patients between the ages of 18 and 65 who required sedation medication for acute agitation. Providers measured agitation levels on a previously validated 6-point sedation scale at 0-, 5-, 10-, and 15-min after receiving sedation. We also assessed the incidence of adverse events, repeat or rescue medication dosing, and changes in vital signs. 106 patients were enrolled and 98 met eligibility criteria. There was no significant difference between groups in initial agitation scores. Based on agitation scores, more patients in the ketamine group were no longer agitated than the other medication groups at 5-, 10-, and 15-min after receiving medication. Patients receiving ketamine had similar rates of redosing, changes in vital signs, and adverse events to the other groups. In highly agitated and violent emergency department patients, significantly fewer patients receiving ketamine as a first line sedating agent were agitated at 5-, 10-, and 15-min. Ketamine appears to be faster at controlling agitation than standard emergency department medications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Bioreactor tests preliminary to landfill in situ aeration: A case study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Raga, Roberto, E-mail: roberto.raga@unipd.it [ICEA Department, University of Padova. Via Marzolo, 9, 35131 Padova (Italy); Cossu, Raffaello [ICEA Department, University of Padova. Via Marzolo, 9, 35131 Padova (Italy)

    2013-04-15

    Highlights: ► Carbon and nitrogen mass balances in aerated landfill simulation reactors. ► Waste stabilization in aerated landfill simulation reactors. ► Effect of temperature on biodegradation processes in aerated landfills. - Abstract: Lab scale tests in bioreactor were carried out in the framework of the characterization studies of a landfill where in situ aeration (possibly followed by landfill mining) had been proposed as part of the novel waste management strategy in a region in northern Italy. The tests were run to monitor the effects produced by aerobic conditions at different temperatures on waste sampled at different depths in the landfill, with focus on the carbon and nitrogen conversion during aeration. Temperatures ranging from 35 to 45 °C were chosen, in order to evaluate possible inhibition of biodegradation processes (namely nitrification) at 45 °C in the landfill. The results obtained showed positive effects of the aeration on leachate quality and a significant reduction of waste biodegradability. Although a delay of biodegradation processes was observed in the reactor run at 45 °C, biodegradation rates increased after 2 months of aeration, providing very low values of the relevant parameters (as in the other aerated reactors) by the end of the study. Mass balances were carried out for TOC and N-NH{sub 4}{sup +}; the findings obtained were encouraging and provided evidence of the effectiveness of carbon and nitrogen conversion processes in the aerated landfill simulation reactors.

  2. Bioreactor tests preliminary to landfill in situ aeration: A case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raga, Roberto; Cossu, Raffaello

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► Carbon and nitrogen mass balances in aerated landfill simulation reactors. ► Waste stabilization in aerated landfill simulation reactors. ► Effect of temperature on biodegradation processes in aerated landfills. - Abstract: Lab scale tests in bioreactor were carried out in the framework of the characterization studies of a landfill where in situ aeration (possibly followed by landfill mining) had been proposed as part of the novel waste management strategy in a region in northern Italy. The tests were run to monitor the effects produced by aerobic conditions at different temperatures on waste sampled at different depths in the landfill, with focus on the carbon and nitrogen conversion during aeration. Temperatures ranging from 35 to 45 °C were chosen, in order to evaluate possible inhibition of biodegradation processes (namely nitrification) at 45 °C in the landfill. The results obtained showed positive effects of the aeration on leachate quality and a significant reduction of waste biodegradability. Although a delay of biodegradation processes was observed in the reactor run at 45 °C, biodegradation rates increased after 2 months of aeration, providing very low values of the relevant parameters (as in the other aerated reactors) by the end of the study. Mass balances were carried out for TOC and N-NH 4 + ; the findings obtained were encouraging and provided evidence of the effectiveness of carbon and nitrogen conversion processes in the aerated landfill simulation reactors

  3. State of Acute Agitation at Psychiatric Emergencies in Europe: The STAGE Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    San, Luis; Marksteiner, Josef; Zwanzger, Peter; Figuero, María Aragüés; Romero, Francisco Toledo; Kyropoulos, Grigorios; Peixoto, Alberto Bessa; Chirita, Roxana; Boldeanu, Anca

    2016-01-01

    Agitation is an array of syndromes and types of behaviors that are common in patients with psychiatric disorders. In Europe, the estimation of prevalence of agitation has been difficult due to the lack of standard studies or systematic data collection done on this syndrome. An observational, cross-sectional, multicenter study aimed to assess the prevalence of agitation episodes in psychiatric emergencies in different European countries. For 1 week, all episodes of acute agitation that were attended to at the psychiatric emergency room (ER) or Acute Inpatient Unit (AIU) in the 27 participating centers were registered. The clinical characteristics and management of the agitation episode were also described. A descriptive analysis was performed. A total of 334 agitation episodes out of 7295 psychiatric emergencies were recorded, giving a prevalence rate of 4.6% (95% CI: 4.12-5.08). Of them, 172 [9.4% (95% CI: 8.2-10.9)] were attended at the ER and 162 [2.8% (95% CI: 2.4-3.3)] at AIU. Only data from 165 episodes of agitation (those with a signed informed consent form) was registered and described in this report. The most common psychiatric conditions associated with agitation were schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and personality disorder. The management of agitation included from non-invasive to more coercive measures (mechanical, physical restraint or seclusion) that were unavoidable in more than half of the agitation episodes (59.5%). The results show that agitation is a common symptom in the clinical practice, both in emergency and inpatient psychiatric departments. Further studies are warranted to better recognize (using a standardized definition) and characterize agitation episodes.

  4. Implementation of the Agitated Behavior Scale in the Electronic Health Record.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Helen John; Dasgupta, Kritis; Michael, Kathleen

    The purpose of the study was to implement an Agitated Behavior Scale through an electronic health record and to evaluate the usability of the scale in a brain injury unit at a rehabilitation hospital. A quality improvement project was conducted in the brain injury unit at a large rehabilitation hospital with registered nurses as participants using convenience sampling. The project consisted of three phases and included education, implementation of the scale in the electronic health record, and administration of the survey questionnaire, which utilized the system usability scale. The Agitated Behavior Scale was found to be usable, and there was 92.2% compliance with the use of the electronic Electronic Agitated Behavior Scale. The Agitated Behavior Scale was effectively implemented in the electronic health record and was found to be usable in the assessment of agitation. Utilization of the scale through the electronic health record on a daily basis will allow for an early identification of agitation in patients with traumatic brain injury and enable prompt interventions to manage agitation.

  5. A new geometrical model for mixing of highly viscous fluids by combining two-blade and helical screw agitators

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hadjeb Abdessalam

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Mixing processes are becoming today a huge concern for industrialists in various domains like the pharmaceutical production, oil refining, food industry and manufacture of cosmetic products especially when the processes are related to the mixing of highly viscous products. So the choice of a stirring system for this category of products or fluids must be rigorously examined before use because of the flows which are laminar in the most cases, something that is not good to obtain homogeneous particles or suspensions after the mixing operation. This CFD study allows developing a new geometrical model of mechanical agitator with high performance for mixing of highly viscous fluids. It consists of a combination of two bladed and helical screw agitators. The investigations of the flow structure generated in the vessel are made by using the computer code ANSYS CFX (version 13.0, which allows us to realize and test the effectiveness of the new stirrer on the resulting mixture and power consumption.

  6. Ammonia-based feedforward and feedback aeration control in activated sludge processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rieger, Leiv; Jones, Richard M; Dold, Peter L; Bott, Charles B

    2014-01-01

    Aeration control at wastewater treatment plants based on ammonia as the controlled variable is applied for one of two reasons: (1) to reduce aeration costs, or (2) to reduce peaks in effluent ammonia. Aeration limitation has proven to result in significant energy savings, may reduce external carbon addition, and can improve denitrification and biological phosphorus (bio-P) performance. Ammonia control for limiting aeration has been based mainly on feedback control to constrain complete nitrification by maintaining approximately one to two milligrams of nitrogen per liter of ammonia in the effluent. Increased attention has been given to feedforward ammonia control, where aeration control is based on monitoring influent ammonia load. Typically, the intent is to anticipate the impact of sudden load changes, and thereby reduce effluent ammonia peaks. This paper evaluates the fundamentals of ammonia control with a primary focus on feedforward control concepts. A case study discussion is presented that reviews different ammonia-based control approaches. In most instances, feedback control meets the objectives for both aeration limitation and containment of effluent ammonia peaks. Feedforward control, applied specifically for switching aeration on or off in swing zones, can be beneficial when the plant encounters particularly unusual influent disturbances.

  7. Level of agitation of psychiatric patients presenting to an emergency department.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zun, Leslie S; Downey, La Vonne A

    2008-01-01

    The primary purpose of this study was to determine the level of agitation that psychiatric patients exhibit upon arrival to the emergency department. The secondary purpose was to determine whether the level of agitation changed over time depending upon whether the patient was restrained or unrestrained. An observational study enrolling a convenience sample of 100 patients presenting with a psychiatric complaint was planned, in order to obtain 50 chemically and/or physically restrained and 50 unrestrained patients. The study was performed in summer 2004 in a community, inner-city, level 1 emergency department with 45,000 visits per year. The level of patient agitation was measured using the Agitated Behavior Scale (ABS) and the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) upon arrival and every 30 minutes over a 3-hour period. The inclusion criteria allowed entry of any patient who presented to the emergency department with a psychiatric complaint thought to be unrelated to physical illness. Patients who were restrained for nonbehavioral reasons or were medically unstable were excluded. 101 patients were enrolled in the study. Of that total, 53 patients were not restrained, 47 patients were restrained, and 1 had incomplete data. There were no differences in gender, race, or age between the 2 groups. Upon arrival, 2 of the 47 restrained patients were rated severely agitated on the ABS, and 13 of 47 restrained patients were rated combative on the RASS. There was a statistical difference (p = .01) between the groups on both scales from time 0 to time 90 minutes. Scores on the agitation scales decreased over time in both groups. One patient in the unrestrained group became unarousable during treatment. This study demonstrated that patients who were restrained were more agitated than those who were not, and that agitation levels in both groups decreased over time. Some restrained patients did not meet combativeness or severe agitation criteria, suggesting either that use of

  8. Violent breaking wave impacts. Part 3. Effects of scale and aeration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bredmose, Henrik; Bullock, G. N.; Hogg, A. J.

    2015-01-01

    . The Bagnold-Mitsuyasu scaling law for the compression of an air pocket by a piston of incompressible water is rederived and generalised to 3D air pockets of arbitrary shape. Numerical results for wall pressure, force and impulse are then presented for a flip-through impact, a low-aeration impact and a high......The effects of scale and aeration on violent breaking wave impacts with trapped and entrained air are investigated both analytically and numerically. By dimensional analysis we show that the impact pressures for Froude scaled conditions prior to the impact depend on the scale and aeration level......-aeration impact, for nine scales and five levels of initial aeration. Two of these impact types trap a pocket of air at the wall. Among the findings of the paper is that for fixed initial aeration, impact pressures from the flip-through impact broadly follow Froude scaling. This is also the case for the two...

  9. Measurement of turbulent flow fields in a agitated vessel with four baffles by laser-doppler velocimetry. Mean velocity fields and flow pattern; Buffle tsuki heiento kakuhan sonai nagare no LDV ni yoru keisoku. Heikin sokudoba to flow pattern

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Suzukawa, K [Ube Industries, Ltd., Tokyo (Japan); hashimoto, T [Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi (Japan); Osaka, H [Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi (Japan). Faclty of Engineering

    1997-12-25

    The three dimensional complex turbulent flow fields induced by a four flat blade paddle impeller in agitated vessel were measured by laser Doppler velocimetry. Mixing vessel used was a closed cylindrical tank of 490 mm diameter with a flat bottom and four vertical buffles, giving water volumes of about 1001. The impellers were at the midnight of the water level in the tank. A height of liquid (water) was equal to the vessel diameter. Three components of mean velocity were measured at three vertical sections {theta}=7.5deg, 45deg and 85deg, in several horizontal planes. Mixing Reynolds number NRe was 1.2 times 10{sup 5}. It can be found from the results that circumferential mean velocity profiles show the symmetrical shape in the upper and lower sides of impeller. Secondary velocity components, such as axial and radial velocities, however, were not in symmetry. For this reason, the ratio of circulation flow volume which enter in upper and lower sides of impeller was roughly 7/3. In both the middle and buffle regions, mean flow velocities (flow patterns) were different, dependent of three vertical planes with different circumferential angle measured from buffle. 10 refs., 8 figs., 1 tab.

  10. DESAIN KONTROL AERATOR PADA INSTALASI PENGOLAHAN AIR LIMBAH SUWUNG DENGAN FUZZY LOGIC

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I Made Mataram

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Limbah merupakan buangan yang dihasilkan dari suatu proses produksi baik industri maupun domestik (rumahtangga dan harus dikelola agar tidak menimbulkan pencemaran dan penurunan kualitas lingkungan. InstalasiPengolahan Air Limbah (IPAL merupakan suatu tempat pengolahan limbah yang bertempat di daerah Suwung.Pengolahan limbah cair dilakukan dengan menggunakan sistem kolam aerasi dan kolam sedimentasi.Pada proses aerasi yaitu proses reduksi BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand dan COD (Chemical OxygenDemand secara aerob digunakan aerator sebagai penghasil oksigen yaitu dengan cara menempatkan aerator didalam kolam aerasi sehingga menghasilkan oksigen berupa buih udara yang tercampur dengan air. Untuk IPALSuwung pengoperasian aerator masih dengan cara manual yaitu dioperasikan pada jam tertentu sehingga inputjumlah oksigen terkadang tidak sesuai dengan karakteristik input limbah yang diolah, maka diperlukan suatu sistemkontrol pengoperasian aerator yang dapat menghasilkan oksigen guna mereduksi COD secara tepat sesuai bakumutu limbahDalam penelitian ini dilakukan perencanaan desain kontrol pengoperasian aerator dengan fuzzy logic. Desainpengontrolan dengan menggunakan logika fuzzy pada pengoperasian aerator sudah dapat dibuat dan dapat bekerjasesuai dengan karateristik input/ouput limbah, ini terlihat dari lama operasi aerator yang bekerja sudah sesuaidengan input limbah. Penggunaan energi listrik dengan pengontrolan fuzzy pada pengoperasian aerator lebih rendahdibandingkan dengan penggunaan energi listrik pengoperasian secara manual, ini terlihat dari penggunaan energipengoperasian aerator manual dan fuzzy pada bulan Oktober 2010 yang memiliki selisih sebesar 6.693 kWh, bulanNovember 2010

  11. PIV Study of Aeration Efficient of Stepped Spillway System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abas, M. A.; Jamil, R.; Rozainy, M. R.; Zainol, M. A.; Adlan, M. N.; Keong, C. W.

    2017-06-01

    This paper investigates the three-dimensional (3D) simulation of Cascade aerator system using Lattice Boltzmann simulation and laboratory experiment was carried out to investigate the flow, aeration and cavitation in the spillway. Different configurations of stepped spillway are designed in this project in order to investigate the relationship between the configurations of stepped spillway and cavitation in the flow. The aeration in the stepped spillway will also be investigated. The experimental result will be compared with the simulated result at the end of this project. The figure of flow pattern at the 3rd step in simulation and experiment for Set 1 and Set 2 are look similar between LBM simulation and the experiment findings. This will provide a better understanding of the cavitation, aeration and flow in different configurations of the stepped spillway. In addition the occurrence of negative pressure region in the stepped spillway, increases the possibility of cavitation to occur. The cavitation will damage the structure of the stepped spillway. Furthermore, it also founds that increasing in barrier thickness of the stepped spillway will improve the aeration efficiency and reduce the cavitation in stepped spillway.

  12. Music therapy for reducing agitation and psychotropic medication in nursing home residents with dementia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ridder, Hanne Mette Ochsner

    2015-01-01

    Dementia is a neurocognitive disease with a high risk of social isolation and agitation due to loss of cognitive functions. In nursing home residents with dementia, agitation is the most significant symptom causing patient distress and care- giver burden. Agitation is described as abuse or aggres......Dementia is a neurocognitive disease with a high risk of social isolation and agitation due to loss of cognitive functions. In nursing home residents with dementia, agitation is the most significant symptom causing patient distress and care- giver burden. Agitation is described as abuse...... or aggressive or inappropriate behaviour. According to a psychosocial model of care, agitation is understood as attempts to communicate psychosocial needs. The prevalence of agitation is predicted by the psychosocial culture of care, and too often symptoms of agitation are treated with psychotropic medication...

  13. Inhaled Loxapine for Agitation in Intoxicated Patients: A Case Series.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roncero, Carlos; Ros-Cucurull, Elena; Palma-Álvarez, Raúl Felipe; Abad, Alfonso Carlos; Fadeuilhe, Christian; Casas, Miquel; Grau-López, Lara

    Episodes of agitation are frequent in intoxicated patients who have a substance use disorder, a psychiatric disorder or both (dual diagnosis). For managing the agitation, it is necessary to act promptly in a safe environment and addressing any underlying etiology. Inhaled loxapine improves symptoms of agitation in adults with psychiatric disorders (eg, schizophrenia) within 10 minutes of administration. Recently, some reports have documented the usefulness of loxapine in dual diagnoses patients with agitation. However, the efficacy of loxapine in intoxicated patients has not been deeply addressed. This report describes a case series of 12 patients (with addiction or dual disorder) who received inhaled loxapine for symptoms of psychomotor agitation during intoxication with different substances (eg, alcohol, cannabis, or cocaine) at 1 center in Spain. Data from 12 patients were reviewed, 5 patients were attended at the emergency room, 4 at the addiction and dual diagnosis unit, and 3 were treated during hospitalization for detoxification. All patients were under effects of substances. They had substance use disorder (including cannabis, cocaine, alcohol, hypnotics, and hallucinogens), and almost all (90%) presented 1 or more psychiatric disorders. One dose of inhaled loxapine was effective in 9 patients (75%), and in 3 patients, a second dose was required. Only mild dizziness was reported in 1 patient after the second dose. The acute agitation was effectively and quickly managed with inhaled loxapine in all intoxicated patients and enabled the appropriate clinical evaluation of the agitated state and the patient's management.

  14. Nonpharmacological therapeutic techniques to decrease agitation in geriatric psychiatric patients with dementia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitchell, Ann M; Chiappetta, Laurel; Boucek, Lynn; Cain, Michelle; Patterson, Georgia; Owens, Kim; Herisko, Camellia; Stark, Kirsti Hetager

    2015-02-01

    Agitation is not only a frequent and disturbing behavior for many patients with dementia, but it also troubles their caregivers and families. Many serious problems and side effects are associated with the use of medications to treat agitation; therefore, alternative approaches to treating agitation must be assessed. The current article presents results from a quality improvement pilot project that examined the usefulness of a specially designed, multisensory room intervention for geriatric psychiatric inpatients with mild to moderate agitation. Thirty-two visits to the sensory room were made by 13 inpatients with dementia. A significant decrease occurred in the Pittsburgh Agitation Scale (PAS) total scores over time from pre-room to post-room intervention, as well as 1-hour post-room intervention (F = 95.3, p agitation, and resistance to care), with the exception of the aggression subscale. The multisensory room intervention was effective in decreasing some symptoms of agitation in the geriatric psychiatric patient, thus contributing to positive patient, family, and nursing outcomes. Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.

  15. Assessment and management of agitation in psychiatry: Expert consensus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garriga, Marina; Pacchiarotti, Isabella; Kasper, Siegfried; Zeller, Scott L; Allen, Michael H; Vázquez, Gustavo; Baldaçara, Leonardo; San, Luis; McAllister-Williams, R Hamish; Fountoulakis, Konstantinos N; Courtet, Philippe; Naber, Dieter; Chan, Esther W; Fagiolini, Andrea; Möller, Hans Jürgen; Grunze, Heinz; Llorca, Pierre Michel; Jaffe, Richard L; Yatham, Lakshmi N; Hidalgo-Mazzei, Diego; Passamar, Marc; Messer, Thomas; Bernardo, Miquel; Vieta, Eduard

    2016-01-01

    Psychomotor agitation is associated with different psychiatric conditions and represents an important issue in psychiatry. Current recommendations on agitation in psychiatry are not univocal. Actually, an improper assessment and management may result in unnecessary coercive or sedative treatments. A thorough and balanced review plus an expert consensus can guide assessment and treatment decisions. An expert task force iteratively developed consensus using the Delphi method. Initial survey items were based on systematic review of the literature. Subsequent surveys included new, re-worded or re-rated items. Out of 2175 papers assessing psychomotor agitation, 124 were included in the review. Each component was assigned a level of evidence. Integrating the evidence and the experience of the task force members, a consensus was reached on 22 statements on this topic. Recommendations on the assessment of agitation emphasise the importance of identifying any possible medical cause. For its management, experts agreed in considering verbal de-escalation and environmental modification techniques as first choice, considering physical restraint as a last resort strategy. Regarding pharmacological treatment, the "ideal" medication should calm without over-sedate. Generally, oral or inhaled formulations should be preferred over i.m. routes in mildly agitated patients. Intravenous treatments should be avoided.

  16. Optimal nonpharmacological management of agitation in Alzheimer's disease: challenges and solutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Millán-Calenti, José Carlos; Lorenzo-López, Laura; Alonso-Búa, Begoña; de Labra, Carmen; González-Abraldes, Isabel; Maseda, Ana

    2016-01-01

    Many patients with Alzheimer's disease will develop agitation at later stages of the disease, which constitutes one of the most challenging and distressing aspects of dementia. Recently, nonpharmacological therapies have become increasingly popular and have been proven to be effective in managing the behavioral symptoms (including agitation) that are common in the middle or later stages of dementia. These therapies seem to be a good alternative to pharmacological treatment to avoid unpleasant side effects. We present a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) focused on the nonpharmacological management of agitation in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients aged 65 years and above. Of the 754 studies found, eight met the inclusion criteria. This review suggests that music therapy is optimal for the management of agitation in institutionalized patients with moderately severe and severe AD, particularly when the intervention includes individualized and interactive music. Bright light therapy has little and possibly no clinically significant effects with respect to observational ratings of agitation but decreases caregiver ratings of physical and verbal agitation. Therapeutic touch is effective for reducing physical nonaggressive behaviors but is not superior to simulated therapeutic touch or usual care for reducing physically aggressive and verbally agitated behaviors. Melissa oil aromatherapy and behavioral management techniques are not superior to placebo or pharmacological therapies for managing agitation in AD. Further research in clinical trials is required to confirm the effectiveness and long-term effects of nonpharmacological interventions for managing agitation in AD. These types of studies may lead to the development of future intervention protocols to improve the well-being and daily functioning of these patients, thereby avoiding residential care placement.

  17. Some effects of aeration on anaerobic digestion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bhywapathanapun, S

    1972-01-01

    The anaerobic digestion of meat works waste water is made possible by separating the sludge solids, after which necessary amounts of the concentrated sludge are returned to the digester. Sludge recirculation prolongs solid retention time in the digester. However, sludge separation by gravitational sedimentation is almost impossible because the sludge tends to rise with the continuous gassing. Therefore treatment of the sludge suspension prior to sedimentation is necessary for effective solid separation. The present study examined aeration degasification as a method for sludge suspension pretreatment and found that the rates of aeration of 0.75 to 1.0 VVM (0.12 to 0.16 cubic foot of air per gallon of mixed liquor per minute) were optimal for aeration degasification. The toxic effects on the anaerobic bacteria were small, daily gas production being reduced by only 5%.

  18. Renewable energy for the aeration of wastewater ponds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hobus, I; Hegemann, W

    2003-01-01

    The application of a decentralised renewable energy supply for the aeration of wastewater ponds, and the influence of an unsteady oxygen supply on the specific conversion rate and biocoenose was investigated. With the discontinuous aeration the specific conversion rate is increased as compared to facultative ponds. The estimation of the microorganisms consortia was done with in situ hybridisation techniques. A significant shift in the bacteria population with the chosen specific probes for anaerobic, sulphate reducing and nitrifying bacteria could not be detected. Wastewater ponds have sufficient buffer volume to compensate for the fluctuating energy supply. But the efficiency of the energy supply of a photovoltaic plant decreases in shallow lakes (d photovoltaic and wind power plant, energy management, aeration system and wastewater pond, a simulation model was developed and tested. The application of renewable energy for the aeration of wastewater ponds is a useful alternative for the redevelopment of overloaded ponds as well as the construction of new wastewater ponds, especially in areas with an inadequate central electricity grid and a high availability of wind and solar energy.

  19. Inhaled Loxapine for Agitation in Intoxicated Patients: A Case Series

    OpenAIRE

    Roncero, Carlos; Ros-Cucurull, Elena; Palma-Álvarez, Raúl Felipe; Abad, Alfonso Carlos; Fadeuilhe, Christian; Casas, Miquel; Grau-López, Lara

    2017-01-01

    Objectives Episodes of agitation are frequent in intoxicated patients who have a substance use disorder, a psychiatric disorder or both (dual diagnosis). For managing the agitation, it is necessary to act promptly in a safe environment and addressing any underlying etiology. Inhaled loxapine improves symptoms of agitation in adults with psychiatric disorders (eg, schizophrenia) within 10 minutes of administration. Recently, some reports have documented the usefulness of loxapine in dual diagn...

  20. Effects of music on agitation in dementia: A meta-analysis

    OpenAIRE

    Pedersen, Siv Kristin Aas; Andersen, Per Normann; Lugo, Ricardo; Andreassen, Marita; Sütterlin, Stefan

    2017-01-01

    Agitation is a common problem in patients suffering from dementia and encompasses a variety of behaviors such as repetitive acts, restlessness, wandering, and aggressive behaviors. Agitation reduces the probability of positive social interaction and increases the psychological and organizational burden. While medical interventions are common, there is need for complementary or alternative methods. Music intervention has been brought forward as a promising method to reduce agitation in dementi...

  1. Study on low intensity aeration oxygenation model and optimization for shallow water

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xiao; Ding, Zhibin; Ding, Jian; Wang, Yi

    2018-02-01

    Aeration/oxygenation is an effective measure to improve self-purification capacity in shallow water treatment while high energy consumption, high noise and expensive management refrain the development and the application of this process. Based on two-film theory, the theoretical model of the three-dimensional partial differential equation of aeration in shallow water is established. In order to simplify the equation, the basic assumptions of gas-liquid mass transfer in vertical direction and concentration diffusion in horizontal direction are proposed based on engineering practice and are tested by the simulation results of gas holdup which are obtained by simulating the gas-liquid two-phase flow in aeration tank under low-intensity condition. Based on the basic assumptions and the theory of shallow permeability, the model of three-dimensional partial differential equations is simplified and the calculation model of low-intensity aeration oxygenation is obtained. The model is verified through comparing the aeration experiment. Conclusions as follows: (1)The calculation model of gas-liquid mass transfer in vertical direction and concentration diffusion in horizontal direction can reflect the process of aeration well; (2) Under low-intensity conditions, the long-term aeration and oxygenation is theoretically feasible to enhance the self-purification capacity of water bodies; (3) In the case of the same total aeration intensity, the effect of multipoint distributed aeration on the diffusion of oxygen concentration in the horizontal direction is obvious; (4) In the shallow water treatment, reducing the volume of aeration equipment with the methods of miniaturization, array, low-intensity, mobilization to overcome the high energy consumption, large size, noise and other problems can provide a good reference.

  2. Landfill aeration in the framework of a reclamation project in Northern Italy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raga, Roberto; Cossu, Raffaello

    2014-03-01

    In situ aeration by means of the Airflow technology was proposed for landfill conditioning before landfill mining in the framework of a reclamation project in Northern Italy. A 1-year aeration project was carried out on part of the landfill with the objective of evaluating the effectiveness of the Airflow technology for landfill aerobization, the evolution of waste biological stability during aeration and the effects on leachate and biogas quality and emissions. The main outcomes of the 1-year aeration project are presented in the paper. The beneficial effect of the aeration on waste biological stability was clear (63% reduction of the respiration index); however, the effectiveness of aeration on the lower part of the landfill is questionable, due to the limited potential for air migration into the leachate saturated layers. During the 1-year in situ aeration project approx. 275 MgC were discharged from the landfill body with the extracted gas, corresponding to 4.6 gC/kgDM. However, due to the presence of anaerobic niches in the aerated landfill, approx. 46% of this amount was extracted as CH4, which is higher than reported in other aeration projects. The O2 conversion quota was lower than reported in other similar projects, mainly due to the higher air flow rates applied. The results obtained enabled valuable recommendations to be made for the subsequent application of the Airflow technology to the whole landfill. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. EFFECT OF HYDRAULIC AND GEOMETRICAL PROPERTIES ON STEPPED CASCADE AERATION SYSTEM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    VEDHACHALAM RATHINAKUMAR

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Stepped cascade aeration system is commonly used to aerate the water and wastewater to increase the dissolved oxygen during pre and post treatment process. In the present research, experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of a rectangular Cascade Aeration System with varying flow rates, risers and tread by maintaining constant width of the channel using water collected from reverse osmosis plant. The experiments were carried out with four different risers such as 0.15 m, 0.18 m, 0.225 m and 0.30 m. Each rise was investigated with five different tread of 0.60 m, 0.55 m, 0.50 m, 0.45 m and 0.40 m. Comprehensive experimental investigations were carried out for different hydraulic loading rates of 0.005 to 0.035 m3/s/m2. Results obtained from the experiments reveals that increasing dimensionless discharges promotes more aeration, attains a maximum up to dimensionless discharge= 2.22 and beyond this there was a significant decrease in aeration. In addition, the increased in number of steps significantly enhances air entertainment and surface fall rate in the Stepped Cascade Aeration System. A regression equation was derived by keeping aeration efficiency as response with dimensionless discharge and oxygen saturation concentration as influencing parameters. The dimension less discharge is a function of critical depth of the rectangular channel and step height, whereas oxygen saturation concentration represents the ratio of oxygen deficit and oxygen saturation concentration. Based on the experimental results, the optimum design and/or results such as number of steps (12 numbers and hydraulic loading rate (0.025 m3/s/m2 with fixed tread width of 0.6 m were identified to achieve maximum aeration rate (0.5-0.60 in Aeration system.

  4. Design of high efficiency and energy saving aeration device for aquaculture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Sibo

    2017-03-01

    Energy efficient aeration device for aquaculture, in line with "by more than a generation, dynamic aeration" train of thought for technical design and improvement. Removable aeration terminal as the core, multi-level water to improve the method, the mobile fading pore aeration, intelligent mobile and open and close as the main function, aimed at solving the existing pond aeration efficiency, low energy consumption is high, the function of a single problem. From energy saving, efficiency, biological bacteria on the three directions, the aquaculture industry of energy conservation and emissions reduction. Device of the main advantages are: 1, original mobile fading aerator on the one hand, to expand the scope of work, playing a micro porous aeration of dissolved oxygen with high efficiency and to achieve "by more than a generation", on the other hand, through the sports equipment, stir the mixture of water, the water surface of photosynthesis of plants rich in dissolved oxygen input parts of the tank, compared to the stillness of the aerator can be more fully dissolved oxygen.2, through the opening of the pressure sensor indirect control device, can make the equipment timely and stop operation, convenient in use at the same time avoid the waste of energy.3, the biofilm suspension in aeration terminal, can be accomplished by nitration of microbial multi-level water improvement, still can make biofilm increase rate of netting in the movement process, the biological and mechanical aerobic promote each other, improve the efficiency of both. In addition, the device has small power consumption, low cost of characteristics. And have a certain degree of technical barriers, have their own intellectual property rights, and high degree of product market demand, easily accepted by customers, has a very high popularization value.

  5. Gender differences in the association of agitation and suicide attempts among psychiatric inpatients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bryan, Craig J; Hitschfeld, Mario J; Palmer, Brian A; Schak, Kathryn M; Roberge, Erika M; Lineberry, Timothy W

    2014-01-01

    To determine if the relationship of agitation with suicide ideation and suicide attempts differed between men and women. Self-reported severity of agitation and other suicide risk factors was obtained from 7698 consecutive patients during admission for inpatient psychiatric treatment during a 5-year period. Agitation was highest among men with a history of suicide attempts. Agitation was significantly associated with frequency of suicide ideation and history of suicide attempt, but the gender-by-suicide interaction was only significant as a predictor of suicide attempt history. For men, agitation was associated with significantly increased risk for suicide attempt, but for women, agitation was not associated with risk for suicide attempt history. Results were unchanged when analyses were repeated among the subgroup of patients with suicide ideation. Agitation is associated with history of suicide attempt among male but not female psychiatric inpatients. Agitation differentiates between those men who have only thought about suicide and those who have made suicide attempts. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Effects of Music on Agitation in Dementia: A Meta-Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Siv K. A. Pedersen

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Agitation is a common problem in patients suffering from dementia and encompasses a variety of behaviors such as repetitive acts, restlessness, wandering, and aggressive behaviors. Agitation reduces the probability of positive social interaction and increases the psychological and organizational burden. While medical interventions are common, there is need for complementary or alternative methods. Music intervention has been brought forward as a promising method to reduce agitation in dementia. While interventions, target groups and research designs differ, there has so far not been a systematic overview assessing the effect of music intervention for agitation in patients with dementia. A meta-analysis was conducted in order to investigate possible effects of music interventions. Twelve studies met inclusion criteria. Music intervention had a medium overall effect on agitation in dementia, suggesting robust clinical relevance. While the moderate number of studies does not allow for further differentiation between sub-types of music intervention, the sub-group comparisons indicated promising pathways for future systematic reviews. This meta-analysis is the first systematic and quantitative overview supporting clinically and statistically robust effects of music intervention on agitation in dementia. The analysis provides further arguments for this non-pharmacological approach and highlights needs for future systematic research reviews for the investigation of intervention types.

  7. DECREASE OF SOLIDS IN GRAY WATER BY AERATION PROCESS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gerardo Alonso Torres-Avalos

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available The activated sludge process is a biological treatment consisting basically of agitation and aeration of a waste water mixture and a selected microorganisms sludge. The oxidation of organic matter was determined with several tests such as BOD5 (Biochemical Oxygen Demand, TSS (Total Sedimented Solids, SS (Sediment Solids, TDS (Total Dissolved Solids, FVS (fixed and volatile solids and finally a measurement of treated water turbidity. The results obtained for the reduction of the organic load during the first two days of treatment (samples 1, 2 and 3 are visible in each of the organic loading tests; during the last two days according to the samples 4 and 5 the solids showed an increase in organic load. The related organoleptic properties such as color showed a notable decrease. As for the tests performed at pH show a change, samples 1, 2 and 3 approaching a range where they are neutral and the last two samples (4 and 5 the pH has an elevation until it becomes alkaline. The efficiency of the method used for the treatment of residual water during the first days reduced the organic load with a variation of TS and TSS of 760, 569 ppm respectively. This is a viable alternative since this is a low cost method with short term results because organoleptic properties such as odor and color were lost during the first day of treatment.

  8. Aerated drilling cutting transport analysis in geothermal well

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wakhyudin, Aris; Setiawan, Deni; Dwi Marjuan, Oscar

    2017-12-01

    Aeratad drilling widely used for geothermal drilling especially when drilled into predicted production zone. Aerated drilling give better performance on preventing lost circulation problem, improving rate of penetration, and avoiding drilling fluid invasion to productive zone. While well is drilled, cutting is produced and should be carried to surface by drilling fluid. Hole problem, especially pipe sticking will occur while the cutting is not lifted properly to surface. The problem will effect on drilling schedule; non-productive time finally result more cost to be spent. Geothermal formation has different characteristic comparing oil and gas formation. Geothermal mainly has igneous rock while oil and gas mostly sedimentary rock. In same depth, formation pressure in geothermal well commonly lower than oil and gas well while formation temperature geothermal well is higher. While aerated drilling is applied in geothermal well, Igneous rock density has higher density than sedimentary rock and aerated drilling fluid is lighter than water based mud hence minimum velocity requirement to transport cutting is larger than in oil/gas well drilling. Temperature and pressure also has impact on drilling fluid (aerated) density. High temperature in geothermal well decrease drilling fluid density hence the effect of pressure and temperature also considered. In this paper, Aerated drilling cutting transport performance on geothermal well will be analysed due to different rock and drilling fluid density. Additionally, temperature and pressure effect on drilling fluid density also presented to merge.

  9. [Interest of psychiatric guidelines in managing agitation in intensive care].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lazignac, Coralie; Ricou, Bara; Dan, Liviu; Virgillito, Salvatore; Adam, Eric; Seyedi, Majid; Cicotti, Andrei; Azi, Amine; Damsa, Cristian

    2007-02-14

    This paper discusses the importance of psychiatric guidelines and the position of the psychiatrist in the management of agitation in the intensive care unit. The use of psychiatric validated scales to assess agitation seems to ameliorate the quality of care in psychiatry, but also in intensive care. Psychiatric experts' recommendations for managing agitation are given, which is useful to create an open discussion with the intensivists. The use of sedative medication to protect the patient, staff and to prevent an escalation of violence remains a personal choice for each practitioner, depending on individual patient needs and context. In the treatment of agitated patients, an equilibrium needs to be found between the subjective dimension and the available data from evidence based medicine.

  10. Non-autoclaved aerated concrete with mineral additives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Il'ina, L. V.; Rakov, M. A.

    2016-01-01

    We investigated the effect of joint grinding of Portland cement clinker, silica and carbonate components and mineral additives to specific surface of 280 - 300 m2/kg on the properties (strength, average density and thermal conductivity) of non-autoclaved aerated concrete, and the porosity of the hardened cement paste produced from Portland cement clinker with mineral additives. The joint grinding of the Portland cement clinker with silica and carbonate components and mineral additives reduces the energy consumption of non-autoclaved aerated concrete production. The efficiency of mineral additives (diopside, wollastonite) is due to the closeness the composition, the type of chemical bonds, physical and chemical characteristics (specific enthalpy of formation, specific entropy) to anhydrous clinker minerals and their hydration products. Considering the influence of these additions on hydration of clinker minerals and formation of hardened cement paste structure, dispersed wollastonite and diopside should be used as mineral additives. The hardness and, consequently, the elastic modulus of diopside are higher than that of hardened cement paste. As a result, there is a redistribution of stresses in the hardened cement paste interporous partitions and hardening, both the partitions and aerated concrete on the whole. The mineral additives introduction allowed to obtain the non-autoclaved aerated concrete with average density 580 kg/m3, compressive strength of 3.3 MPa and thermal conductivity of 0.131 W/(m.°C).

  11. Influence of aeration in the fermentative activity of Kloeckera apiculata during fermentation of apple juice; Influencia de la aireacion en la actividad fermentativa de Kloeckera apiculata durante la fermentacion de jugo de manzana

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Estela Escalante, Waldir D; Rychtera, Mojmir; Melzoch, Karel; Guerrero Ochoa, Manuel R

    2012-07-01

    The influence of aeration on the fermentative activity of Kloeckera apiculata RIVE 9-2-1 was studied in order to evaluate the production of metabolites of the fermentation. To achieve this, the strain was cultured in Erlenmeyer flasks containing sterilized and aroma removed apple juice, and the chemical compounds produced during fermentation in shaken (200 min-1) and static (without agitation) cultivation were determined. The results showed that the agitation of the culture medium increases production of higher alcohols (till 591.0 mg/L) compared to static cultivation, whereas on the contrary, the production of acetic acid, ethyl acetate and glycerol (260.0 ± 11.0 mg/L, 196.0 ± 10.0 mg/L y 2.6±0.2 g/L) were higher compared to shaken cultivation (222.0 ± 8.0 mg/L, 96.0 ± 4.5 mg/L and 1.8 ± 0.2 g/L) respectively. Batch cultivations carried out in bioreactor with air flux of 25 l/h reported a growth rate μ of 0.17 h-1, production of ethanol (12.5 ± 2.0 g/L) and other compounds typically produced during alcoholic fermentation. The concentration of dissolved oxygen in the fermentation medium affects its metabolism thus; insufficient amounts of oxygen would provoke a respirofermentative metabolism. The best results in terms of organoleptic quality of the fermented beverage regarding to aroma, taste and flavor was obtained when fermented in static cultivation. The control of aeration during fermentation can be used to control the synthesis of chemical compounds of sensory impact in the production of fermented beverages.

  12. The Hamburg-Hannover Agitation Scale (H2A): Development and validation of a self-assessment tool for symptoms of agitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Stefanie; Wollmer, M Axel; Kruger, Tillmann H C

    2015-10-01

    Agitation has long been underestimated as a symptom occurring across psychiatric disorders. While several instruments exist for highly specific clinical target groups (e.g., dementia, traumatic brain injury), no tool captures agitation in a broader range of psychiatric patients. The Hamburg-Hannover Agitation Scale (H2A) has been designed to satisfy this demand. This study concentrated on the development and validation of the scale in a psychiatric and a healthy control sample. The H2A was developed, tested in an expert sample, and revised. The German version was validated in a study involving two clinical institutions. Patients (n = 180) completed the H2A and several other questionnaires in order to test for congruent and discriminant validity. Healthy subjects (n = 685) completed the H2A only. The H2A was translated into English. The H2A showed very satisfying quality criteria (reliability, selectivity, item difficulty) and regression analysis demonstrated the H2A's ability to distinguish between subjects with a psychiatric diagnosis and healthy subjects with or without psychiatric record. Factor analysis revealed a three-factorial structure representing a physiological/somatic, a mental and a mixed ('psychophysiological') dimension of agitation. Although validation showed promising quality criteria and predictive value of the H2A, calibration tests with bigger and more balanced sample sizes are necessary. Agitation has become more clinically relevant as a symptom occurring in various affective disorders, yet its assessment is limited. The H2A was developed in order to meet this need. Validation of the H2A revealed very satisfactory item and scale quality criteria promoting its utility. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  13. Composting of tobacco plant waste by manual turning and forced aeration system

    OpenAIRE

    Nonglak Saithep

    2009-01-01

    The efficiency of tobacco plant waste composting, by the manual turning and the forced aeration system, was compared. Tobacco plant waste, cow manure, urea fertiliser, and a compost inoculum mixture at a 100:10:0.2:0.01 ratio respectively, with 60% (w/v) moisture content, were set up in piling forms. The piles of the manual turning system were provided with turning aeration by hand at intervals of 7 days during the composting process. For the forced aeration system, each pile was aerated by a...

  14. Citalopram for the Treatment of Agitation in Alzheimer Dementia: Genetic Influences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peters, Matthew E; Vaidya, Vijay; Drye, Lea T; Devanand, Davangere P; Mintzer, Jacobo E; Pollock, Bruce G; Porsteinsson, Anton P; Rosenberg, Paul B; Schneider, Lon S; Shade, David M; Weintraub, Daniel; Yesavage, Jerome; Lyketsos, Constantine G; Avramopoulos, Dimitri

    2016-03-01

    To assess potential genetic influences on citalopram treatment efficacy for agitation in individuals with Alzheimer dementia (AD). Six functional genetic variants were studied in the following genes: serotonin receptor 2A (HTR2A-T102C), serotonin receptor 2C (HTR2C-Cys23Ser), serotonin transporter (5HTT-LPR), brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF-Val66Met), apolipoprotein E (ε2, ε3, ε4 variants), and cytochrome P450 (CYP2C19). Treatment response by genotype was measured by (1) the agitation domain of the Neurobehavioral Rating Scale, (2) the modified Alzheimer Disease Cooperative Study-Clinical Global Impression of Change scale (mADCS-CGIC), (3) the agitation domain of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), and (4) the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory. We utilized data from the Citalopram for Agitation in Alzheimer's Disease (CitAD) database. CitAD was a 9-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter clinical trial showing significant improvement in agitation and caregiver distress in patients treated with citalopram. Proportional odds logistic regression and mixed effects models were used to examine the above-mentioned outcome measures. Significant interactions were noted on the NPI agitation domain for HTR2A (likelihood ratio [LR] = 6.19, df = 2, P = .04) and the mADCS-CGIC for HTR2C (LR = 4.33, df = 2, P = .02) over 9 weeks. Treatment outcomes in CitAD showed modest, although statistically significant, influence of genetic variation at HTR2A and HTR2C loci. Future studies should continue to examine the interaction of known genetic variants with antidepressant treatment in patients with AD having agitation. © The Author(s) 2015.

  15. Effect of aeration interval on oxygen consumption and GHG emission during pig manure composting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Jianfei; Yin, Hongjie; Shen, Xiuli; Liu, Ning; Ge, Jinyi; Han, Lujia; Huang, Guangqun

    2018-02-01

    To verify the optimal aeration interval for oxygen supply and consumption and investigate the effect of aeration interval on GHG emission, reactor-scale composting was conducted with different aeration intervals (0, 10, 30 and 50 min). Although O 2 was sufficiently supplied during aeration period, it could be consumed to  0.902), suggesting that lengthening the duration of aeration interval to some extent could effectively reduce GHG emission. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. 21 CFR 880.6100 - Ethylene oxide gas aerator cabinet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Ethylene oxide gas aerator cabinet. 880.6100... Miscellaneous Devices § 880.6100 Ethylene oxide gas aerator cabinet. (a) Identification. An ethyene oxide gas... required to remove residual ethylene oxide (ETO) from wrapped medical devices that have undergone ETO...

  17. Extraction of Gold from Dump Material by Agitation | Stoyanov ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    As a result of poor extraction of gold from slimes a new approach-mechanical agitation of dump material was explored. Several tests have been done. In the agitation test work the following parameters have been investigated: impeller speed; cyanide concentration; CaO concentration; liquid-solid ratio; lead nitrate dosage ...

  18. Corrosion behavior of electrodeposited Co-Fe alloys in aerated solutions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chansena, A. [Research Unit on Corrosion, College of Data Storage Innovation, King Mongkut' s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520 (Thailand); Sutthiruangwong, S., E-mail: sutha.su@kmitl.ac.th [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, King Mongkut' s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520 (Thailand); Research Unit on Corrosion, College of Data Storage Innovation, King Mongkut' s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520 (Thailand)

    2017-05-01

    Co-Fe alloy is an important component for reader-writer in hard disk drive. The surface of the alloy is exposed to the environment both in gas phase and in liquid phase during manufacturing process. The study of corrosion behavior of Co-Fe alloys can provide useful fundamental data for reader-writer production planning especially when corrosion becomes a major problem. The corrosion study of electrodeposited Co-Fe alloys from cyclic galvanodynamic polarization was performed using potentiodynamic polarization technique. The composition of electrodeposited Co-Fe alloys was determined by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. The patterns from X-ray diffractometer showed that the crystal structure of electrodeposited Co-Fe alloys was body-centered cubic. A vibrating sample magnetometer was used for magnetic measurements. The saturation magnetization (M{sub s}) was increased and the intrinsic coercivity (H{sub ci}) was decreased with increasing Fe content. The corrosion rate study was performed in aerated deionized water and aerated acidic solutions at pH 3, 4 and 5. The corrosion rate diagram for Co-Fe alloys was constructed. It was found that the corrosion rate of Co-Fe alloys was increased with increasing Fe content in both aerated deionized water and aerated acidic solutions. In aerated pH 3 solution, the Co-Fe alloy containing 78.8% Fe showed the highest corrosion rate of 7.7 mm yr{sup −1} with the highest M{sub s} of 32.0 A m{sup 2} kg{sup −1}. The corrosion rate of the alloy with 23.8% Fe was at 1.1 mm yr{sup −1} with M{sub s} of 1.2 A m{sup 2} kg{sup −1}. In aerated deionized water, the alloy with the highest Fe content of 78.5% still showed the highest corrosion rate of 0.0059 mm yr{sup −1} while the alloy with the lowest Fe content of 20.4% gave the lowest corrosion rate of 0.0045 mm yr{sup −1}. - Highlights: • The aeration during corrosion measurement simulates reader-writer head production environment. • The corrosion rate diagram for Co-Fe alloys

  19. Agitation in cognitive disorders:International Psychogeriatric Association provisional consensus clinical and research definition

    OpenAIRE

    Cummings, Jeffrey; Mintzer, Jacobo; Brodaty, Henry; Sano, Mary; Banerjee, Sube; Devanand, D. P.; Gauthier, Serge; Howard, Robert; Lanctôt, Krista; Lyketsos, Constantine G.; Peskind, Elaine; Porsteinsson, Anton P.; Reich, Edgardo; Sampaio, Cristina; Steffens, David

    2015-01-01

    Background: Agitation is common across neuropsychiatric disorders and contributes to disability, institutionalization, and diminished quality of life for patients and their caregivers. There is no consensus definition of agitation and no widespread agreement on what elements should be included in the syndrome. The International Psychogeriatric Association formed an Agitation Definition Work Group (ADWG) to develop a provisional consensus definition of agitation in patients with cognitive diso...

  20. Aeration strategy for biofilm cultivation of the microalga Scenedesmus dimorphus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ji, Chunli; Wang, Junfeng; Liu, Tianzhong

    2015-10-01

    Biofilm cultivation of microalgae may be useful for biofuel production. However, many aspects for this cultivation method have not been well assessed. Accordingly, aeration strategy for biofilm cultivation of Scenedesmus dimorphus has been explored. Biomass, lipid and triacylglycerol (TAG) productivity in increased S. dimorphus as the CO2 concentration increased within 0.038-0.5% and kept constant with further increases. The biomass, lipid and TAG productivity increased with the speed increasing and an obvious threshold point was observed at 6.6 ml(-2) min(-1). The lipid and TAG content was unaffected by the aeration rate. Both the CO2 concentration as well as aeration speed affected the growth of S. dimorphus in biofilm cultivation. The optimized aeration strategy for biofilm cultivation was continuous air flow enriched with 1% CO2 (v/v) at 6.6 ml(-2) min(-1).

  1. Neural basis of three dimensions of agitated behaviors in patients with Alzheimer disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Banno K

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Koichi Banno,1 Shutaro Nakaaki,2 Junko Sato,1 Katsuyoshi Torii,1 Jin Narumoto,3 Jun Miyata,4 Nobutsugu Hirono,5 Toshi A Furukawa,6 Masaru Mimura,2 Tatsuo Akechi1 1Department of Psychiatry and Cognitive-Behavioral Medicine, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan; 2Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan; 3Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 4Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan; 5Department of Psychology, Kobe Gakuin University; Hyogo, Japan; 6Departments of Health Promotion and Human Behavior and of Clinical Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine/School of Public Health, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan Background: Agitated behaviors are frequently observed in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD. The neural substrate underlying the agitated behaviors in dementia is unclear. We hypothesized that different dimensions of agitated behaviors are mediated by distinct neural systems. Methods: All the patients (n=32 underwent single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT. Using the Agitated Behavior in Dementia scale, we identified the relationships between regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF patterns and the presence of each of three dimensions of agitated behavior (physically agitated behavior, verbally agitated behavior, and psychosis symptoms in AD patients. Statistical parametric mapping (SPM software was used to explore these neural correlations. Results: Physically agitated behavior was significantly correlated with lower rCBF values in the right superior temporal gyrus (Brodmann 22 and the right inferior frontal gyrus (Brodmann 47. Verbally agitated behavior was significantly associated with lower rCBF values in the left inferior frontal gyrus (Brodmann 46, 44 and the left insula (Brodmann 13. The psychosis symptoms were significantly correlated

  2. Influence of agitation intensity on flotation rate of apatite particles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francisco Gregianin Testa

    Full Text Available Abstract The agitation intensity has a directly influence on flotation performance, lifting the particles and promoting the contact of bubbles and particles. In this paper, the energy input by the agitation on apatite flotation was investigated. The influence of pulp agitation in the flotation rate of particles with different sizes and two dosage levels was evaluated by batch testing. The flotation tests were conducted in an oscillating grid flotation cell (OGC, developed to promote a near isotropic turbulence environment. The cell is able to control the intensity of agitation and measure the energy transferred to the pulp phase. A sample of pure apatite was crushed (P80=310µm, characterized and floated with sodium oleate as collector. Four levels of energy dissipation, from 0.1 to 2 kWm-3, and two levels of collector dosage are used during the tests. The flotation kinetics by particle size were determined in function of the energy transferred. The results show a strong influence of the agitation intensity on the apatite flotation rate with both low and high dosage. For fine particles, when increasing the energy input, the flotation rate increase too, and this fact can be attributed to elevation of bubble-particle collisions. The kinetic result for the coarse particles demonstrated a reduction of the flotation rate whenever the energy input for this particle size was increased, whereby the turbulence caused by the agitation promotes the detachment of bubble-particle.

  3. Individual music therapy for agitation in dementia: an exploratory randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ridder, Hanne Mette O; Stige, Brynjulf; Qvale, Liv Gunnhild; Gold, Christian

    2013-01-01

    Agitation in nursing home residents with dementia leads to increase in psychotropic medication, decrease in quality of life, and to patient distress and caregiver burden. Music therapy has previously been found effective in treatment of agitation in dementia care but studies have been methodologically insufficient. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of individual music therapy on agitation in persons with moderate/severe dementia living in nursing homes, and to explore its effect on psychotropic medication and quality of life. In a crossover trial, 42 participants with dementia were randomized to a sequence of six weeks of individual music therapy and six weeks of standard care. Outcome measures included agitation, quality of life and medication. Agitation disruptiveness increased during standard care and decreased during music therapy. The difference at -6.77 (95% CI (confidence interval): -12.71, -0.83) was significant (p = 0.027), with a medium effect size (0.50). The prescription of psychotropic medication increased significantly more often during standard care than during music therapy (p = 0.02). This study shows that six weeks of music therapy reduces agitation disruptiveness and prevents medication increases in people with dementia. The positive trends in relation to agitation frequency and quality of life call for further research with a larger sample.

  4. Iron removal using an aerated granular filter

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cho, B.Y. [Dongguk University, Seoul (Republic of Korea). College of Engineering

    2005-10-01

    Laboratory scale experiments concerning iron removal from artificial raw water by an artificial filter using anthracite as filter media were conducted. The major findings were that iron oxidation and removal by an aerated filter is mainly a catalytic chemical reaction rather than a biological reaction. Further, iron removal does not perform effectively without aeration. Iron removal was very effective when the pH was weakly acidity. Iron oxide attached to the surface of the media is identified as ferrihydrite, which catalyzes the oxidation of iron as shown by Moessbauer spectra analysis.

  5. Acid mine water aeration and treatment system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ackman, Terry E.; Place, John M.

    1987-01-01

    An in-line system is provided for treating acid mine drainage which basically comprises the combination of a jet pump (or pumps) and a static mixer. The jet pump entrains air into the acid waste water using a Venturi effect so as to provide aeration of the waste water while further aeration is provided by the helical vanes of the static mixer. A neutralizing agent is injected into the suction chamber of the jet pump and the static mixer is formed by plural sections offset by 90 degrees.

  6. Managing Agitation Associated with Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder in the Emergency Setting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Scott L. Zeller, MD

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Patient agitation represents a significant challenge in the emergency department (ED, a setting in which medical staff are working under pressure dealing with a diverse range of medical emergencies. The potential for escalation into aggressive behavior, putting patients, staff, and others at risk, makes it imperative to address agitated behavior rapidly and efficiently. Time constraints and limited access to specialist psychiatric support have in the past led to the strategy of “restrain and sedate,” which was believed to represent the optimal approach; however, it is increasingly recognized that more patient-centered approaches result in improved outcomes. The objective of this review is to raise awareness of best practices for the management of agitation in the ED and to consider the role of new pharmacologic interventions in this setting. Discussion: The Best practices in Evaluation and Treatment of Agitation (BETA guidelines address the complete management of agitation, including triage, diagnosis, interpersonal calming skills, and medicine choices. Since their publication in 2012, there have been further developments in pharmacologic approaches for dealing with agitation, including both new agents and new modes of delivery, which increase the options available for both patients and physicians. Newer modes of delivery that could be useful in rapidly managing agitation include inhaled, buccal/ sublingual and intranasal formulations. To date, the only formulation administered via a nonintramuscular route with a specific indication for agitation associated with bipolar or schizophrenia is inhaled loxapine. Non-invasive formulations, although requiring cooperation from patients, have the potential to improve overall patient experience, thereby improving future cooperation between patients and healthcare providers. Conclusion: Management of agitation in the ED should encompass a patient-centered approach, incorporating non

  7. Managing Agitation Associated with Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder in the Emergency Setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeller, Scott L; Citrome, Leslie

    2016-03-01

    Patient agitation represents a significant challenge in the emergency department (ED), a setting in which medical staff are working under pressure dealing with a diverse range of medical emergencies. The potential for escalation into aggressive behavior, putting patients, staff, and others at risk, makes it imperative to address agitated behavior rapidly and efficiently. Time constraints and limited access to specialist psychiatric support have in the past led to the strategy of "restrain and sedate," which was believed to represent the optimal approach; however, it is increasingly recognized that more patient-centered approaches result in improved outcomes. The objective of this review is to raise awareness of best practices for the management of agitation in the ED and to consider the role of new pharmacologic interventions in this setting. The Best practices in Evaluation and Treatment of Agitation (BETA) guidelines address the complete management of agitation, including triage, diagnosis, interpersonal calming skills, and medicine choices. Since their publication in 2012, there have been further developments in pharmacologic approaches for dealing with agitation, including both new agents and new modes of delivery, which increase the options available for both patients and physicians. Newer modes of delivery that could be useful in rapidly managing agitation include inhaled, buccal/sublingual and intranasal formulations. To date, the only formulation administered via a non-intramuscular route with a specific indication for agitation associated with bipolar or schizophrenia is inhaled loxapine. Non-invasive formulations, although requiring cooperation from patients, have the potential to improve overall patient experience, thereby improving future cooperation between patients and healthcare providers. Management of agitation in the ED should encompass a patient-centered approach, incorporating non-pharmacologic approaches if feasible. Where pharmacologic

  8. CFD model of an aerating hydrofoil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Scott, D; Sabourin, M; Beaulieu, S; Papillon, B; Ellis, C

    2014-01-01

    Improving water quality in the tailrace below hydroelectric dams has become a priority in many river systems. In warm climates, water drawn by the turbine from deep in a reservoir can be deficient in dissolved oxygen (DO), a critical element in maintaining a healthy aquatic ecosystem. Many different solutions have been proposed in order to increase the DO levels in turbine discharge, including: turbine aeration systems (adding air to the water through either the turbine hub, the periphery or through distributed aeration in the runner blades); bubble diffusers in the reservoir or in the tailrace; aerating weirs downstream of the dams; and surface water pumps in the reservoir near the dam. There is a significant potential to increase the effectiveness of these solutions by improving the way that oxygen is introduced into the water; better distributions of bubbles will result in better oxygen transfer. In the present study, a two-phase Computational Fluid Dynamics model has been formulated using a commercial code to study the distribution of air downstream of a simple aerating hydrofoil. The two-phase model uses the Eulerian-Eulerian approach. Appropriate relations are used to model the interphase forces, including the Grace drag force model, the Favre averaged drag force and the Sato enhanced eddy viscosity. The model is validated using experimental results obtained in the water tunnel at the University of Minnesota's Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory. Results are obtained for water velocities between 5 and 10 m/s, air flow rates between 0.5 and 1.5 sL/min and for angles of attack between 0° and -8°. The results of this study show that the CFD model provides a good qualitative comparison to the experimental results by well predicting the wake location at the different flow rates and angles of attack used

  9. Delayed egg hatching of Anopheles gambiae (Diptera: Culicidae) pending water agitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebrahimi, Babak; Shakibi, Sanam; Foster, Woodbridge A

    2014-05-01

    Mosquito eggs laid on water surfaces typically hatch spontaneously soon after the embryos within them become fully formed first-instar larvae. However, we have found that Anopheles gambiae Giles, an important vector of malaria in Africa, exhibits delayed hatching until the water surface is agitated, a feature overlooked in most laboratory colonies. Agitation within 24 h postoviposition, before embryonation was complete, failed to stimulate delayed postembryonic hatching of isolated eggs on the following day (day 2), when < 1% had hatched spontaneously. However, 5 min of water agitation of these dormant pharate first-instar larvae on day 2 resulted in an almost immediate hatch of 63.3 versus 0% of nonagitated controls, plus another 3.9 versus 0.3%, respectively, during the following 24 h. With daily agitation, installment hatching occurred mainly during 2-6 d postoviposition. The mean cumulative hatch after 7 d of daily agitation was 83.1 versus 1.1% of nonagitated eggs. Experiments with eggs in groups demonstrated that egg density and activity of already-hatched larvae had no stimulatory effect. Eggs stored 1-4 wk at 25.5 or at 15.5 degrees C, and then agitated daily for 6 d at 25.5 degrees C, showed a gradual decline in viability. Viability was sustained longer at the lower temperature. Implications of agitation-induced egg hatching for rainy-season and dry-season ecology of An. gambiae are discussed. Suspended hatching and cool storage already are proving convenient for efficient mass rearing and accurate modeling of weather-based population dynamics.

  10. Nitrogen-removal performance and community structure of nitrifying bacteria under different aeration modes in an oxidation ditch.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Chang-Zi; Fu, Wei; Chen, Xue-Mei; Peng, Dang-Cong; Jin, Peng-Kang

    2013-07-01

    Oxidation-ditch operation modes were simulated using sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) with alternate stirring and aerating. The nitrogen-removal efficiencies and nitrifying characteristics of two aeration modes, point aeration and step aeration, were investigated. Under the same air-supply capacity, oxygen dissolved more efficiently in the system with point aeration, forming a larger aerobic zone. The nitrifying effects were similar in point aeration and step aeration, where the average removal efficiencies of NH4(+) N were 98% and 96%, respectively. When the proportion of anoxic and oxic zones was 1, the average removal efficiencies of total nitrogen (TN) were 45% and 66% under point aeration and step aeration, respectively. Step aeration was more beneficial to both anoxic denitrification and simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND). The maximum specific ammonia-uptake rates (AUR) of point aeration and step aeration were 4.7 and 4.9 mg NH4(+)/(gMLVSS h), respectively, while the maximum specific nitrite-uptake rates (NUR) of the two systems were 7.4 and 5.3 mg NO2(-)-N/(gMLVSS h), respectively. The proportions of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) to all bacteria were 5.1% under point aeration and 7.0% under step aeration, and the proportions of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) reached 6.5% and 9.0% under point and step aeration, respectively. The dominant genera of AOB and NOB were Nitrosococcus and Nitrospira, which accounted for 90% and 91%, respectively, under point aeration, and the diversity of nitrifying bacteria was lower than under step aeration. Point aeration was selective of nitrifying bacteria. The abundance of NOB was greater than that of AOB in both of the operation modes, and complete transformation of NH4(+) N to NO3(-)-N was observed without NO2(-)-N accumulation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Individual music therapy for agitation in dementia: an exploratory randomized controlled trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stige, Brynjulf; Qvale, Liv Gunnhild; Gold, Christian

    2013-01-01

    Objectives: Agitation in nursing home residents with dementia leads to increase in psychotropic medication, decrease in quality of life, and to patient distress and caregiver burden. Music therapy has previously been found effective in treatment of agitation in dementia care but studies have been methodologically insufficient. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of individual music therapy on agitation in persons with moderate/severe dementia living in nursing homes, and to explore its effect on psychotropic medication and quality of life. Method: In a crossover trial, 42 participants with dementia were randomized to a sequence of six weeks of individual music therapy and six weeks of standard care. Outcome measures included agitation, quality of life and medication. Results: Agitation disruptiveness increased during standard care and decreased during music therapy. The difference at −6.77 (95% CI (confidence interval): −12.71, −0.83) was significant (p = 0.027), with a medium effect size (0.50). The prescription of psychotropic medication increased significantly more often during standard care than during music therapy (p = 0.02). Conclusion: This study shows that six weeks of music therapy reduces agitation disruptiveness and prevents medication increases in people with dementia. The positive trends in relation to agitation frequency and quality of life call for further research with a larger sample. PMID:23621805

  12. Influence of aeration and lighting on biomass production and protein ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The influence aeration and light intensity could have on biomass production and protein biosynthesis in a Spirulina sp. isolated from an oil-polluted brackish water marsh is examined. Biomass, proximal composition and amino acid composition obtained from aerated cultures of the organism were compared with ...

  13. Accelerated anaerobic hydrolysis rates under a combination of intermittent aeration and anaerobic conditions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, T. R.; Lastra Milone, T.; Petersen, G.

    2017-01-01

    Anaerobic hydrolysis in activated return sludge was investigated in laboratory scale experiments to find if intermittent aeration would accelerate anaerobic hydrolysis rates compared to anaerobic hydrolysis rates under strict anaerobic conditions. The intermittent reactors were set up in a 240 h...... for calculating hydrolysis rates based on soluble COD were compared. Two-way ANOVA with the Bonferroni post-test was performed in order to register any significant difference between reactors with intermittent aeration and strictly anaerobic conditions respectively. The experiment demonstrated a statistically...... significant difference in favor of the reactors with intermittent aeration showing a tendency towards accelerated anaerobic hydrolysis rates due to application of intermittent aeration. The conclusion of the work is thus that intermittent aeration applied in the activated return sludge process (ARP) can...

  14. Shear reinforced beams in autoclaved aerated concrete

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cornelius, Thomas

    2010-01-01

    Shear behaviour in concrete materials is very well documented, for normal density concrete materials. In this paper results of various tests on low density concrete materials like aerated autoclaved concrete (in the following denoted aircrete) will be presented and analyzed for different combinat....... Codes for designing prefabricated reinforced components of aircrete structures have adopted these recently developed approaches.......Shear behaviour in concrete materials is very well documented, for normal density concrete materials. In this paper results of various tests on low density concrete materials like aerated autoclaved concrete (in the following denoted aircrete) will be presented and analyzed for different...

  15. Composting of tobacco plant waste by manual turning and forced aeration system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nonglak Saithep

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available The efficiency of tobacco plant waste composting, by the manual turning and the forced aeration system, was compared. Tobacco plant waste, cow manure, urea fertiliser, and a compost inoculum mixture at a 100:10:0.2:0.01 ratio respectively, with 60% (w/v moisture content, were set up in piling forms. The piles of the manual turning system were provided with turning aeration by hand at intervals of 7 days during the composting process. For the forced aeration system, each pile was aerated by a 3-HP air pump with a flow rate of 19 litres min-1 for 15 minutes every morning and evening. The completely randomised design of turned and force-aerated piles was performed in triplicate. The composting activity of both systems during the composting period was measured by several parameters: temperature, pH, moisture content, C/N ratio, growth of microorganisms, cellulase activity, and nicotine degradation in the set-up piles. Both systems had similar temperature, pH, and moisture content conditions in the piles during the composting process. However, the forced aeration system was more advantageous for the growth of mesophilic and thermophilic microorganisms, for cellulase activity from cellulase-producing microorganisms, and for nicotine degradation, when compared to the manual turning system. In conclusion, the forced aeration system was more efficient than the manual turning system in composting and is a viable alternative method for the composting process.

  16. Removal of radon by aeration: testing of various aeration techniques for small water works. For European Commission under Contract No FI4PCT960054 TENAWA project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salonen, L.; Mehtonen, J.; Turunen, H.; Mjoenes, L.; Hagberg, N.; Raff, O.

    2002-12-01

    Capability of various aeration techniques to remove radon from water in small waterworks was studied as a part of project (Treatment Techniques for Removing Natural Radionuclides from Drinking Water), which was carried out during 1997-1999 on a cost-shared basis (contract No. F14PCT960054) with The European Commission (CEC) under the supervision of the Directorate-General XII Radiation Protection Research Unit. In TENAWA project both laboratory and field experiments were performed in order to find reliable methods and equipment for removing natural radionuclides from ground water originating either from private wells or small waterworks. Because such techniques are more often needed in private households than at waterworks, the main emphasis of the research was aimed to solve the water treatment problems related to the private water supplies, especially bedrock wells. Radon was the most important radionuclide to be removed from water at waterworks whereas the removal of other radionuclides ( 234,238 U, 226,228 Ra, 210 Pb and 210 Po) was oft required from radonrich bedrock waters. The currently available methods and equipment were mainly tested during the field and laboratory experiments but the project was also aimed to find new materials, absorbents and membranes applicable for radionuclide removal from various types of ground waters (e.g. soft, hard, acidic). Because iron, manganese or organic occur in waters with radionuclides, their simultaneous removal was also studied. The project was divided into 13 work packages. In this report the results of the work package 2.2 are described. Elevated levels of radon and other natural radionuclides in European ground waters have been observed mainly in wide areas of the crystalline Scandinavian bedrock, especially in the granite rock areas of Finland and Sweden but also in more limited crystalline rock areas of Central and Southern Europe, Ukraine and Scotland. The radon removal efficiencies of different aeration methods

  17. Optimization of aeration for biodiesel production by Scenedesmus obliquus grown in municipal wastewater.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Song-Fang; Jin, Wenbiao; Tu, Renjie; Abomohra, Abd El-Fatah; Wang, Zhi-Han

    2016-07-01

    Despite the significant breakthroughs in research on microalgae as a feedstock for biodiesel, its production cost is still much higher than that of fossil diesel. One possible solution to overcome this problem is to optimize algal growth and lipid production in wastewater. The present study examines the optimization of pretreatment of municipal wastewater and aeration conditions in order to enhance the lipid productivity of Scenedesmus obliquus. Results showed that no significant differences were recorded in lipid productivity of S. obliquus grown in primary settled or sterilized municipal wastewater; however, ultrasound pretreatment of wastewater significantly decreased the lipid production. Whereas, aeration rates of 0.2 vvm significantly increased lipid content by 51 %, with respect to the non-aerated culture, which resulted in maximum lipid productivity (32.5 mg L(-1) day(-1)). Furthermore, aeration enrichment by 2 % CO2 resulted in increase of lipid productivity by 46 % over the CO2 non-enriched aerated culture. Fatty acid profile showed that optimized aeration significantly enhanced monounsaturated fatty acid production, composed mainly of C18:1, by 1.8 times over the non-aerated S. obliquus culture with insignificant changes in polyunsaturated fatty acid proportion; suggesting better biodiesel characteristics for the optimized culture.

  18. Waiting room crowding and agitation in a dedicated psychiatric emergency service.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El-Mallakh, Rif S; Whiteley, Amanda; Wozniak, Tanya; Ashby, McCray; Brown, Shawn; Colbert-Trowel, Danya; Pennington, Tammy; Thompson, Michael; Tasnin, Rokeya; Terrell, Christina L

    2012-05-01

    Emergency department crowding is a growing problem that impacts patient care and safety. The effect of crowding has not been examined in emergency psychiatric services. The association between patient census and use of restraints, seclusion, and anti-agitation medications as needed was examined for 1 month. A total of 689 patients were seen in 31 days. The average hourly census was 6.8 ± 2.8 (range 0 to 18). There were 33 incidences of seclusion or restraint and an additional 15 instances of medications administered for agitation. The use of seclusion, restraint, or medication for agitation was significantly associated with census (r2 = 0.3, F = 5.47, P = .036). Crowding in emergency psychiatric waiting rooms may increase the need for seclusion, restraint, or medications for agitation.

  19. Agitation and Propagandistic Work in Soviet POW Camps

    OpenAIRE

    Gulzhaukhar K. Kokebayeva

    2014-01-01

    The paper studies the problem of agitation work done among POWs in Soviet camps, the creation of military units and political organizations from POWs. Not only armed force was used during the Second World War, but also the power of words. The battles were accompanied by the information warfare. Opponents tried to use all possible means to manipulate people’s minds. Main directions of agitation and propaganda were defined by the «Soviet bureau of military and political propaganda», as well as ...

  20. CFD simulation of fluid dynamic and biokinetic processes within activated sludge reactors under intermittent aeration regime.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez, F; Rey, H; Viedma, A; Nicolás-Pérez, F; Kaiser, A S; Martínez, M

    2018-08-01

    Due to the aeration system, biological reactors are the most energy-consuming facilities of convectional WWTPs. Many biological reactors work under intermittent aeration regime; the optimization of the aeration process (air diffuser layout, air flow rate per diffuser, aeration length …) is necessary to ensure an efficient performance; satisfying the effluent requirements with the minimum energy consumption. This work develops a CFD modelling of an activated sludge reactor (ASR) which works under intermittent aeration regime. The model considers the fluid dynamic and biological processes within the ASR. The biological simulation, which is transient, takes into account the intermittent aeration regime. The CFD modelling is employed for the selection of the aeration system of an ASR. Two different aeration configurations are simulated. The model evaluates the aeration power consumption necessary to satisfy the effluent requirements. An improvement of 2.8% in terms of energy consumption is achieved by modifying the air diffuser layout. An analysis of the influence of the air flow rate per diffuser on the ASR performance is carried out. The results show a reduction of 14.5% in the energy consumption of the aeration system when the air flow rate per diffuser is reduced. The model provides an insight into the aeration inefficiencies produced within ASRs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Effective pine bark composting with the Dome Aeration Technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trois, Cristina; Polster, Andreas

    2007-01-01

    In South Africa garden refuse is primarily disposed of in domestic landfills. Due to the large quantities generated, any form of treatment would be beneficial for volume reduction, waste stabilization and resource recovery. Dome Aeration Technology (DAT) is an advanced process for aerobic biological degradation of garden refuse and general waste [Paar, S., Brummack, J., Gemende, B., 1999a. Advantages of dome aeration in mechanical-biological waste treatment. In: Proceedings of the 7th International Waste Management and Landfill Symposium, Cagliari, 4-8 October 1999; Paar, S., Brummack, J., Gemende, B., 1999b. Mechanical-biological waste stabilization by the dome aeration method. Environment Protection Engineering 25 (3/99). Mollekopf, N., Brummack, J., Paar, S., Vorster, K., 2002. Use of the Dome Aeration Technology for biochemical stabilization of waste prior to landfilling. In: Proceedings of the Wastecon 2002, Waste Congress and Exhibition, Durban, South Africa.]. It is a non-reactor open windrow composting process, with the main advantage being that the input material needs no periodic turning. A rotting time of only 3-4 months indicates the high efficiency. Additionally, the low capital/operational costs, low energy inputs and limited plant requirements provide potential for use in aerobic refuse stabilization. The innovation in the DAT process is the passive aeration achieved by thermally driven advection through open windrows caused by temperature differences between the degrading material and the outside environment. This paper investigates the application of Dome Aeration Technology to pine bark composting as part of an integrated waste management strategy. A full-scale field experiment was performed at the Bisasar Road Landfill Site in Durban to assess the influence of climate, waste composition and operational conditions on the process. A test windrow was constructed and measurements of temperature and airflow through the material were taken. The process

  2. 3D-modelling of the thermal circumstances of a lake under artificial aeration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Xiaoqing; Pan, Huachen; Köngäs, Petrina; Horppila, Jukka

    2017-12-01

    A 3D-model was developed to study the effects of hypolimnetic aeration on the temperature profile of a thermally stratified Lake Vesijärvi (southern Finland). Aeration was conducted by pumping epilimnetic water through the thermocline to the hypolimnion without breaking the thermal stratification. The model used time transient equation based on Navier-Stokes equation. The model was fitted to the vertical temperature distribution and environmental parameters (wind, air temperature, and solar radiation) before the onset of aeration, and the model was used to predict the vertical temperature distribution 3 and 15 days after the onset of aeration (1 August and 22 August). The difference between the modelled and observed temperature was on average 0.6 °C. The average percentage model error was 4.0% on 1 August and 3.7% on 22 August. In the epilimnion, model accuracy depended on the difference between the observed temperature and boundary conditions. In the hypolimnion, the model residual decreased with increasing depth. On 1 August, the model predicted a homogenous temperature profile in the hypolimnion, while the observed temperature decreased moderately from the thermocline to the bottom. This was because the effect of sediment was not included in the model. On 22 August, the modelled and observed temperatures near the bottom were identical demonstrating that the heat transfer by the aerator masked the effect of sediment and that exclusion of sediment heat from the model does not cause considerable error unless very short-term effects of aeration are studied. In all, the model successfully described the effects of the aerator on the lake's temperature profile. The results confirmed the validity of the applied computational fluid dynamic in artificial aeration; based on the simulated results, the effect of aeration can be predicted.

  3. Radioactivity in houses built of aerated concrete based on alum shale

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Swedjemark, G.A.

    1980-01-01

    The highest activities in commonly used Swedish building materials are found in aerated concrete based on alum shale. The enhanced activity level is due to the high content of radium-226. The average activity concentration of radium-226 varies between different producers of aerated concrete based on alum shale from 700 Bq kg - (20 pCi g - ) to 2 400 Bq kg - (65 pCi g - ). Houses built in the same way with the same amounts of aerated concrete can therefore have very different gamma levels and very different concentrations of radon in the air with the same air exchange rate. Aerated concrete based on alum shale was used as a building material in Sweden from 1930 to 1975. The average concentration of radon daughters found in houses built of aerated concrete based to a major extent on alum shale is about 100 bq/m 3 (2.7 pCi 1 - ). The highest radon concentrations have been found in houses built entirely of aerated concrete based on alum shale. A group of 9 houses with natural draught ventilation systems has been investigated with regard to the concentration of radon, the equilibrium equivalent concentration of radon (EEC) and the gamma dose rate. The air exchange rates varied between the houses from 0.21 to 0.43 h - and the radon concentration from 540 Bq m - (15 pCi 1 - ) to 1 160 Bq m - (31 pCi 1 - ). The values given are averages for each house. (author)

  4. Treatment Wetland Aeration without Electricity? Lessons Learned from the First Experiment Using a Wind-Driven Air Pump

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Johannes Boog

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Aerated treatment wetlands have become an increasingly recognized technology for treating wastewaters from domestic and various industrial origins. To date, treatment wetland aeration is provided by air pumps which require access to the energy grid. The requirement for electricity increases the ecological footprint of an aerated wetland and limits the application of this technology to areas with centralized electrical infrastructure. Wind power offers another possibility as a driver for wetland aeration, but its use for this purpose has not yet been investigated. This paper reports the first experimental trial using a simple wind-driven air pump to replace the conventional electric air blowers of an aerated horizontal subsurface flow wetland. The wind-driven air pump was connected to a two-year old horizontal flow aerated wetland which had been in continuous (24 h aeration since startup. The wind-driven aeration system functioned, however it was not specifically adapted to wetland aeration. As a result, treatment performance decreased compared to prior continuous aeration. Inconsistent wind speed at the site may have resulted in insufficient pressure within the aeration manifold, resulting in insufficient air supply to the wetland. This paper discusses the lessons learned during the experiment.

  5. Effects of Agitation and Storage Temperature on Measurements of Hydration Status.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adams, Heather M; Eberman, Lindsey E; Yeargin, Susan W; Niemann, Andrew J; Mata, Heather L; Dziedzicki, David J

    2015-12-01

    Hypohydration can have significant implications on normal physiological functions of the body. This study aimed to determine the impact of agitation, storage temperature, and storage time on urine osmolality compared to the criterion control. We used a descriptive diagnostic validity test design. To investigate agitation, we recruited 75 healthy individuals (males = 41, females = 34; mean age = 22 ± 5 years; mean self-reported height = 172 ± 23 cm and mass = 77 ± 17 kg) who provided one or more samples (total = 81). The independent variables were agitation (vortex, hand shaken, no agitation) and temperature (room temperature, freezer, and refrigerator) type. Participants completed informed consent, a health questionnaire and were asked to provide a urine sample, which was split and labeled according to agitation type or storage temperature. Urine osmolality was used to determine hydration status at two time points (within 2 hours [control], 48 hours). We used t-tests to determine the difference between each condition and the control and calculated percent error for each condition. No significant differences for no agitation (t79 = -0.079, P = 0.937), hand shaken (t79 = 1.395, P = 0.167) or vortex mixed (t79 = -0.753, P = 0.453) were identified when compared to the criterion control. No significant differences for room temperature (t82 = -0.720, P = 0.474), refrigerator (t82 = -2.697, P = 0.008) or freezer (t82 = 2.576, P = 0.012) were identified when compared to the criterion control. Our findings suggest agitation of urine specimen is not necessary and samples do not require refrigeration or freezing if assessed within 48 hours. Analysis within two hours of collection is not necessary and samples can be stored for up to 48 hours without impacting the hydration status of the sample.

  6. The outcome of agitation in poisoned patients in an Iranian tertiary care university hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sabzghabaee, Ali Mohammad; Yaraghi, Ahmad; Khalilidehkordi, Elham; Mirhosseini, Seyyed Mohammad Mahdy; Beheshtian, Elham; Eizadi-Mood, Nastaran

    2014-01-01

    Introduction. This study was conducted to evaluate and document the frequency and causes of agitation, the symptoms accompanying this condition in intoxications, relationship between agitation score on admission and different variables, and the outcome of therapy in a tertiary care referral poisoning center in Iran. Methods. In this prospective observational study which was done in 2012, 3010 patients were screened for agitation at the time of admission using the Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale. Demographic data including age, gender, and the drug ingested were also recorded. The patients' outcome was categorized as recovery without complications, recovery with complications (hyperthermia, renal failure, and other causes), and death. Results. Agitation was observed in 56 patients (males, n = 41), mostly aged 19-40 years (n = 38) and more frequently in illegal substance (stimulants, opioids and also alcohol) abusers. Agitation score was not significantly related to the age, gender, and previous history of psychiatric disorders. Forty nine patients had recovery without any complication. The need for mechanical ventilation was the most frequent complication. None of the patients died. Conclusion. Drug abuse seems to be a must-to-consider etiology for patients presenting with acute agitation and its morbidity and mortality could be low in agitated poisoning cases if prompt supportive care is performed.

  7. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) insights into agitation stress methods in biopharmaceutical development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bai, Ge; Bee, Jared S; Biddlecombe, James G; Chen, Quanmin; Leach, W Thomas

    2012-02-28

    Agitation of small amounts of liquid is performed routinely in biopharmaceutical process, formulation, and packaging development. Protein degradation commonly results from agitation, but the specific stress responsible or degradation mechanism is usually not well understood. Characterization of the agitation stress methods is critical to identifying protein degradation mechanisms or specific sensitivities. In this study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to model agitation of 1 mL of fluid by four types of common laboratory agitation instruments, including a rotator, orbital shaker, magnetic stirrer and vortex mixer. Fluid stresses in the bulk liquid and near interfaces were identified, quantified and compared. The vortex mixer provides the most intense stresses overall, while the stir bar system presented locally intense shear proximal to the hydrophobic stir bar surface. The rotator provides gentler fluid stresses, but the air-water interfacial area and surface stresses are relatively high given its low rotational frequency. The orbital shaker provides intermediate-level stresses but with the advantage of a large stable platform for consistent vial-to-vial homogeneity. Selection of experimental agitation methods with targeted types and intensities of stresses can facilitate better understanding of protein degradation mechanisms and predictability for "real world" applications. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Physio-Microstructural Properties of Aerated Cement Slurry for Lightweight Structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salem, Talal; Hamadna, Sameer; Darsanasiri, A. G. N. D.; Soroushian, Parviz; Balchandra, Anagi; Al-Chaar, Ghassan

    2018-01-01

    Cementitious composites, including ferrocement and continuous fiber reinforced cement, are increasingly considered for building construction and repair. One alternative in processing of these composites is to infiltrate the reinforcement (continuous fibers or chicken mesh) with a flowable cementitious slurry. The relatively high density of cementitious binders, when compared with polymeric binders, are a setback in efforts to introduce cementitious composites as lower-cost, fire-resistant, and durable alternatives to polymer composites. Aeration of the slurry is an effective means of reducing the density of cementitious composites. This approach, however, compromises the mechanical properties of cementitious binders. An experimental program was undertaken in order to assess the potential for production of aerated slurry with a desired balance of density, mechanical performance, and barrier qualities. The potential for nondestructive monitoring of strength development in aerated cementitious slurry was also investigated. This research produced aerated slurries with densities as low as 0.9 g/cm3 with viable mechanical and barrier qualities for production of composites. The microstructure of these composites was also investigated. PMID:29649163

  9. CFD simulation of local and global mixing time in an agitated tank

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Liangchao; Xu, Bin

    2017-01-01

    The Issue of mixing efficiency in agitated tanks has drawn serious concern in many industrial processes. The turbulence model is very critical to predicting mixing process in agitated tanks. On the basis of computational fluid dynamics(CFD) software package Fluent 6.2, the mixing characteristics in a tank agitated by dual six-blade-Rushton-turbines(6-DT) are predicted using the detached eddy simulation(DES) method. A sliding mesh(SM) approach is adopted to solve the rotation of the impeller. The simulated flow patterns and liquid velocities in the agitated tank are verified by experimental data in the literature. The simulation results indicate that the DES method can obtain more flow details than Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes(RANS) model. Local and global mixing time in the agitated tank is predicted by solving a tracer concentration scalar transport equation. The simulated results show that feeding points have great influence on mixing process and mixing time. Mixing efficiency is the highest for the feeding point at location of midway of the two impellers. Two methods are used to determine global mixing time and get close result. Dimensionless global mixing time remains unchanged with increasing of impeller speed. Parallel, merging and diverging flow pattern form in the agitated tank, respectively, by changing the impeller spacing and clearance of lower impeller from the bottom of the tank. The global mixing time is the shortest for the merging flow, followed by diverging flow, and the longest for parallel flow. The research presents helpful references for design, optimization and scale-up of agitated tanks with multi-impeller.

  10. Magnetic shaft seals prevent hazardous leakage from wastewater agitators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Traino, F.A.

    1985-01-01

    The US Department of Energy's laboratory in Miamisburg, OH, operated by Monsanto Research Corporation, processes approximately 45,000 gallons per week of low-level radioactive wastewater to meet Federal Environmental Protection Agency quality standards. Preventing the spread of radioactive contamination throughout the operating area demands effective sealing of all process piping, valves, pumps, and agitators. Rotating shafts of pumps and agitators installed a the start of operations in 1947 were sealed by stuffing glands with graphite impregnated asbestos packing. These pumps proved to be unsatisfactory. In the mid-1970's, new process pumps with mechanical seals and some with magnetic drives were installed. Later, in January 1979, new agitator shaft drives with double tandem, spring-loaded mechanical seals were installed, maintenance of these pumps was costly. The agitator drive shafts were redesigned to accommodate magnetic seals of the type successfully used in blowers and vacuum/pressure pumps in other plant locations. One inherent advantage of the magnetic seal is that it operates with a face loading as much as 50% less than a conventional spring-loaded mechanical seal. The lower loading by a predetermined uniform magnetic force contributes to long face life. Other advantages include compactness, ease of assembly with only a few parts, and insensitivity to vibration. The magnetic shaft seals installed on the agitator shafts in February 1983 are still in service without any leakage or need for maintenance. Based on current operating data and a projected five-year meantime between failures, the estimated cost benefit of the magnetic seals over spring-loaded mechanical seals over spring-loaded mechanical seals will be $640 vs $2400 respectively per seal, with 60% less downtime for maintenance

  11. Investigation of flashing de-aeration with and without recirculation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kjellstroem, B.; Toecksberg, B.

    1977-06-01

    A series of experiments with flashing de-areation has been carried out at the institute of Thermal Energytechnology of the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. The results of the experiments with flashing de-areation without recirculation of the condensate show very low contents of dissolved oxygen in the de-aerated water. The results indicate that the de-aeration process is independent of the pressure. De-aeration efficiencies over 99 percent were measured. The continued experiments with recirculation of the condensate show a considerably deteriorated de-aeration performance together with a marked pressure dependency. A simple theoretical model has been formulated which explains these results. Comparisons between the experimental data and calculations with this model indicate that a conservative estimation of the oxygen content of the outgoing water can be obtained if the oxygen content of the recirculated condensate is calculated for the partial pressure of noncondensible gases equal to the total pressure in the condensor. It seems also possible to estimate a lower limit for the oxygen content of the outgoing water. The range of oxygen content between those limits is about a factor of 10 for the conditions investigated. Further studies of the uptake of oxygen during condensation seem necessary if a more accurate prediction is desired

  12. Porosimetric, Thermal and Strength Tests of Aerated and Nonaerated Concretes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strzałkowski, Jarosław; Garbalińska, Halina

    2017-10-01

    The paper presents the results of porosimetry tests of lightweight concretes, obtained with three research methods. Impact of different porosity structures on the basic thermal and strength properties was also evaluated. Tests were performed, using the pressure gauge method on fresh concrete mixes, as well as using the mercury porosimetry test and optic RapidAir method on specimens prepared from mature composites. The study was conducted on lightweight concretes, based on expanded clay aggregate and fly ash aggregate, in two variants: with non-aerated and aerated cement matrix. In addition, two reference concretes, based on normal aggregate, were prepared, also in two variants of matrix aeration. Changes in thermal conductivity λ and volumetric specific heat cv throughout the first three months of curing of the concretes were examined. Additionally, tests for compressive strength on cubic samples were performed during the first three months of curing. It was found that the pressure gauge method, performed on a fresh mix, gave lowered values of porosity, compared to the other methods. The mercury porosity tests showed high sensitivity in evaluation of pores smaller than 30μm. Unfortunately, this technique is not suitable for analysing pores greater than 300μm. On the other hand, the optical method proves good in evaluation of large pores, greater than 300μm. The paper also presents results of correlation of individual methods of porosity testing. A consolidated graph of the pore structure, derived from both mercury and optical methods, was presented, too. For the all of six tested concretes, differential graphs of porosity, prepared with both methods, show a very broad convergence. The thermal test results indicate usefulness of aeration of the cement matrix of the composites based on lightweight aggregates for the further reduction of the thermal conductivity coefficient λ of the materials. The lowest values of the λ coefficient were obtained for the aerated

  13. Does psychomotor agitation in major depressive episodes indicate bipolarity? Evidence from the Zurich Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Angst, Jules; Gamma, Alex; Benazzi, Franco; Ajdacic, Vladeta; Rössler, Wulf

    2009-02-01

    Kraepelin's partial interpretation of agitated depression as a mixed state of "manic-depressive insanity" (including the current concept of bipolar disorder) has recently been the focus of much research. This paper tested whether, how, and to what extent both psychomotor symptoms, agitation and retardation in depression are related to bipolarity and anxiety. The prospective Zurich Study assessed psychiatric and somatic syndromes in a community sample of young adults (N = 591) (aged 20 at first interview) by six interviews over 20 years (1979-1999). Psychomotor symptoms of agitation and retardation were assessed by professional interviewers from age 22 to 40 (five interviews) on the basis of the observed and reported behaviour within the interview section on depression. Psychiatric diagnoses were strictly operationalised and, in the case of bipolar-II disorder, were broader than proposed by DSM-IV-TR and ICD-10. As indicators of bipolarity, the association with bipolar disorder, a family history of mania/hypomania/cyclothymia, together with hypomanic and cyclothymic temperament as assessed by the general behavior inventory (GBI) [15], and mood lability (an element of cyclothymic temperament) were used. Agitated and retarded depressive states were equally associated with the indicators of bipolarity and with anxiety. Longitudinally, agitation and retardation were significantly associated with each other (OR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.0-3.2), and this combined group of major depressives showed stronger associations with bipolarity, with both hypomanic/cyclothymic and depressive temperamental traits, and with anxiety. Among agitated, non-retarded depressives, unipolar mood disorder was even twice as common as bipolar mood disorder. Combined agitated and retarded major depressive states are more often bipolar than unipolar, but, in general, agitated depression (with or without retardation) is not more frequently bipolar than retarded depression (with or without agitation), and

  14. Can we predict agitation in patients with suicide attempts in the ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    liberate self-poisoning or self-harm, with a rate of 38%4. Furthermore ... agitated in EDs, as this will affect resistance to treatment, as well as .... Benzodiazepine in urine. 11 (25.3%) .... Agitation is a severe form of anxiety associated with mo-.

  15. Postanesthetic Emergence Agitation in Pediatric Patients under General Anesthesia

    OpenAIRE

    Mohkamkar, Masoumeh; Farhoudi, Fatemeh; Alam-Sahebpour, Alireza; Mousavi, Seyed-Abdullah; Khani, Soghra; Shahmohammadi, Soheila

    2014-01-01

    Abstract Objective Postanesthetic emergence agitation is a common problem in pediatric postanesthetic care unit with an incidence ranging from 10 to 80%. This study was done to determine the prevalence of emergence agitation and associated risk factors in pediatric patients who underwent general anesthesia. Methods This cross-sectional descriptive and analytic study was performed on 747 pediatric patients aged 3- 7 years that underwent general anesthesia for various elective surgeries at Bou-...

  16. Groundwater Quality Improvement by Using Aeration and Filtration Methods

    OpenAIRE

    Nik N. Nik Daud; Nur H. Izehar; B. Yusuf; Thamer A. Mohamed; A. Ahsan

    2013-01-01

    An experiment was conducted using two aeration methods (water-into-air and air-into-water) and followed by filtration processes using manganese greensand material. The properties of groundwater such as pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and heavy metal concentration (iron and manganese) will be assessed. The objectives of this study are i) to determine the effective aeration method and ii) to assess the effectiveness of manganese greensand as filter media in removing iron an...

  17. Optimal nonpharmacological management of agitation in Alzheimer’s disease: challenges and solutions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Millán-Calenti JC

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available José Carlos Millán-Calenti,1 Laura Lorenzo-López,1 Begoña Alonso-Búa,1 Carmen de Labra,2 Isabel González-Abraldes,1 Ana Maseda1 1Gerontology Research Group, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidade da Coruña, A Coruña, Spain; 2Research, Development and Innovation Department, Gerontological Complex La Milagrosa, Provincial Association of Pensioners and Retired People (UDP from A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain Abstract: Many patients with Alzheimer’s disease will develop agitation at later stages of the disease, which constitutes one of the most challenging and distressing aspects of dementia. Recently, nonpharmacological therapies have become increasingly popular and have been proven to be effective in managing the behavioral symptoms (including agitation that are common in the middle or later stages of dementia. These therapies seem to be a good alternative to pharmacological treatment to avoid unpleasant side effects. We present a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs focused on the nonpharmacological management of agitation in Alzheimer’s disease (AD patients aged 65 years and above. Of the 754 studies found, eight met the inclusion criteria. This review suggests that music therapy is optimal for the management of agitation in institutionalized patients with moderately severe and severe AD, particularly when the intervention includes individualized and interactive music. Bright light therapy has little and possibly no clinically significant effects with respect to observational ratings of agitation but decreases caregiver ratings of physical and verbal agitation. Therapeutic touch is effective for reducing physical nonaggressive behaviors but is not superior to simulated therapeutic touch or usual care for reducing physically aggressive and verbally agitated behaviors. Melissa oil aromatherapy and behavioral management techniques are not superior to placebo or pharmacological therapies for

  18. Utilizing whey protein isolate and polysaccharide complexes to stabilize aerated dairy gels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Chiu, Emily; Vardhanabhuti, Bongkosh

    2017-05-01

    Heated soluble complexes of whey protein isolate (WPI) with polysaccharides may be used to modify the properties of aerated dairy gels, which could be formulated into novel-textured high-protein desserts. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of polysaccharide charge density and concentration within a WPI-polysaccharide complex on the physical properties of aerated gels. Three polysaccharides having different degrees of charge density were chosen: low-methoxyl pectin, high-methoxyl type D pectin, and guar gum. Heated complexes were prepared by heating the mixed dispersions (8% protein, 0 to 1% polysaccharide) at pH 7. To form aerated gels, 2% glucono-δ-lactone was added to the dispersions of skim milk powder and heated complex and foam was generated by whipping with a handheld frother. The foam set into a gel as the glucono-δ-lactone acidified to a final pH of 4.5. The aerated gels were evaluated for overrun, drainage, gel strength, and viscoelastic properties. Without heated complexes, stable aerated gels could not be formed. Overrun of aerated gel decreased (up to 73%) as polysaccharide concentration increased from 0.105 to 0.315% due to increased viscosity, which limited air incorporation. A negative relationship was found between percent drainage and dispersion viscosity. However, plotting of drainage against dispersion viscosity separated by polysaccharide type revealed that drainage decreased most in samples with high-charge-density, low-methoxyl pectin followed by those with low-charge-density, high-methoxyl type D pectin. Aerated gels with guar gum (no charge) did not show improvement to stability. Rheological results showed no significant difference in gelation time among samples; therefore, stronger interactions between WPI and high-charge-density polysaccharide were likely responsible for increased stability. Stable dairy aerated gels can be created from WPI-polysaccharide complexes. High-charge-density polysaccharides, at

  19. Development of a model for activated sludge aeration systems: linking air supply, distribution, and demand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schraa, Oliver; Rieger, Leiv; Alex, Jens

    2017-02-01

    During the design of a water resource recovery facility, it is becoming industry practice to use simulation software to assist with process design. Aeration is one of the key components of the activated sludge process, and is one of the most important aspects of modelling wastewater treatment systems. However, aeration systems are typically not modelled in detail in most wastewater treatment process modelling studies. A comprehensive dynamic aeration system model has been developed that captures both air supply and demand. The model includes sub-models for blowers, pipes, fittings, and valves. An extended diffuser model predicts both oxygen transfer efficiency within an aeration basin and pressure drop across the diffusers. The aeration system model allows engineers to analyse aeration systems as a whole to determine biological air requirements, blower performance, air distribution, control valve impacts, controller design and tuning, and energy costs. This enables engineers to trouble-shoot the entire aeration system including process, equipment and controls. It also allows much more realistic design of these highly complex systems.

  20. How effective is aeration with vortex flow regulators? Pilot scale experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wójtowicz, Patryk; Szlachta, Małgorzata

    2017-11-01

    Vortex flow regulators (VFR) are used in urban drainage systems as a replacement for traditional flow throttling devices. Vortex regulators are not only very efficient energy dissipators but also atomizers which are beneficial for sewer aeration. A deficit of dissolved oxygen can be a problem in both natural waters and sewerage. Hydrodynamic flow regulators can boost oxygen concentration preventing putrefaction and improving treatment of stormwater and wastewater. We were first to investigate the aeration efficiency of semi-commercial scale cylindrical vortex flow regulators to determine the potential of their application in environmental engineering and to propose modification to enhance the aeration capacity of basic designs. Different device geometries and arrangements of active outlets for both single and double discharge vortex regulators were tested in a recirculating system. In this study, we present a concise review of the current state of our extensive research on the aeration efficiency of vortex flow regulators and their application in sewerage systems.

  1. Effect of influent aeration on removal of organic matter from coffee processing wastewater in constructed wetlands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rossmann, Maike; Matos, Antonio Teixeira; Abreu, Edgar Carneiro; Silva, Fabyano Fonseca; Borges, Alisson Carraro

    2013-10-15

    The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of aeration and vegetation on the removal of organic matter in coffee processing wastewater (CPW) treated in 4 constructed wetlands (CWs), characterized as follows: (i) ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) cultivated system operating with an aerated influent; (ii) non-cultivated system operating with an aerated influent, (iii) ryegrass cultivated system operating with a non-aerated influent; and (iv) non-cultivated system operating with a non-aerated influent. The lowest average chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and total suspended solids (TSS) removal efficiencies of 87, 84 and 73%, respectively, were obtained in the ryegrass cultivated system operating with a non-aerated influent. However, ryegrass cultivation did not influence the removal efficiency of organic matter. Artificial aeration of the CPW, prior to its injection in the CW, did not improve the removal efficiencies of organic matter. On other hand it did contribute to increase the instantaneous rate at which the maximum COD removal efficiency was reached. Although aeration did not result in greater organic matter removal efficiencies, it is important to consider the benefits of aeration on the removal of the other compounds. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Automatic Time Regulator for Switching on an Aeration Device for ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The need to aerate the pond at odd hours due to diurnal limit, save cost and human labor, necessitated the design of an automatic time regulator circuit, which controls the switching on and o of an aeration device at a pre determined and selected time interval (5mins., 10mins., 20mins., 30mins., and 40mins.) This design ...

  3. Level of Agitation of Psychiatric Patients Presenting to an Emergency Department

    OpenAIRE

    Zun, Leslie S.; Downey, La Vonne A.

    2008-01-01

    Objectives: The primary purpose of this study was to determine the level of agitation that psychiatric patients exhibit upon arrival to the emergency department. The secondary purpose was to determine whether the level of agitation changed over time depending upon whether the patient was restrained or unrestrained.

  4. Comparison of a networks-of-zones fluid mixing model for a baffled stirred vessel with three-dimensional electrical resistance tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodgers, T L; Siperstein, F R; Mann, R; York, T A; Kowalski, A

    2011-01-01

    Reliable models for the simulation of mixing vessels are important for the understanding of real-life mixing problems. To achieve these models, information about the mixing in the system must be measured to compare with the predicted values. Electrical resistance tomography has the capability to measure spatial and temporal changes within a vessel in three dimensions even in optically inaccessible environments. This paper discusses the creation of a network-of-zones model for the prediction of mixing within a vessel with a Cowles disc-type agitator. Solving of the network-of-zones simplified transport equations for the vessel predicts the concentration distribution of an inert tracer added to the vessel. The change in this distribution with time is calculated and compared with visual inspection of the vessel. The concentration distribution inside the vessel is also measured using electrical resistance tomography and shows good agreement with the predicted values

  5. Qualitative study of the agitation states and their characterization, and the interventions used to attend them.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rubio-Valera, María; Huerta-Ramos, Elena; Baladón, Luisa; Aznar-Lou, Ignacio; Ortiz-Moreno, José M; Luciano, Juan V; Roset-Arisso, Pere N; Salvador-Carulla, Luis; Villagrán, José M; Mayoral, Fermín; Gracia, Alfredo; Serrano-Blanco, Antoni

    2016-09-01

    Agitation is a common problem in psychiatric care with serious clinical and economic consequences. The aim of the study was to define and characterize the agitation states present in usual medical practice in the acute and emergency units of a psychiatric hospital. Two nominal groups, one with 7 nurses and the other with 10 psychiatrists from the Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, were established. The nurses described two main states forming the endpoints of a spectrum: from mild (pre-agitation) to severe (agitation). A third state was outlined in which agitation was characterized by disorganized behavior problems. Various care packages were described for each agitation state. The care packages were divided into first, second and third line approaches. The first line approaches (i.e., verbal containment) were used on every (pre)agitated patient. If the first line approach was not effective, the second and third line approaches were implemented, culminating with physical restraint. The psychiatrists described 3 states: a mild initial state (anxiety and irritability), moderate (pre-agitation without aggressiveness) and a severe state of agitation with aggressiveness and/or violence. In order to avoid progression to a severely agitated state, both groups agreed on the importance of appropriate verbal containment for all states. This would be followed by environmental measures, medication and mechanical restrain depending on the severity of the state.

  6. PROJECT OF COAGULANT DISPENSER IN PULVERIZATION AERATOR WITH WIND DRIVE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ewa Osuch

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Lakes are one of most important freshwater ecosystems, playing significant role in functioning of nature and human economy. Swarzędzkie Lake is good example of ecosystem, which in last half-century was exposed to the influence of strong anthropopressure. Direct inflow of sewage with large number of biogens coming to the lake with water of inflows caused distinct disturbance of its functioning. In autumn 2011 restoration begined on Swarzędzkie Lake for reduction of lake trophy and improvement of water quality. For achieving better and quicker effect, simultaneously combination of some methods was applied, among others method of oxygenation of over-bottom water with help of pulverization aerator and method of precise inactivation of phosphorus in water depths. Characterization and analysis of improved coagulant dispenser applying active substance only during work of pulverization aerator is the aim of this thesis. Principle of dispenser work, its structure and location in pulverization aerator were explained. It was stated, that introduction to water a factor initiating process of phosphorus inactivation causes significant reduction of mineral phosphorus in water and size of coagulant dose correlates with intensity of work of pulverization aerator with wind drive.

  7. SAFETY AND UTILITY OF ACUTE ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY FOR AGITATION AND AGGRESSION IN DEMENTIA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acharya, Deepa; Harper, David G.; Achtyes, Eric D.; Seiner, Stephen J.; Mahdasian, Jack A.; Nykamp, Louis J.; Adkison, Lesley; Van der Schuur White, Lori; McClintock, Shawn M.; Ujkaj, Manjola; Davidoff, Donald A.; Forester, Brent P.

    2015-01-01

    Objective Agitation and aggression are among the most frequent and disruptive behavioral complications of dementia that contribute to increased cost of care, hospitalization, caregiver burden, and risk of premature institutionalization. This current study examined the safety and efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) as a treatment for behavioral disturbances in dementia. We hypothesized that ECT would result in reduced agitated and aggressive behaviors between baseline and discharge. Methods Twenty-three participants admitted to McLean Hospital (Belmont, MA) and Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services (Grand Rapids, MI), with a diagnosis of dementia who were referred for ECT to treat agitation and/or aggression, were enrolled in the study. We administered the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI)-short form, Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI)-Nursing Home Version, Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD), and the Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI) at baseline, during, and after the ECT course. Results Regression analyses revealed a significant decrease from baseline to discharge on the CMAI (F(4, 8) =13.3; p=0.006) and NPI (F(4, 31)= 14.6; pagitated/aggressive” at baseline to “borderline agitated/aggressive” at discharge. Treatment with ECT was well tolerated by most participants; discontinuation of ECT occurred for two participants due to recurrence of agitation and for three participants due to adverse events. Conclusions ECT may be a safe treatment option to reduce symptoms of agitation and aggression in patients with dementia whose behaviors are refractory to medication management. PMID:24838521

  8. Alternative pharmacological treatment options for agitation in Alzheimer’s disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francesco Panza

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available In patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD, treatment of neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS is a major concern in the management of these devastating diseases. Among NPS in AD, agitation and aggression are common with earlier institutionalization, increased morbidity and mortality, and greater caregiver burden. Pharmacological treatments for AD-related agitation, specifically off-label use of atypical antipsychotics, showed only modest improvements, with increased side-effect burden and risk of mortality. Non-pharmacological treatment approaches have become the preferred firstline option. However, when such treatments fail, pharmacological options are often used. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify effective and safe pharmacological treatments for agitation/aggression in AD and dementia. Unfortunately, progresses have been slow, with a small number of methodologically heterogeneous randomized controlled trials (RCTs, with disappointing results. However, evidence coming from recently completed RCTs on novel or repositioned drugs (mibampator, dextromethorphan/ quinidine, cannabinoids, and citalopram showed some promise in treating agitation in AD, but still with safety concerns. Further evidence will come from ongoing Phase II and III trials on promising novel drugs for treating these distressing symptoms in patients with AD and dementia.

  9. Production of environmentally friendly aerated concrete with required construction and operational properties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tkach Evgeniya

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of these studies is to justify the feasibility of recycling different types of industrial waste instead of conventional expensive raw materials in production of environmentally friendly aerated concrete with required construction and operational properties. The impact of wastes from various industries on the environmental condition of affected areas, as well as the results of their environmental assessment were analyzed to determine whether these wastes could be used in production of high-performance building materials. The assessment of industrial wastes in aerated concrete production suggests that industrial wastes of hazard class IV can be recycled to produce aerated concrete. An environmentally friendly method for large-scale waste recycling, including a two-step environmentally sustainable mechanism, was developed. The basic quality indicators of the modified aerated concrete proved that the environmental safety could be enhanced by strengthening the structure, increasing its uniformity and improving thermal insulation properties. The modified non-autoclaved aerated concrete products with improved physical and operational properties were developed. They have the following properties: density – D700; class of concrete – B3.5; thermal transmittance coefficient – 0.143 W/(m·°C; frost resistance – F75.

  10. Dexmedetomidine does not reduce emergence agitation in adults following orthognathic surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ham, S Y; Kim, J E; Park, C; Shin, M J; Shim, Y H

    2014-09-01

    Patients undergoing orthognathic surgery are at high risk of developing emergence agitation. We hypothesised that a single-dose of dexmedetomidine would reduce emergence agitation in adults with nasotracheal intubation after orthognathic surgery. Seventy adults (20-45 years old) undergoing orthognathic surgery were randomly assigned to two groups. Patients received intravenous dexmedetomidine 1 μg/kg (dex group) or normal saline (control group) for 10 min at the end of surgery. Remifentanil was infused at 0.02 μg/kg/min during emergence in both groups. The severity of emergence agitation was assessed with the Richmond agitation-sedation scale. Cough, haemodynamic and respiratory profiles, pain, and time to eye opening were evaluated. The incidence of emergence agitation was not different between dex group and control group (38% vs. 47%, P = 0.45). However, severe cough during emergence was reduced in the dex group (P = 0.04). Tachycardia during emergence and recovery phases was attenuated in the dex group. The verbal numeric rating of pain was lower in the dex group. There were no differences in respiratory rate between the two groups. Time to eye opening was prolonged in the dex group. The addition of a single dose of dexmedetomidine (1 μg/kg) to low-dose remifentanil infusion did not attenuate emergence agitation in intubated patients after orthognathic surgery compared with low-dose remifentanil infusion alone. However, single-dose dexmedetomidine suppressed coughing, haemodynamic changes, and pain during emergence and recovery phases, without respiratory depression. Delayed awakening might be associated with this treatment. © 2014 The Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. Simple Impeller Systems for Maintenance of Oil Palm Culture Aggregates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tarmizi, A.H.; Zaiton, R.; Rosli, M.Y.

    2016-01-01

    Scaling up of liquid culture systems generally involves moving from the use of simple shake flasks to bioreactors or specialised vessels; this is costly. A new innovation called the Two-in-One MPOB Simple Impeller (2-in-1 MoSLIM) was developed using commonly available Schott bottles in the laboratory. This system provided simultaneous aeration and agitation (two-in-one) in a single device for tissue propagation in liquid culture. The 2-in-1 MoSLIM produced cell aggregates with fresh weight increments of two- to six-fold over 30-40 days. This system was a convenient alternative compared to the conventional shake flask system. Multiplication of cultures in the 2-in-1 MoSLIM did not require any shaker or a big space area. This system with a working volume of 300 - 700 ml used a simple impeller and a pump for agitation and aeration purposes. However, with the 2-in-1 MoSLIM, media replenishment remained a tedious task. To overcome this, modifications were made to the system to enable media replenishment on-site without the need of a sterile hood. The adaptation of 2-in-1 MoSLIM with an earlier innovation, Fast Transfer Technique (MoFaTT) in Liquid Culture System, resulted in the development of the Simple Impeller with Fast Transfer Technique (SLIM-FaTT) system. This new system can be applied to the liquid culture system of any crop with a potential towards automation. (author)

  12. Behavior management approach for agitated behavior in Japanese patients with dementia: a pilot study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sato J

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Junko Sato,1 Shutaro Nakaaki,2 Katsuyoshi Torii,1 Mizuki Oka,2 Atsushi Negi,1 Hiroshi Tatsumi,3 Jin Narumoto,4 Toshi A Furukawa,5 Masaru Mimura21Department of Psychiatry and Cognitive-Behavioral Medicine, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, 2Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 3Department of Health Science, Faculty of Psychological and Physical Science, Aichi Gakuin University, Nagoya, 4Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, 5Department of Health Promotion and Human Behavior (Cognitive-Behavioral Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine/School of Public Health, Kyoto, JapanBackground: Agitated behaviors are frequently observed in patients with dementia and can cause severe distress to caregivers. However, little evidence of the efficacy of nonpharmacological interventions for agitated behaviors exists for patients with dementia. The present pilot study aimed to evaluate a behavioral management program developed by the Seattle Protocols for patients with agitated behaviors in Japan.Methods: Eighteen patients with dementia (Alzheimer’s disease, n = 14; dementia with Lewy bodies, n = 4 participated in an open study testing the effectiveness of a behavioral management program. The intervention consisted of 20 sessions over the course of 3 months. The primary outcomes were severity of agitation in dementia, as measured using the Agitated Behavior in Dementia scale (ABID and the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI.Results: The behavioral management program resulted in significant reductions in total scores on both the ABID and CMAI. Although both physically agitated and verbally agitated behavior scores on the ABID improved significantly, symptoms of psychosis did not improve after the intervention.Conclusion: The behavioral management technique may be beneficial to distressed caregivers of

  13. Monitoring transitory profiles of leachate humic substances in landfill aeration reactors in mesophilic and thermophilic conditions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tong, Huanhuan [Residues and Resource Reclamation Centre, Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Cleantech Loop, CleanTech One, 637141 (Singapore); School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, 639798 (Singapore); Yin, Ke; Ge, Liya; Giannis, Apostolos [Residues and Resource Reclamation Centre, Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Cleantech Loop, CleanTech One, 637141 (Singapore); Chuan, Valerie W.L. [School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, 639798 (Singapore); Wang, Jing-Yuan, E-mail: JYWANG@ntu.edu.sg [Residues and Resource Reclamation Centre, Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Cleantech Loop, CleanTech One, 637141 (Singapore); School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, 639798 (Singapore)

    2015-04-28

    Highlights: • Polymerization and condensation of humic substances (HS) were enhanced by aeration. • Carboxylic group was enriched in HS by aeration presenting improved hydrophilicity. • Mobility of humic acid, as a result was enhanced by aeration especially in young landfill. • Waste age plays an important role in leachate management during aeration. - Abstract: The presence of humic substances (HS) in landfill leachate is of great interest because of their structural stability and potential toxicity. This study examined the effects of temperature and waste age on the transformation of HS during in situ aeration of bioreactor landfills. By establishing aerobic conditions, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) rapidly accumulated in the bioreactor leachate. Fractional analysis showed that the elevated concentration of humic acids (HAs) was primarily responsible for the increment of leachate strength. Further structural characterization indicated that the molecular weight (MW) and aromacity of HS were enhanced by aeration in conjunction with thermophilic temperature. Interestingly, elevation of HAs concentration was not observed in the aeration reactor with a prolonged waste age, as the mobility of HAs was lowered by the high MW derived from extended waste age. Based on these results, aeration may be more favorable in aged landfills, since dissolution of HAs could be minimized by the evolution to larger MW compared to young landfills. Moreover, increased operation temperature during aeration likely offers benefits for the rapid maturation of HS.

  14. Prehospital Agitation and Sedation Trial (PhAST): A Randomized Control Trial of Intramuscular Haloperidol versus Intramuscular Midazolam for the Sedation of the Agitated or Violent Patient in the Prehospital Environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isenberg, Derek L; Jacobs, Dorian

    2015-10-01

    Violent patients in the prehospital environment pose a threat to health care workers tasked with managing their medical conditions. While research has focused on methods to control the agitated patient in the emergency department (ED), there is a paucity of data looking at the optimal approach to subdue these patients safely in the prehospital setting. Hypothesis This study evaluated the efficacy of two different intramuscular medications, midazolam and haloperidol, to determine their efficacy in sedating agitated patients in the prehospital setting. This was a prospective, randomized, observational trial wherein agitated patients were administered intramuscular haloperidol or intramuscular midazolam to control agitation. Agitation was quantified by the Richmond Agitation and Sedation Scale (RASS). Paramedics recorded the RASS and vital signs every five minutes during transport and again upon arrival to the ED. The primary outcome was mean time to achieve a RASS less than +1. Secondary outcomes included mean time for patients to return to baseline mental status and adverse events. Five patients were enrolled in each study group. In the haloperidol group, the mean time to achieve a RASS score of less than +1 was 24.8 minutes (95% CI, 8-49 minutes), and the mean time for the return of a normal mental status was 84 minutes (95% CI, 0-202 minutes). Two patients required additional prehospital doses for adequate sedation. There were no adverse events recorded in the patients administered haloperidol. In the midazolam group, the mean time to achieve a RASS score of less than +1 was 13.5 minutes (95% CI, 8-19 minutes) and the mean time for the return of normal mental status was 105 minutes (95% CI, 0-178 minutes). One patient required additional sedation in the ED. There were no adverse events recorded among the patients administered midazolam. Midazolam and haloperidol administered intramuscularly appear equally effective for sedating an agitated patient in the

  15. Enhanced Chondrocyte Proliferation in a Prototyped Culture System with Wave-Induced Agitation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pilarek Maciej

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available One of the actual challenges in tissue engineering applications is to efficiently produce as high of number of cells as it is only possible, in the shortest time. In static cultures, the production of animal cell biomass in integrated forms (i.e. aggregates, inoculated scaffolds is limited due to inefficient diffusion of culture medium components observed in such non-mixed culture systems, especially in the case of cell-inoculated fiber-based dense 3D scaffolds, inside which the intensification of mass transfer is particularly important. The applicability of a prototyped, small-scale, continuously wave-induced agitated system for intensification of anchorage-dependent CP5 chondrocytes proliferation outside and inside three-dimensional poly(lactic acid (PLA scaffolds has been discussed. Fibrous PLA-based constructs have been inoculated with CP5 cells and then maintained in two independent incubation systems: (i non-agitated conditions and (ii culture with wave-induced agitation. Significantly higher values of the volumetric glucose consumption rate have been noted for the system with the wave-induced agitation. The advantage of the presented wave-induced agitation culture system has been confirmed by lower activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH released from the cells in the samples of culture medium harvested from the agitated cultures, in contrast to rather high values of LDH activity measured for static conditions. Results of the proceeded experiments and their analysis clearly exhibited the feasibility of the culture system supported with continuously wave-induced agitation for robust proliferation of the CP5 chondrocytes on PLA-based structures. Aside from the practicability of the prototyped system, we believe that it could also be applied as a standard method offering advantages for all types of the daily routine laboratory-scale animal cell cultures utilizing various fiber-based biomaterials, with the use of only regular laboratory

  16. Agitation After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Frequent Omen of Hospital Complications Associated with Worse Outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reznik, Michael E; Schmidt, J Michael; Mahta, Ali; Agarwal, Sachin; Roh, David J; Park, Soojin; Frey, Hans Peter; Claassen, Jan

    2017-06-01

    Agitated delirium is frequent following acute brain injury, but data are limited in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). We examined incidence, risk factors, and consequences of agitation in these patients in a single-center retrospective study. We identified all patients treated with antipsychotics or dexmedetomidine from a prospective observational cohort of patients with spontaneous SAH. Agitation was confirmed by chart review. Outcomes were assessed at 12 months using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS), and Lawton IADL (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living) scores. Independent predictors were identified using logistic regression. From 309 SAH patients admitted between January 2011 and December 2015, 52 (17 %) developed agitation, frequently in the first 72 h (50 %) and in patients with Hunt-Hess grades 3-4 (12 % of grades 1-2, 28 % of grades 3-4, 8 % of grade 5). There was also a significant association between agitation and a history of cocaine use or prior psychiatric diagnosis. Agitated patients were more likely to develop multiple hospital complications; and in half of these patients, complications were diagnosed within 24 h of agitation onset. Agitation was associated with IADL impairment at 12 months (Lawton >8; p = 0.03, OR 2.7, 95 % CI, 1.1-6.8) in non-comatose patients (Hunt-Hess 1-4), but not with functional outcome (mRS >3), cognitive impairment (TICS ≤30), or ICU/hospital length of stay after controlling for other predictors. Agitation occurs frequently after SAH, especially in non-comatose patients with higher clinical grades. It is associated with the development of multiple hospital complications and may have an independent impact on long-term outcomes.

  17. Citalopram for agitation in Alzheimer’s disease (CitAD): design and methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drye, Lea T.; Ismail, Zahinoor; Porsteinsson, Anton P.; Rosenberg, Paul B.; Weintraub, Daniel; Marano, Christopher; Pelton, Gregory; Frangakis, Constantine; Rabins, Peter V.; Munro, Cynthia A.; Meinert, Curtis L.; Devanand, D.P.; Yesavage, Jerome; Mintzer, Jacobo E.; Schneider, Lon S.; Pollock, Bruce G.; Lyketsos, Constantine G.

    2012-01-01

    Background Agitation is one of the most common neuropsychiatric symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and is associated with serious adverse consequences for patients and caregivers. Evidence-supported treatment options for agitation are limited. The citalopram for agitation in Alzheimer’s disease (CitAD) study was designed to evaluate the potential of citalopram to ameliorate these symptoms. Methods CitAD is a randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled multicenter clinical trial with two parallel treatment groups assigned in a 1:1 ratio and randomization stratified by clinical center. The study has eight recruiting clinical centers, a chair’s office and a coordinating center located in university settings in the United States and Canada. 200 people having probable Alzheimer’s disease with clinically significant agitation and without major depression are being recruited. Patients are randomized to receive citalopram (target dose of 30 mg/day) or matching placebo. Caregivers of patients in both treatment groups receive a structured psychosocial therapy. Agitation will be compared between treatment groups using the NeuroBehavioral Rating Scale and the AD Cooperative Study- Clinical Global Impression of Change which are the primary outcomes. Functional performance, cognition, caregiver distress and rates of adverse and serious adverse events will also be measured. Conclusion The authors believe the design elements in CitAD are important features to be included in trials assessing the safety and efficacy of psychotropic medications for clinically significant agitation in Alzheimer’s disease. PMID:22301195

  18. Cocaine-induced agitated delirium: a case report and review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plush, Theodore; Shakespeare, Walter; Jacobs, Dorian; Ladi, Larry; Sethi, Sheeba; Gasperino, James

    2015-01-01

    Cocaine use continues to be a major public health problem in the United States. Although many of the initial signs and symptoms of cocaine intoxication result from increased stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system, this condition can present as a spectrum of acuity from hypertension and tachycardia to multiorgan system failure. Classic features of acute intoxication include tachycardia, arterial vasoconstriction, enhanced thrombus formation, mydriasis, psychomotor agitation, and altered level of consciousness. At the extreme end of this toxidrome is a rare condition known as cocaine-induced agitated delirium. This syndrome is characterized by severe cardiopulmonary dysfunction, hyperthermia, and acute neurologic changes frequently leading to death. We report a case of cocaine-induced agitated delirium in a man who presented to our institution in a paradoxical form of circulatory shock. Rapid evaluation, recognition, and proper management enabled our patient not only to survive but also to leave the hospital without neurologic sequelae. © The Author(s) 2013.

  19. Therapeutic touch and agitation in individuals with Alzheimer's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hawranik, Pamela; Johnston, Pat; Deatrich, Judith

    2008-06-01

    Limited effective strategies exist to alleviate or treat disruptive behaviors in people with Alzheimer's disease. Fifty-one residents of a long-term care facility with Alzheimer's disease were randomly assigned to one of three intervention groups. A multiple time series, blinded, experimental design was used to compare the effectiveness of therapeutic touch, simulated therapeutic touch, and usual care on disruptive behavior. Three forms of disruptive behavior comprised the dependent variables: physical aggression, physical nonaggression, and verbal agitation. Physical nonaggressive behaviors decreased significantly in those residents who received therapeutic touch compared with those who received the simulated version and the usual care. No significant differences in physically aggressive and verbally agitated behaviors were observed across the three study groups. The study provided preliminary evidence for the potential for therapeutic touch in dealing with agitated behaviors by people with dementia. Researchers and practitioners must consider a broad array of strategies to deal with these behaviors.

  20. Safety and utility of acute electroconvulsive therapy for agitation and aggression in dementia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acharya, Deepa; Harper, David G; Achtyes, Eric D; Seiner, Stephen J; Mahdasian, Jack A; Nykamp, Louis J; Adkison, Lesley; Van der Schuur White, Lori; McClintock, Shawn M; Ujkaj, Manjola; Davidoff, Donald A; Forester, Brent P

    2015-03-01

    Agitation and aggression are among the most frequent and disruptive behavioral complications of dementia that contribute to increased cost of care, hospitalization, caregiver burden, and risk of premature institutionalization. This current study examined the safety and efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) as a treatment for behavioral disturbances in dementia. We hypothesized that ECT would result in reduced agitated and aggressive behaviors between baseline and discharge. Twenty-three participants admitted to McLean Hospital (Belmont, MA, USA) and Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services (Grand Rapids, MI, USA), with a diagnosis of dementia who were referred for ECT to treat agitation and/or aggression, were enrolled in the study. We administered the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory-Short Form, Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Nursing Home Version, Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia, and the Clinical Global Impression Scale at baseline, during, and after the ECT course. Regression analyses revealed a significant decrease from baseline to discharge on the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (F(4,8) = 13.3; p = 0.006) and Neuropsychiatric Inventory (F(4,31) = 14.6; p Electroconvulsive therapy may be a safe treatment option to reduce symptoms of agitation and aggression in patients with dementia whose behaviors are refractory to medication management. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  1. In-patient costs of agitation and containment in a mental health catchment area

    OpenAIRE

    Serrano-Blanco, Antoni; Rubio-Valera, Maria; Aznar-Lou, Ignacio; Balad?n Higuera, Luisa; Gibert, Karina; Gracia Canales, Alfredo; Kaskens, Lisette; Ortiz, Jos? Miguel; Salvador-Carulla, Luis

    2017-01-01

    Background There is a scarce number of studies on the cost of agitation and containment interventions and their results are still inconclusive. We aimed to calculate the economic consequences of agitation events in an in-patient psychiatric facility providing care for an urban catchment area. Methods A mixed approach combining secondary analysis of clinical databases, surveys and expert knowledge was used to model the 2013 direct costs of agitation and containment events for adult inpatients ...

  2. In-patient costs of agitation and containment in a mental health catchment area

    OpenAIRE

    Serrano-Blanco, Antoni; Rubio-Valera, Maria; Aznar, Ignacio; Baladón, Luisa; Gibert, Karina; Gracia Canales, Alfredo; Kaskens, Lisette; Ortiz, José Miguel; Salvador Carulla, Luís

    2017-01-01

    Background: There is a scarce number of studies on the cost of agitation and containment interventions and their results are still inconclusive. We aimed to calculate the economic consequences of agitation events in an in-patient psychiatric facility providing care for an urban catchment area. Methods: A mixed approach combining secondary analysis of clinical databases, surveys and expert knowledge was used to model the 2013 direct costs of agitation and containment events for adult inpatient...

  3. Agitation during prolonged mechanical ventilation at a long-term acute care hospital: risk factors, treatments, and outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Connor, Heidi; Al-Qadheeb, Nada S; White, Alexander C; Thaker, Vishal; Devlin, John W

    2014-01-01

    The prevalence, risk factors, treatment practices, and outcomes of agitation in patients undergoing prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) in the long-term acute care hospital (LTACH) setting are not well understood. We compared agitation risk factors, management strategies, and outcomes between patients who developed agitation and those who did not, in LTACH patients undergoing PMV. Patients admitted to an LTACH for PMV over a 1-year period were categorized into agitated and nonagitated groups. The presence of agitation risk factors, management strategies, and relevant outcomes were extracted and compared between the 2 groups. A total of 80 patients were included, 41% (33) with agitation and 59% (47) without. Compared to the nonagitated group, the agitated group had a lower Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (P agitated group, use of benzodiazepines (P = .16), opioids (P = .11), or psychiatric evaluation (P = .90) was not. Weaning success, duration of LTACH stay, and daily costs were similar. Agitation among the LTACH patients undergoing PMV is associated with greater delirium and use of antipsychotics and restraints but does not influence weaning success or LTACH stay. Strategies focused on agitation prevention and treatment in this population need to be developed and formally evaluated. © The Author(s) 2013.

  4. Agitation in cognitive disorders: International Psychogeriatric Association provisional consensus clinical and research definition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cummings, Jeffrey; Mintzer, Jacobo; Brodaty, Henry; Sano, Mary; Banerjee, Sube; Devanand, D P; Gauthier, Serge; Howard, Robert; Lanctôt, Krista; Lyketsos, Constantine G; Peskind, Elaine; Porsteinsson, Anton P; Reich, Edgardo; Sampaio, Cristina; Steffens, David; Wortmann, Marc; Zhong, Kate

    2015-01-01

    Agitation is common across neuropsychiatric disorders and contributes to disability, institutionalization, and diminished quality of life for patients and their caregivers. There is no consensus definition of agitation and no widespread agreement on what elements should be included in the syndrome. The International Psychogeriatric Association formed an Agitation Definition Work Group (ADWG) to develop a provisional consensus definition of agitation in patients with cognitive disorders that can be applied in epidemiologic, non-interventional clinical, pharmacologic, non-pharmacologic interventional, and neurobiological studies. A consensus definition will facilitate communication and cross-study comparison and may have regulatory applications in drug development programs. The ADWG developed a transparent process using a combination of electronic, face-to-face, and survey-based strategies to develop a consensus based on agreement of a majority of participants. Nine-hundred twenty-eight respondents participated in the different phases of the process. Agitation was defined broadly as: (1) occurring in patients with a cognitive impairment or dementia syndrome; (2) exhibiting behavior consistent with emotional distress; (3) manifesting excessive motor activity, verbal aggression, or physical aggression; and (4) evidencing behaviors that cause excess disability and are not solely attributable to another disorder (psychiatric, medical, or substance-related). A majority of the respondents rated all surveyed elements of the definition as "strongly agree" or "somewhat agree" (68-88% across elements). A majority of the respondents agreed that the definition is appropriate for clinical and research applications. A provisional consensus definition of agitation has been developed. This definition can be used to advance interventional and non-interventional research of agitation in patients with cognitive impairment.

  5. Chemical Oxygen Demand abatement in sewage using Micro-Aeration Enhanced Ecological Floating Bed

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Hongle; Zhou, Gaofeng; Liu, Yiqing; Tan, Jiancong; Fu, Yongsheng

    2018-02-01

    The traditional ecological floating bed combined with micro-aeration system and artificial medium was developed for the removal of contaminants and remediation of surface water. This micro-aeration enhanced ecological floating bed (MAEEFB) consisted of aeration unit, microbial processing unit and aquatic plant unit. Batch experiments were conducted in different operating conditions on the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) in the sewage using MAEEFB. The removal rate of COD by MAEEFB, enhanced ecological floating bed (EEFB) and traditional ecological floating bed (TEFB) in the same reaction conditions was 59.2%, 56.9% and 30.6%, respectively, indicating that the combination of micro-aeration system and artificial medium could enhance the removal efficiency of COD in TEFB. In MAEEFB, the aeration intensity should be designed reasonablely considering both treatment efficiency and operation cost. Only increasing the specific surface area of the packing cannot effectively improve the purification efficiency of water. Factors like packing material, ability of intercepting organics and complicated extent of microorganisms attaching on the packing should also be considered.

  6. Optimization of micro-aeration intensity in acidogenic reactor of a two-phase anaerobic digester treating food waste

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, Suyun [Department of Environmental and Low-Carbon Science, School of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai (China); Sino-Forest Applied Research Centre for Pearl River Delta Environment, Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Hong Kong); Selvam, Ammaiyappan [Sino-Forest Applied Research Centre for Pearl River Delta Environment, Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Hong Kong); Wong, Jonathan W.C., E-mail: jwcwong@hkbu.edu.hk [Sino-Forest Applied Research Centre for Pearl River Delta Environment, Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Hong Kong)

    2014-02-15

    Highlights: • Effect of micro-aeration on acidogenesis and hydrolysis of food waste was investigated. • Micro-aeration at 258 L-air/kg TS/d increased the VFAs production 3-fold. • High aeration leads to loss of substrate through microbial biomass and respiration. • Optimum aeration increased methane recovery while high aeration intensity reduced methane yield. - Abstract: Micro-aeration is known to promote the activities of hydrolytic exo-enzymes and used as a strategy to improve the hydrolysis of particulate substrate. The effect of different micro-aeration rates, 0, 129, 258, and 387 L-air/kg TS/d (denoted as LBR-AN, LBR-6h, LBR-3h and LBR-2h, respectively) on the solubilization of food waste was evaluated at 35 °C in four leach bed reactors (LBR) coupled with methanogenic upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor. Results indicate that the intensity of micro-aeration influenced the hydrolysis and methane yield. Adequate micro-aeration intensity in LBR-3h and LBR-2h significantly enhanced the carbohydrate and protein hydrolysis by 21–27% and 38–64% respectively. Due to the accelerated acidogenesis, more than 3-fold of acetic acid and butyric acid were produced in LBR-3h as compared to the anaerobic treatment LBR-AN resulting in the maximum methane yield of 0.27 L CH{sub 4}/g VS{sub added} in the UASB. The performance of LBR-6h with inadequate aeration was similar to that of LBR-AN with a comparable hydrolysis degree. Nevertheless, higher aeration intensity in LBR-2h was also unfavorable for methane yield due to significant biomass generation and CO{sub 2} respiration of up to 18.5% and 32.8% of the total soluble hydrolysate, respectively. To conclude, appropriate micro-aeration rate can promote the hydrolysis of solid organic waste and methane yield without undesirable carbon loss and an aeration intensity of 258 L-air/kg TS/d is recommended for acidogenic LBR treating food waste.

  7. Optimization of micro-aeration intensity in acidogenic reactor of a two-phase anaerobic digester treating food waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu, Suyun; Selvam, Ammaiyappan; Wong, Jonathan W.C.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Effect of micro-aeration on acidogenesis and hydrolysis of food waste was investigated. • Micro-aeration at 258 L-air/kg TS/d increased the VFAs production 3-fold. • High aeration leads to loss of substrate through microbial biomass and respiration. • Optimum aeration increased methane recovery while high aeration intensity reduced methane yield. - Abstract: Micro-aeration is known to promote the activities of hydrolytic exo-enzymes and used as a strategy to improve the hydrolysis of particulate substrate. The effect of different micro-aeration rates, 0, 129, 258, and 387 L-air/kg TS/d (denoted as LBR-AN, LBR-6h, LBR-3h and LBR-2h, respectively) on the solubilization of food waste was evaluated at 35 °C in four leach bed reactors (LBR) coupled with methanogenic upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor. Results indicate that the intensity of micro-aeration influenced the hydrolysis and methane yield. Adequate micro-aeration intensity in LBR-3h and LBR-2h significantly enhanced the carbohydrate and protein hydrolysis by 21–27% and 38–64% respectively. Due to the accelerated acidogenesis, more than 3-fold of acetic acid and butyric acid were produced in LBR-3h as compared to the anaerobic treatment LBR-AN resulting in the maximum methane yield of 0.27 L CH 4 /g VS added in the UASB. The performance of LBR-6h with inadequate aeration was similar to that of LBR-AN with a comparable hydrolysis degree. Nevertheless, higher aeration intensity in LBR-2h was also unfavorable for methane yield due to significant biomass generation and CO 2 respiration of up to 18.5% and 32.8% of the total soluble hydrolysate, respectively. To conclude, appropriate micro-aeration rate can promote the hydrolysis of solid organic waste and methane yield without undesirable carbon loss and an aeration intensity of 258 L-air/kg TS/d is recommended for acidogenic LBR treating food waste

  8. Time to response to citalopram treatment for agitation in Alzheimer's disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weintraub, Daniel; Drye, Lea T.; Porsteinsson, Anton P.; Rosenberg, Paul B.; Pollock, Bruce G.; Devanand, D.P.; Frangakis, Constantine; Ismail, Zahinoor; Marano, Christopher; Meinert, Curtis L.; Mintzer, Jacobo E.; Munro, Cynthia A.; Pelton, Gregory; Rabins, Peter V.; Schneider, Lon S.; Shade, David M.; Yesavage, Jerome; Lyketsos, Constantine G.

    2015-01-01

    Background Agitation is a common and significant problem in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In the recent Citalopram for Agitation in Alzheimer’s Disease (CitAD) study, citalopram was efficacious for the treatment of AD agitation. Here we examined the time course and predictors of response to treatment. Methods Response in CitAD was defined as a modified Alzheimer Disease Cooperative Study-Clinical Global Impression of Change (mADCS-CGIC) score of 1 or 2, or a Neurobehavioral Rating Scale agitation subscale (NBRS-A) score reduction ≥50% from baseline. “Stable early response” was defined as meeting the aforementioned criteria at both weeks 3 and 9, “late response” was response at week 9 but not at week 3, and “unstable response” was response at week 3 but not at week 9. Results In the primary analyses, citalopram was superior to placebo on both the CGIC and the NBRS-A response measures. There were little between-group differences in response rates in the first three weeks of the study (21% vs 19% on the CGIC). Citalopram patients were more likely than placebo patients to be a late responder (18% vs. 8% on CGIC, Fisher’s exact p=0.09; 31% vs. 15% on NBRS-A, Fisher’s exact p=0.02). Approximately half (45–56%) of citalopram responders at end-of-study achieved response later in the study, compared with 30–44% of placebo responders. Discussion Treatment with citalopram for agitation in AD needs to be at least nine weeks in duration to allow sufficient time for full response, and study duration is an important factor to consider in the design of clinical trials for agitation in Alzheimer’s disease. PMID:26238225

  9. Time to Response to Citalopram Treatment for Agitation in Alzheimer Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weintraub, Daniel; Drye, Lea T; Porsteinsson, Anton P; Rosenberg, Paul B; Pollock, Bruce G; Devanand, Devangere P; Frangakis, Constantine; Ismail, Zahinoor; Marano, Christopher; Meinert, Curtis L; Mintzer, Jacobo E; Munro, Cynthia A; Pelton, Gregory; Rabins, Peter V; Schneider, Lon S; Shade, David M; Yesavage, Jerome; Lyketsos, Constantine G

    2015-11-01

    Agitation is a common and significant problem in Alzheimer disease (AD). In the recent Citalopram for Agitation in Alzheimer's Disease (CitAD) study, citalopram was efficacious for the treatment of AD agitation. Here we examined the time course and predictors of response to treatment. Response in CitAD was defined as a modified Alzheimer Disease Cooperative Study Clinical Global Impression of Change (CGIC) score of 1 or 2 or a Neurobehavioral Rating Scale agitation subscale (NBRS-A) score reduction ≥ 50% from baseline. "Stable early response" was defined as meeting the aforementioned criteria at both weeks 3 and 9, "late response" was response at week 9 but not at week 3, and "unstable response" was response at week 3 but not at week 9. In the primary analyses, citalopram was superior to placebo on both the CGIC and the NBRS-A response measures. Little between-group differences were found in response rates in the first 3 weeks of the study (21% versus 19% on the CGIC). Citalopram patients were more likely than placebo patients to be a late responder (18% versus 8% on CGIC, Fisher's exact p = 0.09; 31% versus 15% on NBRS-A, Fisher's exact p = 0.02). Approximately half of citalopram responders (45%-56%) at end of study achieved response later in the study compared with 30%-44% of placebo responders. Treatment with citalopram for agitation in AD needs to be at least 9 weeks in duration to allow sufficient time for full response. Study duration is an important factor to consider in the design of clinical trials for agitation in AD. Copyright © 2015 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. CO-COMPOSTING LIMBAH PADAT BELTPRESS DAN JERAMI PADI DENGAN AERATED STATIC PILE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nastiti Siswi Indrasti

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Solid waste from beltpress machine in wastewater treatment plant is produced as much as 1,25 tons/day but hasnot been utilized, causing unpleasant odour and requires a high cost for disposal. Composting is one of alternative technology that can be applied to solve the problem. The objectives of this research were to examine the influence of the initial C/N value and aeration rate to the rate of co-composting process in reaching the C/N value that corresponds to SNI 19-7030-2004, and to characterize the compost produced. The research design used was factorial Complete Random Design (CRD with two factors and two repetitions. The first factor was C/N value, consisted of 25; 30; 35 and the second factor was aeration rate, consisted of 0; 0,4; 0,8 L/min.kg of dry material. Composting was done using 30 L reactor by giving active intermittent aeration for 1 hour/day during the first 7 days of composting. Effects of initial C/N value and aeration rate were significantly different (P0.05 on pH value. Lower initial C/N value and higher aeration rate attained standard C/N value fastest. The best treatment based on the conformity with SNI 19-7030-2004 was initial C/N25 with aeration rate 0,8 L/minute.kg dry matter. The compost produced met the SNI standards in macro elements, trace elements,and other elements, but didnot qualify the pH value and moisture content.

  11. Colloid formation in groundwater by subsurface aeration: characterisation of the geo-colloids and their counterparts

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wolthoorn, A.; Temminghoff, E.J.M.; Riemsdijk, van W.H.

    2004-01-01

    Subsurface aeration is used to oxidise Fe in situ in groundwater to make the water potable. In a groundwater system with pH > 7, subsurface aeration results in a non-mobile Fe precipitate and mobile Fe colloids. Since originally the goal of subsurface aeration is to remove Fe in situ, the

  12. [A naturalistic study: 100 consecutive episodes of acute agitation in a psychiatric emergency department].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pascual, J C; Madre, M; Puigdemont, D; Oller, S; Corripio, I; Díaz, A; Faus, G; Perez, V; Alvarez, E

    2006-01-01

    Psychomotor agitation is a common event in psychiatric emergency services (PES) with a prevalence of approximately 10 %. There is no general consensus on to how to manage psychomotor agitation; benzodiazepines, typical antipsychotics and now atypical antipsychotics have demonstrated similar efficacy. The aim of our study was to describe the epidemiology and clinical management of agitation in "real-life" in a psychiatric emergency service. A naturalistic study was performed in acutely agitated patients recruited consecutively in a psychiatric emergency service. Demographics, clinical and therapeutic characteristics were analyzed. Efficacy was assessed by the Excitement Component of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS-EC) and the Agitation-Calmness Evaluation Scale (ACES). Pragmatic variables such as the need for second pharmacological intervention and the need for physical restraints were assessed. The study included 100 patients with psychomotor agitation. Mean age was 36.2 % and 54% were women. The most prevalent diagnoses were psychotic disorder (48 %) and personality disorder (24 %). Physical restraint was required in 39 % of patients and 52 % accepted oral treatment. Haloperidol was the most frequent oral treatment and olanzapine was the most frequent intramuscular treatment. A naturalistic approach provides data based on clinical reality in psychiatric emergency services. Strict research designs of clinical trials of efficacy imply sample selection biases and are generally distanced from the clinical reality. Atypical antipsychotics have become the first-line treatment in acute agitation

  13. Impact of post-infiltration soil aeration at different growth stages of sub-surface trickle-irrigated tomato plants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yuan; Jia, Zong-xia; Niu, Wen-Quan; Wang, Jing-wei

    2016-07-01

    Sensitivity to low rhizosphere soil aeration may change over time and therefore plant response may also depend on different growth stages of a crop. This study quantified effects of soil aeration during 5 different periods, on growth and yield of trickle-irrigated potted single tomato plants. Irrigation levels were 0.6 to 0.7 (low level) or 0.7 to 0.8 (high level) of total water holding capacity of the pots. Soil was aerated by injecting 2.5 l of air into each pot through the drip tubing immediately after irrigation. Fresh fruit yield, above ground plant dry weight, plant height, and leaf area index response to these treatments were measured. For all these 4 response variables, means of post-infiltration aeration between 58 to 85 days after sowing were 13.4, 43.5, 13.7, and 37.7% higher than those for the non-aerated pots, respectively. The results indicated that: post-infiltration soil aeration can positively impact the yield and growth of sub-surface trickle-irrigated potted tomato plants; positive effects on plant growth can be obtained with aeration during the whole growth period or with aeration for partial periods; positive growth effects of partial periods of aeration appears to persist and result in yield benefit.

  14. Measuring Electrodermal Activity to Improve the Identification of Agitation in Individuals with Dementia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melander, Catharina; Martinsson, Jesper; Gustafsson, Silje

    2017-01-01

    Background Understanding and interpreting the complexity of agitation in people with dementia is challenging. Objective To explore whether a sensor measuring electrodermal activity (EDA) can improve the identification of agitation in individuals with dementia. Methods Nine individuals with dementia wore a sensor that measured EDA. During the same time, assistant nurses annotated the observed behavior of the person with dementia. A binary logistic regression model was applied to assess the relationship between the sensor and the assistant nurses' structured observations of agitation. Results The sensor values correlated with the assistant nurses' observations both at the time of the observation and 1 and 2 h prior to the observation. Conclusion A sensor measuring EDA can support early detection of agitation in persons with dementia. PMID:29430245

  15. The Psychopharmacology of Agitation: Consensus Statement of the American Association for Emergency Psychiatry Project BETA Psychopharmacology Workgroup

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael P. Wilson

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Agitation is common in the medical and psychiatric emergency department, and appropriate management of agitation is a core competency for emergency clinicians. In this article, the authors review the use of a variety of first-generation antipsychotic drugs, second-generation antipsychotic agents, and benzodiazepines for treatment of acute agitation, and propose specific guidelines for treatment of agitation associated with a variety of conditions, including acute intoxication, psychiatric illness, delirium, and multifocal or idiopathic causes. Pharmacologic treatment of agitation should be based on an assessment of the most likely cause for the agitation. If agitation results from a medical condition or delirium, clinicians should first attempt to treat this underlying cause instead of simply medicating with antipsychotics or benzodiazepines. [West J Emerg Med. 2012;13(1:26–34.

  16. [Measurement and analysis of micropore aeration system's oxygenating ability under operation condition in waste water treatment plant].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Yuan-Yuan; Zhou, Xiao-Hong; Shi, Han-Chang; Qiu, Yong

    2013-01-01

    Using the aeration pool in the fourth-stage at Wuxi Lucun Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) as experimental setup, off-gas method was selected to measure the oxygenating ability parameters of micropore aerators in a real WWTP operating condition and these values were compared with those in fresh water to evaluate the performance of the micropore aerators. Results showed that the micropore aerators which were distributed in different galleries of the aeration pool had significantly different oxygenating abilities under operation condition. The oxygenating ability of the micropore aerators distributed in the same gallery changed slightly during one day. Comparing with the oxygenating ability in fresh water, it decreased a lot in the real aeration pool, in more details, under the real WWTP operating condition, the values of oxygen transfer coefficient K(La) oxygenation capacity OC and oxygen utilization E(a) decreased by 43%, 57% and 76%, respectively.

  17. Aspects concerning the quality of aeration for environmental friendly turbines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bunea, F; Oprina, G [Hydrodynamics Department, National Institute for R and D in Electrical Engineering ICPE-CA, Splaiul Unirii, 313, Bucharest, 030138 (Romania); Houde, S; Ciocan, G D [Laboratoire de Machines Hydrauliques, Pavillon Adrien-Pouliot Universite Laval, 1065 rue de la medecine, Quebec G1V 0A6 (Canada); Baran, G; Pincovschi, I, E-mail: buneaflorentina@yahoo.co [Hydraulics, Hydraulic Machinery and Environmental Engineering Department, University Polytechnic of Bucharest, Splaiul Independentei, 313, Bucharest, 060042 (Romania)

    2010-08-15

    The hydro renewable energy provides a reliable power source; it does not pollute the air or land but affects the aquatic habitat due to low dissolved oxygen (DO) level in the water discharged from turbines. Hydro-turbines intake generally withdraws water from the bottom layer of the reservoirs with low DO level. In the different methods used for improving DO downstream the hydropower plants the volume of air is considered to be the main parameter of the injection. The energetic consumption is affected, in terms of loss of turbine efficiency due to air injection. The authors propose a study to show the importance of the quality of air injection, meaning bubble size, pressure loss on the aeration device etc. Different types of fine bubble aeration systems have been tested and compared. The capacity to predict the aeration by numerical simulation is analysed.

  18. Effect of Head and Face Massage on Agitation in Elderly Alzheimer's Disease Patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saeid Keshavarz

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Management of agitation in Alzheimer's patients with non-invasive treatment methods, such as massage therapy, is of paramount importance. Aim: This study was conducted to determine the effects of head and face massage on agitation in elderly Alzheimer’s patients living in nursing homes in Yazd, Iran. Method: This randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on two groups (n=35 in each group from 26 September to 5 October 2016. For the patients in the intervention group, massage therapy was performed using the effleurage and compression techniques, and no intervention was implemented in the control group. The usual way to control the symptoms of agitation was physical restraint. The Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI was used to measure the agitation level. The data were analyzed by performing Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests in SPSS, version 18. Results: The mean ages of the intervention and control groups were 82.2±10.6 and 81.5±9.6 years, respectively. The mean scores of agitation in the intervention and control groups decreased from 77.2±14.4 and 82.1±17.3 before the intervention to 49.7±6.0 and 80.8±18.3 after the intervention, respectively. The results showed a significant difference between the two groups after the intervention (P

  19. Amlodipine and the Successful Management of Post-Electroconvulsive Therapy Agitation

    OpenAIRE

    Shahriari, Ali; Khooshideh, Maryam; Sheikh, Mahdi

    2016-01-01

    Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a highly effective nonpharmacologic treatment for the management of depression and some other psychiatric disorders. Post-ECT agitation occurs in up to 12% of ECT treatments and is characterized by motor restlessness, irritability, disorientation, and panic-like behaviors. The severity of post-ECT agitation ranges from mild and self-limited to serious and severe forms requiring prompt medical intervention to protect the patient and the medical staff. In seve...

  20. Intramuscular aripiprazole in the acute management of psychomotor agitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Filippis, Sergio; Cuomo, Ilaria; Lionetto, Luana; Janiri, Delfina; Simmaco, Maurizio; Caloro, Matteo; De Persis, Simone; Piazzi, Gioia; Simonetti, Alessio; Telesforo, C Ludovica; Sciarretta, Antonio; Caccia, Federica; Gentile, Giovanna; Kotzalidis, Georgios D; Girardi, Paolo

    2013-06-01

    To assess acute efficacy and safety of 9.75 mg of intramuscular (IM) injections of the atypical antipsychiatric aripiprazole in patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and acute agitation. Open-label trial of IM injections of aripiprazole and 24-hour monitoring of clinical response in patients with major psychoses and acute agitation. Partial analysis of blood levels of the administered drug to correlate with clinical response. Acute psychiatric care wards in a single university hospital. A total of 201 acutely agitated patients (79 with schizophrenia and 122 with bipolar disorder I). Aripiprazole 9.75 mg IM injection. We evaluated clinical response using the Excitatory Component of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS-EC), the Agitation/Calmness Evaluation Scale (ACES), and the Clinical Global Impressions scale (CGI). Assessments were conducted 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes and 24 hours after the first injection for PANSS-EC and ACES, and 2, 4, 6, and 24 hours for CGI. Response was at least a 40% decrease in PANSS-EC scores. We measured serum aripiprazole and dehydroaripiprazole levels in a subsample. IM aripiprazole significantly improved clinical measures. PANSS-EC improved progressively, starting after 30 minutes. ACES improved after 90 minutes and continued thereafter. Effects were sustained, with steadily decreasing CGI scores, until the 24th hour. Response rate was 83.6% after 2 hours, but with repeat injections, it rose to over 90% with no differences among diagnostic groups. Although there were gender differences in the response to individual PANSS-EC items, the responses were similar overall. Neither clinical monitoring nor patient reporting revealed any side effects. No therapeutic window was identified, and levels did not correlate with any clinical measure. Aripiprazole was effective and safe in reducing acute agitation in patients with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. Our results compare favorably to double-blind trials, probably

  1. In-patient costs of agitation and containment in a mental health catchment area.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serrano-Blanco, Antoni; Rubio-Valera, Maria; Aznar-Lou, Ignacio; Baladón Higuera, Luisa; Gibert, Karina; Gracia Canales, Alfredo; Kaskens, Lisette; Ortiz, José Miguel; Salvador-Carulla, Luis

    2017-06-06

    There is a scarce number of studies on the cost of agitation and containment interventions and their results are still inconclusive. We aimed to calculate the economic consequences of agitation events in an in-patient psychiatric facility providing care for an urban catchment area. A mixed approach combining secondary analysis of clinical databases, surveys and expert knowledge was used to model the 2013 direct costs of agitation and containment events for adult inpatients with mental disorders in an area of 640,572 adult inhabitants in South Barcelona (Spain). To calculate costs, a seven-step methodology with novel definition of agitation was used along with a staff survey, a database of containment events, and data on aggressive incidents. A micro-costing analysis of specific containment interventions was used to estimate both prevalence and direct costs from the healthcare provider perspective, by means of a mixed approach with a probabilistic model evaluated on real data. Due to the complex interaction of the multivariate covariances, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to have empirical bounds of variability. During 2013, 918 patients were admitted to the Acute Inpatient Unit. Of these, 52.8% were men, with a mean age of 44.6 years (SD = 15.5), 74.4% were compulsory admissions, 40.1% were diagnosed with schizophrenia or non-affective psychosis, with a mean length of stay of 24.6 days (SD = 16.9). The annual estimate of total agitation events was 508. The cost of containment interventions ranges from 282€ at the lowest level of agitation to 822€ when verbal containment plus seclusion and restraint have to be used. The annual total cost of agitation was 280,535€, representing 6.87% of the total costs of acute hospitalisation in the local area. Agitation events are frequent and costly. Strategies to reduce their number and severity should be implemented to reduce costs to the Health System and alleviate patient suffering.

  2. Nitrous oxide emissions from an intermittent aeration activated sludge system of an urban wastewater treatment plant

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    William Z. de Mello

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This study investigated the emission of N2O during the sequential aerated (60-min and non-aerated (30-min stages of an intermittent aeration cycle in an activated sludge wastewater treatment plant (WWTP. N2O emission occurred during both stages; however, emission was much higher during aeration. Air stripping is the major factor controlling transfer of N2O from the sewage to the atmosphere. The N2O emissions exclusively from the aeration tank represented 0.10% of the influent total nitrogen load and the per capita emission factor was almost 3 times higher than that suggested by the IPCC for inventories of N2O emission from WWTPs.

  3. The Effects of Cannabis on Inpatient Agitation, Aggression, and Length of Stay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Joseph M; Wu, Chris Y; Winder, Gerald Scott; Casher, Michael I; Marshall, Vincent D; Bostwick, Jolene R

    2016-01-01

    This study examines the association between cannabis use and the hospital course of patients admitted to the psychiatric inpatient unit with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or bipolar disorder. Many confounding variables potentially contribute to the clinical presentation of hospitalized patients in the psychiatric unit. Illicit drug use, in particular, has been associated with acute agitation, and questions can be raised as to what lasting effects drug use prior to admission may have throughout a patient's hospital stay. Subjects with a discharge diagnosis of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or psychosis not otherwise specified (N = 201) were retrospectively identified, and those with positive results of urine drug screen for cannabis on admission were compared to negative counterparts. Agitation and aggression were measured using an adaptation of the Excited Component of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS-EC). These markers were also quantified by comparing charted episodes of restraint and seclusion and administration of as needed medications, such as benzodiazepines and antipsychotics. Positive urine drug screen results for cannabis was correlated with young (p = .001) males (p = .003) with bipolar disorder (p = .009) exhibiting active manic symptoms (p = .003) at the time of admission. Cannabis use was further associated with a shorter length of stay (p = .008), agitation triggering adapted PANSS-EC nursing assessments (p = .029), and oral medications as needed (p = .002) for agitation. Cannabis use, as defined by positive urine drug screen results, was more common in patients with bipolar disorder and was accompanied by a higher incidence of inpatient agitation. Although these patients also had short hospital lengths of stay, there was no clear relationship between level of agitation and length of stay across all patient groups. One possible explanation for patients with bipolar disorder

  4. Clinical Case Vignettes: A Promising Tool to Assess Competence in the Management of Agitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sowden, Gillian L; Vestal, Heather S; Stoklosa, Joseph B; Valcourt, Stephanie C; Peabody, John W; Keary, Christopher J; Nejad, Shamim H; Caminis, Argyro; Huffman, Jeff C

    2017-06-01

    While standardized patients (SPs) remain the gold standard for assessing clinical competence in a standardized setting, clinical case vignettes that allow free-text, open-ended written responses are more resource- and time-efficient assessment tools. It remains unknown, however, whether this is a valid method for assessing competence in the management of agitation. Twenty-six psychiatry residents partook in a randomized controlled study evaluating a simulation-based teaching intervention on the management of agitated patients. Competence in the management of agitation was assessed using three separate modalities: simulation with SPs, open-ended clinical vignettes, and self-report questionnaires. Performance on clinical vignettes correlated significantly with SP-based assessments (r = 0.59, p = 0.002); self-report questionnaires that assessed one's own ability to manage agitation did not correlate with SP-based assessments (r = -0.06, p = 0.77). Standardized clinical vignettes may be a simple, time-efficient, and valid tool for assessing residents' competence in the management of agitation.

  5. Psychometric testing of the Agitation Severity Scale for acute presentation behavioral management patients in the emergency department.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strout, Tania D

    2014-01-01

    Agitation is a vexing problem frequently observed in emergency department acute psychiatric patients, yet no instruments to measure agitation in this setting and population were found upon review of the literature. Previously developed agitation rating scales are limited by the length of observation they require, their need for participation by the patient, complexity in scoring, and a lack of validity in this setting and population. The purpose of this study was to psychometrically evaluate and refine an observation-based agitation scale for use with emergency department acute psychiatric patients. Using a methodological design, the 21-item Agitation Severity Scale was utilized to assess 270 adult psychiatric patients in the emergency setting in a prospective, observational fashion. Reliability analysis, item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and validity assessments were completed. The relationship between Agitation Severity Scale scores and scores on the previously established Overt Agitation Severity Scale was evaluated. The instrument was reduced to 17 items representing four factors (Aggressive Behaviors, Interpersonal Behaviors, Involuntary Motor Behaviors, and Physical Stance) that accounted for nearly 70% of observed variance, Cronbach's α = 0.91. Evidence of internal consistency reliability, equivalence reliability, construct validity, and convergent validity was established. Through this study, the 17-item Agitation Severity Scale demonstrated acceptable levels of reliability and validity when used with acute psychiatric patients in the emergency setting. This instrument holds promise as a method of enhancing clinical communication about agitation, evaluating the efficacy of interventions aimed at decreasing agitation, and as a research tool.

  6. Composite wastewater treatment by aerated electrocoagulation and modified peroxi-coagulation processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Abhijeet; Nidheesh, P V; Suresh Kumar, M

    2018-08-01

    Treatment of composite wastewater generating from the industrial estates is a great challenge. The present study examines the applicability of aerated electrocoagulation and modified peroxi-coagulation processes for removing color and COD from composite wastewater. Iron plates were used as anodes and cathodes in both electrochemical processes and experiments were carried out in a working volume of 2 L. Aeration enhanced the efficiency of electrocoagulation process significantly. More than 50% of COD and 60% of color were removed after 1 h of electrocoagulation process operated at pH 3 and applied voltage of 1 V. Efficiency of the modified peroxi-coagulation process was significantly higher than that of aerated electrocoagulation. COD and color removal efficiencies of the modified peroxi-coagulation process were found as 77.7% and 97%, respectively after 1 h of electrolysis operated at 1 V, solution pH 3 and 50 mM hydrogen peroxide addition. This improved efficiency of modified peroxi-coagulation compared to aerated electrocoagulation is mainly due to the attack of in-situ generated hydroxyl radicals. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Feasibility study of a V-shaped pipe for passive aeration composting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogunwande, Gbolabo A

    2011-03-01

    A V-shaped (Vs) pipe was improvised for composting of chicken litter in passive aeration piles. Three piles, equipped with horizontal (Ho), vertical (Ve) and Vs pipes were set up. The three treatments were replicated thrice. The effects of the aeration pipe on the physico-chemical properties of chicken litter and air distribution within the composting piles were investigated during composting. The properties monitored were temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, moisture content, total carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio. Moisture level in the piles was replenished fortnightly to 60% during composting. The results of the study showed that all the piles attained the optimum temperature range (40-65°C) for effective composting and satisfied the requirements for sanitation. The non-significant (p > 0.05) temperature difference within the piles with Ve and Vs pipes indicated that these pipes were effective for uniform air distribution within the pile. The aeration pipe had significant (p ≤ 0.05) effect on pile temperature, pre-replenishment moisture content, pH and total phosphorus. In conclusion, the study showed that the Vs pipe is feasible and effective for passive aeration composting.

  8. Propofol-Based Palliative Sedation to Treat Antipsychotic-Resistant Agitated Delirium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Covarrubias-Gómez, Alfredo; López Collada-Estrada, Maria

    Delirium is a common problem in terminally ill patients that is associated with significant distress and, hence, considered a palliative care emergency. The three subtypes of delirium are hyperactive, hypoactive, and mixed, depending on the level of psychomotor activity and arousal disturbance. When agitated delirium becomes refractory in the setting of imminent dying, the agitation may be so severe that palliative sedation (PS) is required. Palliative sedation involves the administration of sedative medications with the purpose of reducing level of consciousness for patients with refractory suffering in the setting of a terminal illness. Propofol is a sedative that has a short duration of action and a very rapid onset. These characteristics make it relatively easy to titrate. Reported doses range from 50 to 70 mg per hour. The authors present a case of antipsychotic-resistant agitated delirium treated with a propofol intravenous infusion.

  9. Numerical and experimental investigation of the self-inducing turbine aeration capacity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Achouri, Ryma; Dhaouadi, Hatem; Mhiri, Hatem; Bournot, Philippe

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Numerical and experimental study of k L a coefficient of a self-inducing turbine. • Validation of experimental results. • Numerical study of k L a variation with the variation of impeller submersion and blade inclination. • Numerical study of the flow field and hydrodynamic parameters. - Abstract: Self-inducing turbines are a model of mixers that ensure the aeration of a fluid field without using a sparger and a surface aerator. Nevertheless, this type of turbines remain quite complicated in terms of behavior of the fluid within the tank, and its actual aeration capacity varies depending on the type of turbine used. The studied turbine is self-inducing and made of three blades and each blade contains five holes. In this work, we evaluated experimentally – using the technique of dynamic oxygenation and deoxygenating – the aeration capacity of our impeller by calculating the volumetric mass transfer coefficient k L a for various submergences and various inclination angles of the blade. This work was then validated by a numerical modeling using the commercial code Fluent, and the flow within the tank as well as the evolution of the hydrodynamic parameters was also studied. The simulation is steady state with a VOF multiphase model and the realizable k–ε turbulence model. We finally concluded that k L a decreases with the increase of the inclination angle and with the increase of the submergence of our turbine. We could also study the hydrodynamic parameters of the flow such as the power number, the aeration number and the shear rate

  10. Research About the Corosive Effects of FeCl3 in the Aeration Wastewater Basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panaitescu, C.; Petrescu, M. G.

    2018-01-01

    Biological aeration of industrial wastewater is a very impressive process in the treatment of wastewater. The involvement of chemical reagents in this process, however, implies the intensification of the corrosion processes due to both pollutants in the wastewater and the chemical reactions that occur when the coagulation / flocculation reagents are added. This paper explores the action of ferric chloride (FeCl3) on metallic parts in the aeration basin. The most affected structures are metal. At the classical basins the aeration systems were made of P295GH materials. The corrosion produced is uneven. The analysis of the high degree of corrosion was done according to the national and international standards. Finally, the paper supports the replacement of the existing aeration system with an anticorrosive material.

  11. Study of the liquid-film-forming apparatus as an alternative aeration system: design criteria and operating condition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hongprasith, Narapong; Imai, Tsuyoshi; Painmanakul, Pisut

    2017-06-01

    Aeration is an important factor in aquaculture systems because it is a vital condition for all organisms that live in water and respire aerobically. Generally, mechanical surface aerators are widely used in Thailand due to their advantage for increasing dissolved oxygen (DO) and for their horizontal mixing of aquaculture ponds with large surface areas. However, these systems still have some drawbacks, primarily the low oxygen transfer efficiency (OTE) and energy. Regarding this issue, alternative aeration systems should be studied and applied. Therefore, this research aims to study the aeration mechanism obtained by the diffused-air aeration combined with a liquid-film-forming apparatus (LFFA). The effect of gas flow rates, types, and patterns of aerator installation were investigated in an aquaculture pond of 10 m × 10 m × 1.5 m. The analytical parameters were volumetric mass transfer coefficient (k L a), OTE, and aeration efficiency (AE). From the results, the '4-D' with partitions was proposed as the suitable pattern for the LFFA installation. The advantage could be obtained from high energy performance with 1.2 kg/kW h of AE. Then, the operation conditions can be applied as a design guideline for this alternative aeration system in the aquaculture ponds.

  12. Study of test methods for radionuclide migration in aerated zone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Shushen; Guo Zede; Wang Zhiming

    1993-01-01

    Aerated zone is an important natural barrier against transport of radionuclides released from disposal facilities of LLRW. This paper introduces study methods for radionuclide migration in aerated zone, including determination of water movement, laboratory simulation test, and field tracing test. For one purpose, results obtained with different methods are compared. These methods have been used in a five-year cooperative research project between CIRP and JAERI for an establishment of methodology for safety assessment on shallow land disposal of LLRW

  13. Application of hydraulically assembled shaft coupling hubs to large agitators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Murray, W.E.; Anderson, T.D.; Bethmann, H.K.

    1991-01-01

    This paper describes the basis for and implementation of hydraulically assembled shaft coupling hubs for large tank-mounted agitators. This modification to the original design was intended to minimize maintenance personnel exposure to ionizing radiation and also provide for disassembly capability without damage to shafts or hubs. In addition to realizing these objectives, test confirmed that the modified couplings reduced agitator shaft end runouts approximately 65%, thereby reducing bearing loads and increasing service life, a significant enhancement for a nuclear facility. 5 refs

  14. Investigation of aeration rate on Uranium bio leaching in internal airlift bioreactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zolala, M. R.; Safdari, S. J.; Haghighi Asl, A.; Rashidi, A.

    2012-01-01

    Uranium is leached from the uranium ore of the second anomaly of Saghand by the Acidithiobacillus ferroxidans bacteria in an internal airlift bio-reactor. This study has been made to find the effect of aeration rate as well as its optimal value. The experiments have been carried out at 4 aeration rates to find the best recovery results in the least possible time duration. The results showed that the most percentage of the uranium recovery is in the superficial gas velocity of 0.010 m/s. The recovery at this aeration rate has an efficiency of more than 95 p ercent i n 11 days. Also, the best range for aeration study in the airlift bio-reactor is calculated with a minimum value of 0.0065 m/s which is the critical value of the uranium particle suspension as well as the maximum value of 0.015 m/s. The stress on the bacteria increases the recovery time process in velocities of more than 0.015 m/s.

  15. Management of microbial community composition, architecture and performance in autotrophic nitrogen removing bioreactors through aeration regimes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mutlu, A. Gizem

    to describe aggregation and architectural evolution in nitritation/anammox reactors, incorporating the possible influences of intermediates formed with intermittent aeration. Community analysis revealed an abundant fraction of heterotrophic types despite the absence of organic carbon in the feed. The aerobic...... and anaerobic ammonia oxidizing guilds were dominated by fast-growing Nitrosomonas spp. and Ca. Brocadia spp., while the nitrite oxidizing guild was dominated by high affinity Nitrospira spp. Emission of nitrous oxide (N2O) was evaluated from both reactors under dynamic aeration regimes. Contrary to the widely...... impacts could be isolated, increasing process understanding. It was demonstrated that aeration strategy can be used as a powerful tool to manipulate the microbial community composition, its architecture and reactor performance. We suggest operation via intermittent aeration with short aerated periods...

  16. Duration of Agitation, Fluctuations of Consciousness, and Associations with Outcome in Patients with Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reznik, Michael E; Mahta, Ali; Schmidt, J Michael; Frey, Hans-Peter; Park, Soojin; Roh, David J; Agarwal, Sachin; Claassen, Jan

    2018-01-08

    Agitation is common after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and may be independently associated with outcomes. We sought to determine whether the duration of agitation and fluctuating consciousness were also associated with outcomes in patients with SAH. We identified all patients with positive Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale (RASS) scores from a prospective observational cohort of patients with SAH from 2011 to 2015. Total duration of agitation was extrapolated for each patient using available RASS scores, and 24-h mean and standard deviation (SD) of RASS scores were calculated for each patient. We also calculated each patient's duration of substantial fluctuation of consciousness, defined as the number of days with 24-h RASS SD > 1. Patients were stratified by 3-month outcome using the modified Rankin scale, and associations with outcome were assessed via logistic regression. There were 98 patients with at least one positive RASS score, with median total duration of agitation 8 h (interquartile range [IQR] 4-18), and median duration of substantially fluctuating consciousness 2 days (IQR 1-3). Unfavorable 3-month outcome was significantly associated with a longer duration of fluctuating consciousness (odds ratio [OR] per day, 1.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-2.20; p = 0.031), but a briefer duration of agitation (OR per hour, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.89-0.99; p = 0.031). Though a longer duration of fluctuating consciousness was associated with worse outcomes in our cohort, total duration of agitation was not, and may have had the opposite effect. Our findings should therefore challenge the intensity with which agitation is often treated in SAH patients.

  17. Effect of Aromatherapy Massage on Agitation and Depressive Mood in Individuals With Dementia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Ya-Ping; Wang, Chi-Jane; Wang, Jing-Jy

    2016-09-01

    The current study examined the effects of aromatherapy massage on alleviating agitation and depressive mood in individuals with dementia. A randomized controlled trial and repeated measures design was conducted. A total of 59 participants were randomly assigned to intervention or control groups. The intervention group received aromatherapy massage once per week for 8 weeks. Results indicated no significant changes over time in overall agitation for either group, but agitation decreased from Week 1 to Week 5 for the intervention group. In addition, the overall depressive symptoms decreased significantly over time for the intervention group compared to the control group (p aromatherapy massage showed some significant changes in Weeks 5 and 9. Aromatherapy massage can be an effective and safe intervention to alleviate specific agitated behaviors and depressive mood in individuals with dementia. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 42(9), 38-46.]. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

  18. Aerated biofilters with multiple-level air injection configurations to enhance biological treatment of methane emissions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farrokhzadeh, Hasti; Hettiaratchi, J Patrick A; Jayasinghe, Poornima; Kumar, Sunil

    2017-09-01

    Aiming to improve conventional methane biofilter performance, a multiple-level aeration biofilter design is proposed. Laboratory flow-through column experiments were conducted to evaluate three actively-aerated methane biofilter configurations. Columns were aerated at one, two, and three levels of the bed depth, with air introduced at flow rates calculated from methane oxidation reaction stoichiometry. Inlet methane loading rates were increased in five stages between 6 and 18mL/min. The effects of methane feeding rate, levels of aeration, and residence time on methane oxidation rates were determined. Samples collected after completion of flow-through experiments were used to determine methane oxidation kinetic parameters, V max , K m , and methanotrophic community distribution across biofilter columns. Results obtained from mixed variances analysis and response surfaces, as well as methanotrophic activity data, suggested that, biofilter column with two aeration levels has the most even performance over time, maintaining 85.1% average oxidation efficiency over 95days of experiments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Radon removal equipment based on aeration: A literature study of tests performed in Sweden between 1981 and 1996

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mjoenes, L.

    2000-02-01

    In Sweden some principles to reduce the radon concentration in drinking water were tested in the beginning of the 1980s. Spray aeration under atmospheric pressure, diffused bubble aeration, aeration in the pressure tank and different combinations of these principles were studied. Aeration in the drill hole and adsorption on granulated activated char-coal were also tested. The best results, about 70 % reduction, were obtained with aeration in the pressure tank with a spray system combined with diffused air bubbling. The Oerebro project in the beginning of the 1990s included on site testing of five different aeration solutions: Aeration in the drill hole, aeration in the storage tank, ejector aeration, shallow tray aeration and packed column aeration. The radon removal efficiency varied between 20 % and 99 %. In 1994 a study intended to test the radon removal capacity of different water treatment equipment was performed. Six units of radon separators were included but most of the tested equipment was installed for other water treatment purposes. The performed measurements showed that the only types of equipment that reduce the radon concentration efficiently are radon separators and reverse osmosis filters. The radon removal capacity of the radon separators varied between 23 % and 97 %. In 1996 the nine most common radon separators on the Swedish market were tested. The results showed that the tested radon removal equipment worked well, although the technical quality and chosen technical solutions were not always the best. The radon removal capacity of the units participating in this test was in most cases between 96 and 99 %. In some cases the capacity exceeded 99 %. In order to reach this radon removal capacity the water must be recirculated in a storage tank under atmospheric pressure

  20. Radon removal equipment based on aeration: A literature study of tests performed in Sweden between 1981 and 1996

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mjoenes, L

    2000-02-01

    In Sweden some principles to reduce the radon concentration in drinking water were tested in the beginning of the 1980s. Spray aeration under atmospheric pressure, diffused bubble aeration, aeration in the pressure tank and different combinations of these principles were studied. Aeration in the drill hole and adsorption on granulated activated char-coal were also tested. The best results, about 70 % reduction, were obtained with aeration in the pressure tank with a spray system combined with diffused air bubbling. The Oerebro project in the beginning of the 1990s included on site testing of five different aeration solutions: Aeration in the drill hole, aeration in the storage tank, ejector aeration, shallow tray aeration and packed column aeration. The radon removal efficiency varied between 20 % and 99 %. In 1994 a study intended to test the radon removal capacity of different water treatment equipment was performed. Six units of radon separators were included but most of the tested equipment was installed for other water treatment purposes. The performed measurements showed that the only types of equipment that reduce the radon concentration efficiently are radon separators and reverse osmosis filters. The radon removal capacity of the radon separators varied between 23 % and 97 %. In 1996 the nine most common radon separators on the Swedish market were tested. The results showed that the tested radon removal equipment worked well, although the technical quality and chosen technical solutions were not always the best. The radon removal capacity of the units participating in this test was in most cases between 96 and 99 %. In some cases the capacity exceeded 99 %. In order to reach this radon removal capacity the water must be recirculated in a storage tank under atmospheric pressure.

  1. Low frequency aeration of pig slurry affects slurry characteristics and emissions of greenhouse gases and ammonia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calvet, Salvador; Hunt, John; Misselbrook, Tom H

    2017-07-01

    Low frequency aeration of slurries may reduce ammonia (NH 3 ) and methane (CH 4 ) emissions without increasing nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions. The aim of this study was to quantify this potential reduction and to establish the underlying mechanisms. A batch experiment was designed with 6 tanks with 1 m 3 of pig slurry each. After an initial phase of 7 days when none of the tanks were aerated, a second phase of 4 weeks subjected three of the tanks to aeration (2 min every 6 h, airflow 10 m 3  h -1 ), whereas the other three tanks remained as a control. A final phase of 9 days was established with no aeration in any tank. Emissions of NH 3 , CH 4 , carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and N 2 O were measured. In the initial phase no differences in emissions were detected, but during the second phase aeration increased NH 3 emissions by 20% with respect to the controls (8.48 vs. 7.07 g m -3  [slurry] d -1 , P emissions were 40% lower in the aerated tanks (2.04 vs. 3.39 g m -3  [slurry] d -1 , P emissions remained after the aeration phase had finished. No effect was detected for CO 2 , and no relevant N 2 O emissions were detected during the experiment. Our results demonstrate that low frequency aeration of stored pig slurry increases slurry pH and increases NH 3 emissions.

  2. Lean Methodology Reduces Inappropriate Use of Antipsychotics for Agitation at a Psychiatric Hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goga, Joshana K; Depaolo, Antonio; Khushalani, Sunil; Walters, J Ken; Roca, Robert; Zisselman, Marc; Borleis, Christopher

    2017-01-01

    To Evaluate the Effects of Applying Lean Methodology-Improving Quality Increasing Efficiency by Eliminating Waste and Reducing Costs-An Approach To Decrease the Prescribing Frequency of Antipsychotics for The Indication of Agitation. Historically Controlled Study. Bheppard Pratt Health System is the Largest Private Provider of Psychiatric Care in Maryland With a Total Bed Capacity of 300. There Were 4 337 Patient Days From November 1 2012 to October 31 2013 on the Dementia Unit. All Patients Admitted on the Dementia Unit Were 65 Years of Age and Older with a Primary Diagnosis of Dementia. our Multidisciplinary Team Used Lean Methodology to Identify the Root Causes and Interventions Necessary to Reduce Inappropriate Antipsychotic Use. The Primary Outcome Was Rate of Inappropriately Indicating Agitation as the Rationale When Prescribing Antipsychotic Medications. There Was a 90% (P Agitation. The Lean Methodology Interventions Led To A 90% (P Agitation and a 10% Rate Reduction in Overall Antipsychotic Prescribing. Key Words: Agitation Alzheimer's Antipsychotics Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia Centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services Dementia Root-cause Analysis. BPSD = Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia CATIE-AD = Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness in Alzheimer's Disease EMR = Electronic Medical Records GAO = Government Accountability Office GNCIS = Geriatric Neuropsychiatric Clinical Indicator Scale.

  3. Fluctuations in macroscopically agitated plasma:quasiparticles and effective temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sosenko, P.P.; Gresillon, D.

    1994-01-01

    Fluctuations in the plasma, in which macroscopic fluid-like motion is agitated due to large-scale and low-frequency electro-magnetic fields, are studied. Such fields can be produced by external factors or internally, for example due to turbulence. Fluctuation spectral distributions are calculated with regard to the renormalization of the transition probability for a test-particle and of the test-particle shielding. If the correlation length for the random fluid-like motion is large as compared to the fluctuation scale lengths, then the fluctuation spectral distributions can be explained in terms of quasiparticles originating from macroscopic plasma agitation and of an effective temperature

  4. Simulation-Based Training for Residents in the Management of Acute Agitation: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vestal, Heather S; Sowden, Gillian; Nejad, Shamim; Stoklosa, Joseph; Valcourt, Stephanie C; Keary, Christopher; Caminis, Argyro; Huffman, Jeff

    2017-02-01

    Simulations are used extensively in medicine to train clinicians to manage high-risk situations. However, to our knowledge, no studies have determined whether this is an effective means of teaching residents to manage acutely agitated patients. This study aimed to determine whether simulation-based training in the management of acute agitation improves resident knowledge and performance, as compared to didactic-based instruction. Following a standard lecture on the management of agitated patients, first-year psychiatry residents were randomized (in clusters of three to four residents) to either the intervention (n = 15) or control arm (n = 11). Residents in the intervention arm then received simulation-based training on the management of acute agitation using a scenario with an agitated standardized patient. Those in the control arm received simulation-based training on a clinical topic unrelated to the management of agitation using a scenario with a non-agitated standardized patient who had suffered a fall. Baseline confidence and knowledge were assessed using pre-intervention self-assessment questionnaires and open-ended clinical case vignettes. Efficacy of the intervention as a teaching tool was assessed with post-intervention open-ended clinical case vignettes and videotaped simulation-based assessment, using a different scenario of an agitated standardized patient. Residents who received the agitation simulation-based training showed significantly greater improvement in knowledge (intervention = 3.0 vs. control = 0.3, p = 0.007, Cohen's d = 1.2) and performance (intervention = 39.6 vs control = 32.5, p = 0.001, Cohen's d = 1.6). Change in self-perceived confidence did not differ significantly between groups. In this study, simulation-based training appeared to be more effective at teaching knowledge and skills necessary for the management of acutely agitated patients, as compared to didactic-based instruction alone

  5. Passively Aerated Composting of Straw-Rich Pig Manure : Effect of Compost Bed Porosity

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Veeken, A.H.M.; Wilde, de V.; Hamelers, H.V.M.

    2002-01-01

    Straw-rich manure from organic pig farming systems can be composted in passively aerated systems as the high application of straw results in a compost bed with good structure and porosity. The passively aerated composting process was simulated in one-dimensional reactors of 2 m3 for straw-rich

  6. Influence of rotor circumference speed on flotation cell aeration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dedek, F; Bortlik, V

    1978-01-01

    Laboratory test results of flotation experiments conducted in Czechoslovakia with the use of coal flotation particles <0.5 mm are presented. Three different cells and rotors were used, type MS, Denver, VRF 2 with various rotor diameters ranging from 40 mm to 95 mm. Nine tables show the results with varying flotation time, circumferenial velocity, flotation reagents and aeration. Test procedures are discussed; main results are that circumferenial velocity cannot be used as a decisive parameter for cell aeration and flotation efficiency, and that a direct transfer of parameters cannot be made to flotation cells with a different design and to larger industrial equipment. (4 refs.) (In German)

  7. Drying process optimization for an API solvate using heat transfer model of an agitated filter dryer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nere, Nandkishor K; Allen, Kimberley C; Marek, James C; Bordawekar, Shailendra V

    2012-10-01

    Drying an early stage active pharmaceutical ingredient candidate required excessively long cycle times in a pilot plant agitated filter dryer. The key to faster drying is to ensure sufficient heat transfer and minimize mass transfer limitations. Designing the right mixing protocol is of utmost importance to achieve efficient heat transfer. To this order, a composite model was developed for the removal of bound solvent that incorporates models for heat transfer and desolvation kinetics. The proposed heat transfer model differs from previously reported models in two respects: it accounts for the effects of a gas gap between the vessel wall and solids on the overall heat transfer coefficient, and headspace pressure on the mean free path length of the inert gas and thereby on the heat transfer between the vessel wall and the first layer of solids. A computational methodology was developed incorporating the effects of mixing and headspace pressure to simulate the drying profile using a modified model framework within the Dynochem software. A dryer operational protocol was designed based on the desolvation kinetics, thermal stability studies of wet and dry cake, and the understanding gained through model simulations, resulting in a multifold reduction in drying time. Copyright © 2012 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  8. Optimizing aeration rates for minimizing membrane fouling and its effect on sludge characteristics in a moving bed membrane bioreactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rahimi, Yousef; Torabian, Ali; Mehrdadi, Naser; Habibi-Rezaie, Mehran; Pezeshk, Hamid; Nabi-Bidhendi, Gholam-Reza

    2011-01-01

    Research highlights: → There is an optimum aeration rate in the MBMBR process compartments. → Optimum aeration rate maximizes nutrients removal. → Optimum aeration rate minimizes membrane fouling. → Both aeration rates in MBBR and membrane compartment can affect on membrane permeability. - Abstract: In MBR processes, sufficient aeration is necessary to maintain sustainable flux and to retard membrane fouling. Membrane permeability, sludge characteristics, nutrient removal and biomass growth at various air flow rates in the membrane and moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) compartments were studied in a pilot plant. The highest nitrogen and phosphorous removal rates were found at MBBR aeration rates of 151 and 85 L h -1 and a specific aeration demand per membrane area (SAD m ) of 1.2 and 0.4m air 3 m -2 h -1 , respectively. A linear correlation was found between the amount of attached biofilm and the nutrient removal rate. The aeration rate in the MBBR compartment and SAD m significantly influenced the sludge characteristics and membrane permeability. The optimum combination of the aeration rate in the MBBR compartment and SAD m were 151 L h -1 and 0.8-1.2m air 3 m membrane -2 h -1 , respectively.

  9. Optimizing aeration rates for minimizing membrane fouling and its effect on sludge characteristics in a moving bed membrane bioreactor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rahimi, Yousef, E-mail: yrahimi@ut.ac.ir [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate Faculty of Environment, University of Tehran, No. 25 Qods St., Enghelab Ave., Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Torabian, Ali, E-mail: atorabi@ut.ac.ir [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate Faculty of Environment, University of Tehran, No. 25 Qods St., Enghelab Ave., Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Mehrdadi, Naser, E-mail: mehrdadi@ut.ac.ir [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate Faculty of Environment, University of Tehran, No. 25 Qods St., Enghelab Ave., Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Habibi-Rezaie, Mehran, E-mail: mhabibi@khayam.ut.ac.ir [Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, No. 25 Qods St., Enghelab Ave., Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Pezeshk, Hamid, E-mail: pezeshk@khayam.ut.ac.ir [Department of Statistics, Faculty of Mathematics and Computer, College of Science, University of Tehran, No. 25 Qods St., Enghelab Ave., Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Nabi-Bidhendi, Gholam-Reza, E-mail: ghhendi@ut.ac.ir [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate Faculty of Environment, University of Tehran, No. 25 Qods St., Enghelab Ave., Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2011-02-28

    Research highlights: {yields} There is an optimum aeration rate in the MBMBR process compartments. {yields} Optimum aeration rate maximizes nutrients removal. {yields} Optimum aeration rate minimizes membrane fouling. {yields} Both aeration rates in MBBR and membrane compartment can affect on membrane permeability. - Abstract: In MBR processes, sufficient aeration is necessary to maintain sustainable flux and to retard membrane fouling. Membrane permeability, sludge characteristics, nutrient removal and biomass growth at various air flow rates in the membrane and moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) compartments were studied in a pilot plant. The highest nitrogen and phosphorous removal rates were found at MBBR aeration rates of 151 and 85 L h{sup -1} and a specific aeration demand per membrane area (SAD{sub m}) of 1.2 and 0.4m{sub air}{sup 3} m{sup -2} h{sup -1}, respectively. A linear correlation was found between the amount of attached biofilm and the nutrient removal rate. The aeration rate in the MBBR compartment and SAD{sub m} significantly influenced the sludge characteristics and membrane permeability. The optimum combination of the aeration rate in the MBBR compartment and SAD{sub m} were 151 L h{sup -1} and 0.8-1.2m{sub air}{sup 3}m{sub membrane}{sup -2} h{sup -1}, respectively.

  10. Oxygen demand for the stabilization of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste in passively aerated bioreactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kasinski, Slawomir; Wojnowska-Baryla, Irena

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • The use of an passively aerated reactor enables effective stabilization of OFMSW. • Convective air flow does not inhibit the aerobic stabilization of waste. • The use of an passively aerated reactor reduces the heat loss due to convection. • The volume of supplied air exceeds 1.7–2.88 times the microorganisms demand. - Abstract: Conventional aerobic waste treatment technologies require the use of aeration devices that actively transport air through the stabilized waste mass, which greatly increases operating costs. In addition, improperly operated active aeration systems, may have the adverse effect of cooling the stabilized biomass. Because active aeration can be a limiting factor for the stabilization process, passive aeration can be equally effective and less expensive. Unfortunately, there are few reports documenting the use of passive aeration systems in municipal waste stabilization. There have been doubts raised as to whether a passive aeration system provides enough oxygen to the organic matter mineralization processes. In this paper, the effectiveness of aeration during aerobic stabilization of four different organic fractions of municipal waste in a reactor with an integrated passive ventilation system and leachate recirculation was analyzed. For the study, four fractions separated by a rotary screen were chosen. Despite the high temperatures in the reactor, the air flow rate was below 0.016 m 3 /h. Using Darcy’s equation, theoretical values of the air flow rate were estimated, depending on the intensity of microbial metabolism and the amount of oxygen required for the oxidation of organic compounds. Calculations showed that the volume of supplied air exceeded the microorganisms demand for oxidation and endogenous activity by 1.7–2.88-fold

  11. The effects of micro-aeration on the phylogenetic diversity of microorganisms in a thermophilic anaerobic municipal solid-waste digester.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Yueqin; Shigematsu, Toru; Ikbal; Morimura, Shigeru; Kida, Kenji

    2004-05-01

    We demonstrated previously that micro-aeration allows construction of an effective thermophilic methane-fermentation system for treatment of municipal solid waste (MSW) without production of H(2)S. In the present study, we compared the microbial communities in a thermophilic MSW digester without aeration and with micro-aeration by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), phylogenetic analysis of libraries of 16S rRNA gene clones and quantitative real-time PCR. Moreover, we studied the activity of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) by analysis of the transcription of the gene for dissimilatory sulfite reductase (dsr). Experiments using FISH revealed that microorganisms belonging to the domain Bacteria dominated in the digester both without aeration and with micro-aeration. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene and analysis of bacteria by DGGE did not reveal any obvious difference within the microbial communities under the two aeration conditions, and bacteria affiliated with the phylum Firmicutes were dominant. In Archaea, the population of Methanosarcina decreased while the population of Methanoculleus increased as a result of micro-aerations as revealed by the analysis of 16S rRNA gene clones and quantitative real-time PCR. Reverse transcription and PCR (RT-PCR) demonstrated the transcription of dsrA not only in the absence of aeration but also in the presence of micro-aeration, even under conditions where no H(2)S was detected in the biogas. In conclusion, micro-aeration has no obvious effects on the phylogenetic diversity of microorganisms. Furthermore, the activity of SRBs in the digester was not repressed even though the concentration of H(2)S in the biogas was very low under the micro-aeration conditions.

  12. Water quality and bacteriology in an aquaculture facility equipped with a new aeration system

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Fernandes, S.O.; Kulkarni, S.S.; Shirodkar, R.R.; Karekar, S.V.; PraveenKumar, R.; Sreepada, R.A.; Vogelsang, C.; LokaBharathi, P.A.

    .J., & Reyes F L. de los. (2005). Effects of Aeration Cycles on Nitrifying Bacterial Populations and Nitrogen Removal in Intermittently Aerated Reactors. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 71(12), 8565-8572. Li, Q., Chen, B., Qu, k., Yuan, Y., Li, J...

  13. Sequentially aerated membrane biofilm reactors for autotrophic nitrogen removal: microbial community composition and dynamics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pellicer i Nàcher, Carles; Franck, Stephanie; Gülay, Arda

    2014-01-01

    Membrane-aerated biofilm reactors performing autotrophic nitrogen removal can be successfully applied to treat concentrated nitrogen streams. However, their process performance is seriously hampered by the growth of nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB). In this work we document how sequential aeration...

  14. Treatment of landfill leachate using an aerated, horizontal subsurface-flow constructed wetland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nivala, J; Hoos, M B; Cross, C; Wallace, S; Parkin, G

    2007-07-15

    A pilot-scale subsurface-flow constructed wetland was installed at the Jones County Municipal Landfill, near Anamosa, Iowa, in August 1999 to demonstrate the use of constructed wetlands as a viable low-cost treatment option for leachate generated at small landfills. The system was equipped with a patented wetland aeration process to aid in removal of organic matter and ammonia nitrogen. The high iron content of the leachate caused the aeration system to cease 2 years into operation. Upon the installation of a pretreatment chamber for iron removal and a new aeration system, treatment efficiencies dramatically improved. Seasonal performance with and without aeration is reported for 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD(5)), chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen (NH(4)-N), and nitrate nitrogen (NO(3)-N). Since winter air temperatures in Iowa can be very cold, a layer of mulch insulation was installed on top of the wetland bed to keep the system from freezing. When the insulation layer was properly maintained (either through sufficient litterfall or replenishing the mulch layer), the wetland sustained air temperatures of as low as -26 degrees C without freezing problems.

  15. Combination of Methoprene and Controlled Aeration to Manage Insects in Stored Wheat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Samuel S; Arthur, Frank H; VanGundy, Douglas; Phillips, Thomas W

    2016-06-17

    A commercial formulation of the insect growth regulator methoprene was applied to wheat stored in small bins either alone or in combination with controlled aeration of the bins, to lower grain temperature for insect pest management of stored wheat. Grain temperatures were monitored and modified by a computer-controlled thermocouple system that also activated the aeration system at programmed set-points to move cool ambient air through the grain mass to lower grain temperature. Results from sampling insect populations in experimental storage bins along with laboratory mortality bioassays of insects placed on wheat taken from the bins over the course of the storage period showed that methoprene was very effective in controlling infestation by the externally-feeding stored grain insects Plodia interpunctella (Hübner), the Indian meal moth Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), the red flour beetle, Cryptolestes ferrugineus (Stephens), the rusty grain beetle, and also for the internal-feeding pest Rhyzopertha dominica( Fauvel), the lesser grain borer. Methoprene did not give good control of the internal-feeding pest Sitophilus oryzae (L.), the rice weevil. Aeration alone was somewhat effective in suppressing insect population development, while methoprene alone or when combined with aeration greatly enhanced insect control. Commercial grain grading for industry quality standards at the end of the storage period confirmed the impact of insect suppression on maintaining high quality of the stored wheat. This field experiment shows that methoprene combined with aeration to cool grain can be effective for pest management of stored wheat in the southern plains of the United States of America.

  16. Combination of Methoprene and Controlled Aeration to Manage Insects in Stored Wheat

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samuel S. Liu

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available A commercial formulation of the insect growth regulator methoprene was applied to wheat stored in small bins either alone or in combination with controlled aeration of the bins, to lower grain temperature for insect pest management of stored wheat. Grain temperatures were monitored and modified by a computer-controlled thermocouple system that also activated the aeration system at programmed set-points to move cool ambient air through the grain mass to lower grain temperature. Results from sampling insect populations in experimental storage bins along with laboratory mortality bioassays of insects placed on wheat taken from the bins over the course of the storage period showed that methoprene was very effective in controlling infestation by the externally-feeding stored grain insects Plodia interpunctella (Hübner, the Indian meal moth Tribolium castaneum (Herbst, the red flour beetle, Cryptolestes ferrugineus (Stephens, the rusty grain beetle, and also for the internal-feeding pest Rhyzopertha dominica( Fauvel, the lesser grain borer. Methoprene did not give good control of the internal-feeding pest Sitophilus oryzae (L., the rice weevil. Aeration alone was somewhat effective in suppressing insect population development, while methoprene alone or when combined with aeration greatly enhanced insect control. Commercial grain grading for industry quality standards at the end of the storage period confirmed the impact of insect suppression on maintaining high quality of the stored wheat. This field experiment shows that methoprene combined with aeration to cool grain can be effective for pest management of stored wheat in the southern plains of the United States of America.

  17. Discontinuing the Use of PRN Intramuscular Medication for Agitation in an Acute Psychiatric Hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayes, Ariel; Russ, Mark J

    2016-03-01

    This study examined the impact of eliminating intramuscular PRN medication for agitation on patient and staff safety in an acute psychiatric inpatient setting. The current retrospective chart review investigated the use of PRN medications (oral and intramuscular) to treat acute agitation, including aggression, and related outcomes before and after a mandated change in PRN practice that required real time physician input before administration of intramuscular medications. The use of both oral and intramuscular PRN medications dramatically decreased following implementation of the mandated change in practice. In particular, the use of intramuscular PRNs for agitation decreased by about half. Despite this decrease, the assault rate in the hospital was unchanged, and the utilization of restraint and seclusion continued to decrease. It is possible to reduce the utilization of PRN medications for agitation without broadly compromising safety on acute care psychiatric inpatient units.

  18. Electroconvulsive Therapy for Agitation in Schizophrenia: Metaanalysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Xiaojing; Zheng, Wei; Guo, Tong; Ungvari, Gabor S; Chiu, Helen F K; Cao, Xiaolan; D'Arcy, Carl; Meng, Xiangfei; Ning, Yuping; Xiang, Yutao

    2017-02-25

    Agitation poses a significant challenge in the treatment of schizophrenia. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a fast, effective and safe treatment for a variety of psychiatric disorders, but no meta-analysis of ECT treatment for agitation in schizophrenia has yet been reported. To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of ECT alone or ECT-antipsychotics (APs) combination for agitation in schizophrenia. Systematic literature search of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was performed. Two independent evaluators selected studies, extracted data about outcomes and safety with available data, conducted quality assessment and data synthesis. The Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) was used to judge the level of the overall evidence of main outcomes. Seven RCTs from China, including ECT alone (4 RCTs with 5 treatment arms, n=240) and ECT-APs combination (3 RCTs, n=240), were identified. Participants in the studies were on average 34.3(4.5) years of age and lasted an average of 4.3(3.1) weeks of treatment duration. All 7 RCTs were non-blinded, and were rated as low quality based on Jadad scale. Meta-analysis of the pooled sample found no significant difference in the improvement of the agitation sub-score of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) when ECT alone (weighted mean difference=-0.90, (95% confidence interval (CI): -2.91, 1.11), p=0.38) or ECT-APs combination (WMD=-1.34, (95%CI: -4.07, 1.39), p=0.33) compared with APs monotherapy. However, ECT alone was superior to APs monotherapy regarding PANSS total score (WMD=-7.13, I 2 =0%, p =0.004) and its excitement sub-score (WMD=-1.97, p agitation related outcomes in schizophrenia patients. However, ECT alone or ECT-APs combination were associated with significant reduction in the PANSS total score. High-quality RCTs are needed to confirm the current interpretations.

  19. Start-Up and Aeration Strategies for a Completely Autotrophic Nitrogen Removal Process in an SBR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoling Zhang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The start-up and performance of the completely autotrophic nitrogen removal via nitrite (CANON process were examined in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR with intermittent aeration. Initially, partial nitrification was established, and then the DO concentration was lowered further, surplus water in the SBR with high nitrite was replaced with tap water, and continuous aeration mode was turned into intermittent aeration mode, while the removal of total nitrogen was still weak. However, the total nitrogen (TN removal efficiency and nitrogen removal loading reached 83.07% and 0.422 kgN/(m3·d, respectively, 14 days after inoculating 0.15 g of CANON biofilm biomass into the SBR. The aggregates formed in SBR were the mixture of activated sludge and granular sludge; the volume ratio of floc and granular sludge was 7 : 3. DNA analysis showed that Planctomycetes-like anammox bacteria and Nitrosomonas-like aerobic ammonium oxidization bacteria were dominant bacteria in the reactor. The influence of aeration strategies on CANON process was investigated using batch tests. The result showed that the strategy of alternating aeration (1 h and nonaeration (1 h was optimum, which can obtain almost the same TN removal efficiency as continuous aeration while reducing the energy consumption, inhibiting the activity of NOB, and enhancing the activity of AAOB.

  20. Radon in water aeration system operational performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lamarre, B.L.

    1990-01-01

    North East Environmental Products, Inc. is a manufacturer of residential scale aeration systems for removal of radon and volatile organic chemicals from private water supplies. This paper is a review of the operational history of residential scale point of entry (POE) radon aeration systems. Emphasis is placed on the difficulties and solutions encountered in actual installations caused by both mechanical difficulties and water quality parameters. A summary of radon reduction efficiency is presented for wells with radon concentrations from 21,000 to 2,600,000 pCi/L. A discussion of customer concerns and attitudes is presented along with other areas for further technical improvement. Training techniques for dealers and installers are also discussed. An update of the current status of the radon in water industry includes current sales volumes as compared to the potential market and an update on the radon in water MCL standard setting process from an industry perspective

  1. Oxidation of magnetite in aerated aqueous media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taylor, P.; Owen, D.G.

    1993-04-01

    Metastable equilibria involving phases less stable than hematite can be significantly more oxidizing than the calculated equilibrium between well-crystallized hematite and magnetite. In this report, generalized solubility and stability relationships between magnetite and Fe 2 O 3 .xH 2 O phases are derived to describe the metastable equilibria. Experiments with synthetic magnetite powders in aerated aqueous solutions show that crystalline hematite is formed within days at temperatures above 100 C in pure water or solutions containing anions (e.g., Cl - , SO 4 2 - , HCO 3 - ) that do not form very strong surface complexes with iron oxides. In the presence of dissolved phosphate or silica, however, the dissolution-precipitation route to hematite is strongly inhibited, and maghemite is a persistent metastable product. Thus, phosphate or silica are expected to delay the approach to magnetite-hematite equilibrium in aerated groundwaters conditioned by magnetite. These findings are presented in the context of nuclear fuel waste disposal. (author). 63 refs., 1 tab., 11 figs

  2. Waste Stabilization Ponds and Aerated Lagoons Performance in Removal of Wastewater Indicator Microorganisms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seyed ali Ghasemi

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available In this work, the performance of two treatment plants in the City of Mashhad, one with an aerated lagoons system and the other one with waste stabilization ponds system were evaluated in regard to their efficiency in reduction of pathogenic microorganisms. For this purpose, over a period of one year (with 15-days intervals, samples were taken from the influent and effluent (prior to disinfection unit of the above mentioned treatment plants. The samples then were analyzed for parameters such as temperature, pH, density of total coliforms (TC and fecal coliforms (FC, dissolved oxygen and total suspended solids concentration. The results indicated that the aerated lagoons system was much more efficient in removal of indicator bacteria than the waste stabilization ponds during autumn and winter periods. However during the summer months, the waste stabilization ponds showed a higher efficiency in this regard. In general, the waste stabilization ponds system reduced the density of TC and FC by 0.21-2.15 log10 and 0.20-2.33 log10, respectively. In contrast, the levels of reduction in aerated lagoons system were in the range of 0.29-2.03 log10 for TC and 0.42-2.40 log10 for FC. Results indicated that solar intensity, pH and dissolved oxygen concentration were found to be the most significant parameters that reduced the microorganisms population in waste stabilization ponds, While, in the aerated lagoons system, the dissolved oxygen concentration in aerated basin and solar intensity play the most important role. In general, without receiving an adequate disinfection, the effluent from waste stabilization ponds and aerated lagoons cannot provide the microbiological standards required for irrigation of agricultural crops.

  3. Landfill aeration for emission control before and during landfill mining.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raga, Roberto; Cossu, Raffaello; Heerenklage, Joern; Pivato, Alberto; Ritzkowski, Marco

    2015-12-01

    The landfill of Modena, in northern Italy, is now crossed by the new high velocity railway line connecting Milan and Bologna. Waste was completely removed from a part of the landfill and a trench for the train line was built. With the aim of facilitating excavation and further disposal of the material extracted, suitable measures were defined. In order to prevent undesired emissions into the excavation area, the aerobic in situ stabilisation by means of the Airflow technology took place before and during the Landfill Mining. Specific project features involved the pneumatic leachate extraction from the aeration wells (to keep the leachate table low inside the landfill and increase the volume of waste available for air migration) and the controlled moisture addition into a limited zone, for a preliminary evaluation of the effects on process enhancement. Waste and leachate were periodically sampled in the landfill during the aeration before the excavation, for quality assessment over time; the evolution of biogas composition in the landfill body and in the extraction system for different plant set-ups during the project was monitored, with specific focus on uncontrolled migration into the excavation area. Waste biological stability significantly increased during the aeration (waste respiration index dropped to 33% of the initial value after six months). Leachate head decreased from 4 to 1.5m; leachate recirculation tests proved the beneficial effects of moisture addition on temperature control, without hampering waste aerobization. Proper management of the aeration plant enabled the minimization of uncontrolled biogas emissions into the excavation area. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Biofilm formation on membranes used for membrane aerated biological reactors, under different stress conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andrade-Molinar, C.; Ballinas-Casarrubias, M. L.; Solis-Martinez, F. J.; Rivera-Chavira, B. E.; Cuevas-Rodirguez, G.; Nevarez-Moorillon, G. V.

    2009-01-01

    Bacterial biofilm play an important role in wastewater treatment processes, and have been optimized in the membrane aerated biofilm reactors (MABR). In MABR, a hydrophobic membrane is used as support for the formation of biofilm, and supplements enough aeration to assure an aerobic process. (Author)

  5. Growth enhancement of effective microorganisms for bioremediation of crude oil contaminated waters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mukred, Abdualdaim Mohammed; Abd-Hamid, Aidil; Hamzah, Ainon; Yusoff, Wan Mohtar Wan

    2008-07-01

    The bioremediation of polluted groundwater, wastewater aeration pond and biopond sites was investigated using bacteria isolated from these sites located at the oil refinery Terengganu Malaysia. Out of 62 isolates, only 16 isolates from groundwater (8) and wastewater aeration pond (3) and biopond (5) were chosen based on growth medium containing 1% (v/v) Tapis crude oil. Only four isolates; Acinetobacter faecalis, Staphylococcus sp., Pseudomonas putida and Neisseria elongata showed percentage biodegradation of crude oil more than 50% after 5 days using Mineral Salts Medium (MSM). The effect of physical parameters (temperature, pH and agitation) on growth by all four strains showed a maximum growth in MSM medium with 1% Tapis crude oil at 37 degrees C with pH 7 and agitation of 130 rpm.

  6. The relationship between agitation and impairments of orientation and memory during the PTA period after traumatic brain injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKay, Adam; Love, Jasmine; Trevena-Peters, Jessica; Gracey, Jacinta; Ponsford, Jennie

    2018-06-03

    Agitation is common during the post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) period after traumatic brain injury (TBI), although our knowledge of what causes or predicts agitation is limited. The current study aimed to examine the association of agitation in PTA with the concurrent impairments in orientation and memory while controlling for covariates of agitation. Participants were 125 patients in PTA following moderate to extremely severe TBI recruited from an inpatient brain injury rehabilitation service who were assessed throughout PTA on the Agitated Behavior Scale (ABS) and the Westmead PTA Scale (WPTAS). Agitation was observed in 42.4% of participants (ABS score > 21), with disinhibited behaviours (e.g., distractibility and impulsivity) most common. Multilevel modelling found daily ABS scores to be associated with daily scores on the WPTAS but in a non-linear pattern. Analysis of covariates found that shorter time post-admission, younger age, presence of infection and higher antipsychotic doses were associated with higher ABS scores. These results support a relationship between agitation and the concurrent cognitive impairment during PTA. While a causal link cannot yet be inferred, management strategies that can potentially interfere with cognition (e.g., sedating medications, environmental changes) should be used cautiously in case they exacerbate agitation.

  7. Effects of intermittent and continuous aeration on accelerative stabilization and microbial population dynamics in landfill bioreactors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sang, Nguyen Nhu; Soda, Satoshi; Inoue, Daisuke; Sei, Kazunari; Ike, Michihiko

    2009-10-01

    Performance and microbial population dynamics in landfill bioreactors were investigated in laboratory experiments. Three reactors were operated without aeration (control reactor, CR), with cyclic 6-h aeration and 6-h non-aeration (intermittently aerated reactor, IAR), and with continuous aeration (continuously aerated reactor, CAR). Each reactor was loaded with high-organic solid waste. The performance of IAR was highest among the reactors up to day 90. The respective solid weight, organic matter content, and waste volume on day 90 in the CR, IAR, and CAR were 50.9, 39.1, and 47.5%; 46.5, 29.3 and 35.0%; and 69, 38, and 53% of the initial values. Organic carbon and nitrogen compounds in leachate in the IAR and the CAR showed significant decreases in comparison to those in the CR. The most probable number (MPN) values of fungal 18S rDNA in the CAR and the IAR were higher than those in the CR. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis showed that unique and diverse eubacterial and archaeal communities were formed in the IAR. The intermittent aeration strategy was favorable for initiation of solubilization of organic matter by the aerobic fungal populations and the reduction of the acid formation phase. Then the anaerobic H(2)-producing bacteria Clostridium became dominant in the IAR. Sulfate-reducing bacteria, which cannot use acetate/sulfate but which instead use various organics/sulfate as the electron donor/acceptor were also dominant in the IAR. Consequently, Methanosarcinales, which are acetate-utilizing methanogens, became the dominant archaea in the IAR, where high methane production was observed.

  8. Efficient removal of perfluorooctane sulfonate from aqueous film-forming foam solution by aeration-foam collection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Pingping; Deng, Shubo; Maimaiti, Ayiguli; Wang, Bin; Huang, Jun; Wang, Yujue; Cousins, Ian T; Yu, Gang

    2018-07-01

    Aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) used in fire-fighting are one of the main contamination sources of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) to the subterranean environment, requiring high costs for remediation. In this study, a method that combined aeration and foam collection was presented to remove PFOS from a commercially available AFFF solution. The method utilized the strong surfactant properties of PFOS that cause it to be highly enriched at air-water interfaces. With an aeration flow rate of 75 mL/min, PFOS removal percent reached 96% after 2 h, and the PFOS concentration in the collected foam was up to 6.5 mmol/L, beneficial for PFOS recovery and reuse. Increasing the aeration flow rate, ionic strength and concentration of co-existing surfactant, as well as decreasing the initial PFOS concentration, increased the removal percents of PFOS by increasing the foam volume, but reduced the enrichment of PFOS in the foams. With the assistance of a co-existing hydrocarbon surfactant, PFOS removal percent was above 99.9% after aeration-foam collection for 2 h and the enrichment factor exceeded 8400. Aeration-foam collection was less effective for short-chain perfluoroalkyl substances due to their relatively lower surface activity. Aeration-foam collection was found to be effective for the removal of high concentrations of PFOS from AFFF-contaminated wastewater, and the concentrated PFOS in the collected foam can be reused. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Effects of tailwater depth on spillway aeration

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2011-04-15

    Apr 15, 2011 ... Hydraulic structures such as spillways or weirs with their water-air controlling mechanisms are not only important for their structural properties but also for their effects on downstream ecology. Tailwater depth is an important factor affecting dissolved oxygen transfer and aeration rates of spillways. In this ...

  10. Computational Fluid Dynamics Modelling of Hydraulics and Sedimentation in Process Reactors during Aeration Tank Settling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, M.D.; Ingildsen, P.; Rasmussen, Michael R.

    2006-01-01

    Aeration tank settling is a control method allowing settling in the process tank during highhydraulic load. The control method is patented. Aeration tank settling has been applied in several wastewater treatment plants using the present design of the process tanks. Some process tank designs...... and outletcausing a disruption of the sludge blanket at the outlet and thereby reducing the retention of sludge in theprocess tank. The model has allowed us to establish a clear picture of the problems arising at the plantduring aeration tank settling. Secondly, several process tank design changes have been...

  11. Yields and Nutritional of Greenhouse Tomato in Response to Different Soil Aeration Volume at two depths of Subsurface drip irrigation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yuan; Niu, Wenquan; Dyck, Miles; Wang, Jingwei; Zou, Xiaoyang

    2016-01-01

    This study investigated the effects of 4 aeration levels (varied by injection of air to the soil through subsurface irrigation lines) at two subsurface irrigation line depths (15 and 40 cm) on plant growth, yield and nutritional quality of greenhouse tomato. In all experiments, fruit number, width and length, yield, vitamin C, lycopene and sugar/acid ratio of tomato markedly increased in response to the aeration treatments. Vitamin C, lycopene, and sugar/acid ratio increased by 41%, 2%, and 43%, respectively, in the 1.5 times standard aeration volume compared with the no-aeration treatment. An interaction between aeration level and depth of irrigation line was also observed with yield, fruit number, fruit length, vitamin C and sugar/acid ratio of greenhouse tomato increasing at each aeration level when irrigation lines were placed at 40 cm depth. However, when the irrigation lines were 15 cm deep, the trend of total fruit yields, fruit width, fruit length and sugar/acid ratio first increased and then decreased with increasing aeration level. Total soluble solids and titrable acid decreased with increasing aeration level both at 15 and 40 cm irrigation line placement. When all of the quality factors, yields and economic benefit are considered together, the combination of 40 cm line depth and “standard” aeration level was the optimum combination. PMID:27995970

  12. Effect of clonidine to prevent agitation in children after sevoflurane anaesthesia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ydemann, M.; Nielsen, Bettina Nygaard; Wetterslev, Jørn

    2016-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: Post-operative agitation (PA) is a common problem (20-70%) in children anaesthetised with sevoflurane. Clonidine is widely used off-label in children for several indications, including PA; but the current level of evidence is limited. Our aim is to investigate the impact of prophyla......INTRODUCTION: Post-operative agitation (PA) is a common problem (20-70%) in children anaesthetised with sevoflurane. Clonidine is widely used off-label in children for several indications, including PA; but the current level of evidence is limited. Our aim is to investigate the impact...

  13. Long term care staff beliefs about evidence based practices for the management of dementia and agitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayalon, Liat; Arean, Patricia; Bornfeld, Heather; Beard, Renee

    2009-02-01

    Despite a growing literature on effective interventions for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and agitation, the management of these conditions in long term care (LTC) often is inadequate. The goals of the present study were: (a) to evaluate existing beliefs about evidence based practices (EBP) for the management of Alzheimer's disease and agitation among LTC staff; and (b) to evaluate the contribution of demographic and attitudinal variables to LTC staff beliefs about these EBP. A cross sectional study of 371 LTC staff members completed an EBP questionnaire, a short demographic questionnaire, and an attitudinal questionnaire about AD and agitation. Paraprofessional caregivers, those of lower educational level, and ethnic minorities were more likely to be in disagreement with the EBP views examined in this study. Those in disagreement with the EBP views also reported a preference towards not working with residents with AD and agitation and a sense of helplessness associated with such work. Disagreement with EBP views was associated with both normalization and stigmatization of AD and agitation. Paraprofessional caregivers, ethnic minorities, and people of lower educational level are most at need for educational activities about AD and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Educational efforts geared towards changing the belief system of LTC staff should target not only EBP but also information about AD and agitation as conditions that are deviant from the normal aging process, yet non-stigmatizing. It is expected that following EBP will empower staff and improve staff motivation to work with residents with AD and agitation. (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  14. Modelling and test of aeration tank settling (ATS)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, M. K.; Bechmann, H.; Henze, Mogens

    2000-01-01

    The use of aeration tank settling during high hydraulic loads on large wastewater treatment plants has previously been demonstrated as a reliable technique and proven valuable. The paper proposes a simplified deterministic model to predict the efficiency of the method. It is shown...

  15. [Research of aeration with bio-film technology to treat urban landscape water].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Ying-Wei; Nie, Zhi-Dan; Nian, Yue-Gang; Huang, Min-Sheng; Huang, Jian-Jun; Yan, Hai-Hong; Zhang, Yang

    2008-01-01

    Research of the aeration with bio-film technology was carried out to treat scenic water of a sanatorium in Beijing. The aim of the research was improving the water habitat by increasing the transparency and reducing the concentration of N and P. The equipments were set in a 5,000 m2 water area, which combined the plug flow jet aerator with the elastic biological filler. The research indicated that the transparency increased from 25 cm to 120 cm by the technology. The removal efficiencies of NH4(+)-N, NO3(-)-N and TP were 86.6% , 90% and 73.3%, but there was only 22.4% for TN. The concentration of DO increased from 4.3 mg/L to 7 mg/L. In a word, the aeration with bio-film technology was an effective measure to improve the water habitat by increasing the transparency.

  16. Sub-Tenon's lidocaine injection improves emergence agitation after ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a sub-Tenon's lidocaine injection on emergence agitation in children receiving sevoflurane or halothane anaesthesia for strabismus surgery. Design: A prospective, randomised study. Setting: The study setting included a hospital where a surgical team performed ...

  17. Effect of micro-aeration on anaerobic digestion of primary sludge under septic tank conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diak, James; Örmeci, Banu; Kennedy, Kevin J

    2013-04-01

    Micro-aeration, which refers to the addition of very small amounts of air, is a simple technology that can potentially be incorporated in septic tanks to improve the digestion performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare the effects of micro-aeration on anaerobic digestion of primary sludge under septic tank conditions. 1.6 L batch reactor experiments were carried out in duplicate using raw primary sludge, with 4.1 % total solids, and diluted primary sludge, with 2.1 % total solids. Reactors were operated for 5 weeks at room temperature to simulate septic tank conditions. Micro-aeration rate of 0.00156 vvm effectively solubilised chemical oxygen demand (COD) and improved the subsequent degradation of COD. Micro-aeration also increased the generation of ammonia and soluble proteins, but did not improve the reduction in total and volatile solids, or the reduction in carbohydrates. Experiments using diluted sludge samples showed similar trends as the experiments with raw sludge, which suggest that initial solids concentration did not have a significant effect on the degradation of primary sludge under septic tank conditions.

  18. Effect of citalopram on agitation in Alzheimer disease: the CitAD randomized clinical trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Porsteinsson, Anton P; Drye, Lea T; Pollock, Bruce G; Devanand, D P; Frangakis, Constantine; Ismail, Zahinoor; Marano, Christopher; Meinert, Curtis L; Mintzer, Jacobo E; Munro, Cynthia A; Pelton, Gregory; Rabins, Peter V; Rosenberg, Paul B; Schneider, Lon S; Shade, David M; Weintraub, Daniel; Yesavage, Jerome; Lyketsos, Constantine G

    2014-02-19

    Agitation is common, persistent, and associated with adverse consequences for patients with Alzheimer disease. Pharmacological treatment options, including antipsychotics are not satisfactory. The primary objective was to evaluate the efficacy of citalopram for agitation in patients with Alzheimer disease. Key secondary objectives examined effects of citalopram on function, caregiver distress, safety, cognitive safety, and tolerability. The Citalopram for Agitation in Alzheimer Disease Study (CitAD) was a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel group trial that enrolled 186 patients with probable Alzheimer disease and clinically significant agitation from 8 academic centers in the United States and Canada from August 2009 to January 2013. Participants (n = 186) were randomized to receive a psychosocial intervention plus either citalopram (n = 94) or placebo (n = 92) for 9 weeks. Dosage began at 10 mg per day with planned titration to 30 mg per day over 3 weeks based on response and tolerability. Primary outcome measures were based on scores from the 18-point Neurobehavioral Rating Scale agitation subscale (NBRS-A) and the modified Alzheimer Disease Cooperative Study-Clinical Global Impression of Change (mADCS-CGIC). Other outcomes were based on scores from the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI) and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), ability to complete activities of daily living (ADLs), caregiver distress, cognitive safety (based on scores from the 30-point Mini Mental State Examination [MMSE]), and adverse events. Participants who received citalopram showed significant improvement compared with those who received placebo on both primary outcome measures. The NBRS-A estimated treatment difference at week 9 (citalopram minus placebo) was -0.93 (95% CI, -1.80 to -0.06), P = .04. Results from the mADCS-CGIC showed 40% of citalopram participants having moderate or marked improvement from baseline compared with 26% of placebo

  19. Pumping Characteristics of a Helical Screw Agitator with a Draught Tube

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hwang, Jung-Hoon; Kim, Youn-Jea

    In the use of helical type agitator, the mixing process is usually restricted to the laminar flow regime. Common examples of laminar mixing are found where the fluid has a very high viscosity, i.e., pseudoplastic fluids. It can be indicated that a helical type agitator is sufficiently suited to the creeping flow mixing. The pumping characteristic of a Helical Screw Agitator with a draught tube (HSA) is required to evaluate its capacity for the optimal configuration of the mixing chamber. It could be executed by changing some parameters such as the number of helix, the angular velocity and the rotating direction and so on. In this study, the numerical simulation was carried out with the Eulerian multiphase mixture model and the moving mesh approximation. Some of the optimum design parameters have been developed with the aid of numerical data from the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis. Using the commercial code, Fluent, the pumping characteristics in the HSA are investigated from the rheological properties, and the results are graphically depicted.

  20. The effect of aeration on the removal of wastewater-derived pharmaceutical residues from groundwater - a laboratory study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burke, Victoria; Duennbier, Uwe; Massmann, Gudrun

    2013-01-01

    Several studies on waste- or drinking water treatment processes as well as on groundwater have recently shown that some pharmaceutical residues (PRs) are redox-sensitive. Hence, their (bio)degradation depends on the redox conditions prevalent in the aquifer. Groundwater, providing raw water for drinking water production, is often anoxic and aeration is a widespread treatment method applied mainly to eliminate unwanted iron and manganese from the water. As a side-effect, aeration may trigger the elimination of PRs. Within the present study the influence of aeration on the fate of a number of wastewater derived analgesics and their residues as well as several antimicrobial compounds was investigated. For this purpose, anoxic groundwater was transferred into stainless steel tanks, some of which were aerated while others were continuously kept anoxic. Results prove that the degradation of six phenazone type compounds is dependent on oxygen availability and compounds are efficiently removed under oxic conditions only. Concerning the antimicrobials, doxycycline and trimethoprim were better removed during aeration, whereas a slightly improved removal under anoxic conditions was observed for clindamycin, roxithromycin and clarithromycin. The study provides first laboratory proof of the redox-sensitivity of several organic trace pollutants. In addition, results demonstrate that aeration is an effective treatment for the elimination of a number of wastewater derived PRs.

  1. Prevalence and risk factors of agitation in newly hospitalized schizophrenia patients in China: An observational survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mi, Weifeng; Zhang, Suzhen; Liu, Qi; Yang, Fude; Wang, Yong; Li, Tao; Mei, Qiyi; He, Hongbo; Chen, Zhiyu; Su, Zhonghua; Liu, Tiebang; Xie, Shiping; Tan, Qingrong; Zhang, Jinbei; Zhang, Congpei; Sang, Hong; Chen, Wenhao; Shi, Le; Li, Lingzhi; Shi, Ying; Guo, Lihua; Zhang, Hongyan; Lu, Lin

    2017-07-01

    This multi-center observational study investigated the prevalence of agitation in newly hospitalized schizophrenia patients in China and its potential risk factors. It was performed in 2014 and covered 14 hospitals. Newly hospitalized patients with schizophrenia or suspected schizophrenia who met the diagnostic criteria of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th revision, were recruited. Agitation and related risk factors were evaluated by a questionnaire designed for the survey. General demographic data, disease characteristics, scores on schizophrenia rating scales and agitation rating scales (e.g., Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale-Excited Component [PANSS-EC] and Behavioral Activity Rating Scale [BARS]) were collected. Among the 1512 patients screened in the study, 1400 (92.59%) were eligible. According to the PANSS-EC and BARS, the prevalence of agitation was 60.92% (853 of 1400) and 59.00% (826 of 1400), respectively. The overall prevalence of agitation was 47.50% (665 of 1400). The most important risk factor of agitation was being aggressive at baseline (Modified Overt Aggression Scale score ≥4, odds ratio=6.54; 95% confidence interval=4.93-8.69). Other risk factors included a history of aggressive behavior, northern region of residence, involuntary hospitalization, disease severity, low level of education, living alone, being unemployed or retired. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  2. Influence of agitation speed on tannase production and morphology of Aspergillus niger FETL FT3 in submerged fermentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Darah, I; Sumathi, G; Jain, K; Lim, S H

    2011-12-01

    Agitation speed was found to influence the tannase production and fungal growth of Aspergillus niger FETL FT3. The optimal agitation speed was at 200 rpm which produced 1.41 U/ml tannase and 3.75 g/l of fungal growth. Lower or higher agitation speeds than 200 rpm produced lower enzyme production and fungal growth. Based on the SEM and TEM micrograph observation, there was a significant correlation between agitation speed and the morphology of the fungal mycelia. The results revealed an increase of the enzyme production with the change of the fungal growth morphology from filamentous to pelleted growth forms. However, the exposure to higher shear stress with an increasing agitation speed of the shaker also resulted in lower biomass yields as well as enzyme production.

  3. Application of a complete factorial design for the production of zeaxanthin by Flavobacterium sp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masetto, A; Flores-Cotera, L B; Díaz, C; Langley, E; Sanchez, S

    2001-01-01

    Utilizing a four-liter fermentor and applying a complete factorial design 2(3), the combined effects of agitation speed, aeration rate, and corn steep liquor concentration on zeaxanthin production by Flavobacterium sp. were studied. Maximum growth and production of total carotenoids and zeaxanthin were obtained at 600 rpm, 2 vvm and 4.6% corn steep liquor. Under these conditions, zeaxanthin represented 86% of the total carotenoids produced. Lower values of the variables studied resulted in lower growth, volumetric production of zeaxanthin and total carotenoids, and favored the formation of other carotenoids such as beta-carotene and canthaxanthin. The positive effects on growth and total carotenoids and zeaxanthin formation were in a large extent due to the interaction of agitation/corn steep liquor. However, aeration also had a positive effect on growth.

  4. Agitation and Propagandistic Work in Soviet POW Camps

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gulzhaukhar K. Kokebayeva

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available The paper studies the problem of agitation work done among POWs in Soviet camps, the creation of military units and political organizations from POWs. Not only armed force was used during the Second World War, but also the power of words. The battles were accompanied by the information warfare. Opponents tried to use all possible means to manipulate people’s minds. Main directions of agitation and propaganda were defined by the «Soviet bureau of military and political propaganda», as well as the 7th Division of Soviet army. In the propaganda work among German POWs, the priority was given on shaping the ideological and political views of former soldiers and officers of the Wehrmacht. As the result of the analysis of sources the author comes to conclusion that POWs of the Second World War period became the object of testing means and methods of ideological struggle of warring nations.

  5. Temperature control of paddy bulk storage with aeration-thermosyphon heat pipe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dussadee, Natthawud; Punsaensri, Tammasak; Kiatsiriroat, Tanongkiat

    2007-01-01

    A technology of an aeration-thermosyphon heat pipe is developed for controlling paddy temperature in a paddy bulk silo. A prototype of paddy bulk storage of 1000 kg has a set of copper tubes with steel fins embedded in the paddy bed. The total heat transfer area of the tubes with fins is 16 m 2 . The tubes act as the evaporator of a thermosyphon heat pipe and absorb heat resulting from the paddy respiration. The thermosyphon has a total condenser area of 12.2 m 2 that is exposed to ambient air. At the bottom of the silo, ambient air is fed upward through the paddy bed for the aeration. The initial moisture content of the paddy is around 12.8% wet basis. A mathematical model to predict the paddy bed temperature in the silo with the hybrid aeration-thermosyphon is developed, and the results agree very well with the experimental data. The operating period of its blower could be found from the simulation. The blower is on when the paddy bed temperature, T b , is over or equal to 28 deg. C and the difference temperature between the bed and the ambient, T d , is over or equal to 1 deg. C. The appropriate evaporator area should be over 8 m 2 . At the area of 8 m 2 , the operation time of the blower is 8-9% of the annual period compared with 30-40% for normal aeration alone. The monthly paddy bed temperature could be maintained between 24 and 27 deg. C under the climate of Chiang Mai, Thailand

  6. Study on water infiltration in loess aerated zone at CIRP's field test site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Du Zhongde; Zhao Yingjie; Ni Dongqi; Ma Binghui; Xu Zhaoyi; Tadao Tanaka; Masayuki Mukai

    2000-01-01

    Vertical joints and large pores existing uniquely in loess cause difference between loess and other homogenous soil media in water infiltration. Field test of water infiltration in loess aerated zone of and analysis with hydraulic theory of soil concludes that for the loess aerated zone of vertical joints existing in it makes little contribution to water infiltration under unsaturated condition, and large pores in the media would significantly retard water infiltration

  7. Wernicke encephalopathy without delirium that appeared as agitation in a patient with lung cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Onishi, Hideki; Ishida, Mayumi; Takahashi, Takao; Taji, Yoshitada; Ikebuchi, Kenji; Furuya, Daisuke; Uchida, Nozomu; Akechi, Tatsuo

    2018-05-11

    Wernicke encephalopathy (WE) is a neuropsychiatric disorder caused by thiamine deficiency, and is sometimes overlooked because of the diversity of clinical symptoms. From a series of WE patients with cancer, we report a lung cancer patient who developed WE, the main symptom of which was agitation.ResultA 50-year-old woman with lung cancer was referred to our psycho-oncology clinic because of agitation lasting for three days. No laboratory findings or drugs explaining her agitation were identified. Although the patient did not develop delirium, ophthalmoplegia, or ataxia, WE was suspected because she experienced a loss of appetite loss lasting 5 weeks. This diagnosis was supported by abnormal serum thiamine and disappearance of agitation one hour after intravenous thiamine administration.Significance of resultsThis report emphasizes the clinical diversity of WE and indicates the limits of the ability to diagnose WE from typical clinical symptoms. The presence of a loss of appetite for more than two weeks may be the key to the accurate diagnosis of WE.

  8. Effect of aerated concrete blockwork joints on the heat transfer performance uniformity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pukhkal, Viktor; Murgul, Vera

    2018-03-01

    Analysis of data on the effect of joints of the aerated concrete blocks on the heat transfer uniformity of exterior walls was carried out. It was concluded, that the values of the heat transfer performance uniformity factor in the literature sources were obtained for the regular fragment of a wall construction by approximate addition of thermal conductivities. Heat flow patterns for the aerated concrete exterior walls amid different values of the thermal conductivity factors and design ambient air temperature of -26 °C were calculated with the use of "ELCUT" software for modelling of thermal patterns by finite element method. There were defined the values for the heat transfer performance uniformity factor, reduced total thermal resistance and heat-flux density for the exterior walls. The calculated values of the heat transfer performance uniformity factors, as a function of the coefficient of thermal conductivity of aerated concrete blocks, differ from the known data by a more rigorous thermal and physical substantiation.

  9. Effect of aerated concrete blockwork joints on the heat transfer performance uniformity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pukhkal Viktor

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Analysis of data on the effect of joints of the aerated concrete blocks on the heat transfer uniformity of exterior walls was carried out. It was concluded, that the values of the heat transfer performance uniformity factor in the literature sources were obtained for the regular fragment of a wall construction by approximate addition of thermal conductivities. Heat flow patterns for the aerated concrete exterior walls amid different values of the thermal conductivity factors and design ambient air temperature of -26 °C were calculated with the use of “ELCUT” software for modelling of thermal patterns by finite element method. There were defined the values for the heat transfer performance uniformity factor, reduced total thermal resistance and heat-flux density for the exterior walls. The calculated values of the heat transfer performance uniformity factors, as a function of the coefficient of thermal conductivity of aerated concrete blocks, differ from the known data by a more rigorous thermal and physical substantiation.

  10. SYSTEM OF PRECISE DOSING OF COAGULANT IN THE PULVERIZING AERATOR POWERED BY WIND USING FUZZY LOGIC

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrzej Osuch

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available One of the methods used to support land restoration lakes is the method of pulverizing aeration. Use of aerators powered exclusively by wind improves the condition of reservoirs, while not compromising the environment. The pulverizing aeration process drive is windy on the water aeration zone near bottom, while removing harmful gases anaerobic metabolism. Aerators of this type due to the unique method of operation also enable dosing of inactivation coagulants with oxygenated water to the depths of the lake. Mileage coagulant dosing can be made dependent on the speed of the wind, which has an impact on the performance of his work, because with the increase of wind speed dispensing valve coagulants should be stronger open. One of the methods for assessing the state of lakes is to measure water transparency. The softer visibility, the most likely state of the water is better. Dosage of coagulant so you can make the transparency of the water. Similarly, with increasing transparency water dispensing valve should be more covered up. Control of the drain valve dispenser coagulant can be simultaneously dependent on two factors. The study was designed method of control drain valve dispenser coagulant using fuzzy inference.

  11. Effect of Citalopram on Agitation in Alzheimer's Disease – The CitAD Randomized Controlled Trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Porsteinsson, Anton P.; Drye, Lea T.; Pollock, Bruce G.; Devanand, D.P.; Frangakis, Constantine; Ismail, Zahinoor; Marano, Christopher; Meinert, Curtis L.; Mintzer, Jacobo E.; Munro, Cynthia A.; Pelton, Gregory; Rabins, Peter V.; Rosenberg, Paul B.; Schneider, Lon S.; Shade, David M.; Weintraub, Daniel; Yesavage, Jerome; Lyketsos, Constantine G.

    2014-01-01

    Importance Agitation is common, persistent, and associated with adverse consequences for patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Pharmacological treatment options, including antipsychotics are not satisfactory. Objective The primary objective was to evaluate the efficacy of citalopram for agitation in patients with AD. Key secondary objectives examined effects of citalopram on function, caregiver distress, safety, cognitive safety, and tolerability. Design, Setting and Participants The Citalopram for Agitation in Alzheimer's Disease Study (CitAD) was a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel group trial that enrolled 186 patients with probable AD and clinically significant agitation from eight academic centers in the US and Canada from August 2009 to January 2013. Interventions Participants (n=186) were randomized to receive a psychosocial intervention plus either citalopram (n=94) or placebo (n=92) for 9 weeks. Dose began at 10 mg/d with planned titration to 30 mg/d over 3 weeks based on response and tolerability. Main Outcomes and Measures Primary outcome measures were the Neurobehavioral Rating Scale, agitation subscale (NBRS-A) and the modified Alzheimer Disease Cooperative Study-Clinical Global Impression of Change (mADCS-CGIC) Other outcomes were the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI), Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), activities of daily living (ADLs), caregiver distress, cognitive safety (MMSE), and adverse events. Results Participants on citalopram showed significant improvement compared to placebo on both primary outcome measures. NBRS-A estimated treatment difference at week 9 (citalopram minus placebo) was −0.93 [95% CI: −1.80 to −0.06], p = 0.036. mADCS-CGIC results showed 40% of citalopram participants having moderate or marked improvement from baseline compared to 26% on placebo, with estimated treatment effect (odds ratio of being at or better than a given CGIC category) of 2.13 [95% CI 1.23 to 3.69], p = 0

  12. Measurement of agitation and aggression in adult and aged neuropsychiatric patients: review of definitions and frequently used measurement scales.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Volicer, Ladislav; Citrome, Leslie; Volavka, Jan

    2017-10-01

    Agitation and aggression in adult psychiatric patients with psychoses and in persons with dementia increase the burden of disease and frequently cause hospitalization. The implementation of currently available management strategies and the development of new ones is hindered by inconsistent terminology that confuses agitation with aggression. This confusion is maintained by many rating scales that fail to distinguish between these two syndromes. We review the frequently used rating scales with a particular focus on their ability to separate agitation from aggression. Agitation and aggression are two different syndromes. For example, reactive aggression is often precipitated by rejection of care and may not be associated with agitation per se. We propose, in treatment studies of behavioral symptoms of dementia and challenging behaviors in psychoses, that outcomes should be evaluated separately for agitation and aggression. This is important for investigation of drug effectiveness since the medication may be effective against one syndrome but not the other. Separate assessments of agitation and aggression should be a general principle of trial design with particular salience for registration studies of medications proposed for approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory bodies.

  13. Non-biodegradable landfill leachate treatment by combined process of agitation, coagulation, SBR and filtration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abood, Alkhafaji R. [State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074 (China); Thi Qar University, Nasiriyah (Iraq); Bao, Jianguo, E-mail: bjianguo888@126.com [State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074 (China); Du, Jiangkun; Zheng, Dan; Luo, Ye [State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074 (China)

    2014-02-15

    Highlights: • A novel method of stripping (agitation) was investigated for NH{sub 3}-N removal. • PFS coagulation followed agitation process enhanced the leachate biodegradation. • Nitrification–denitrification achieved by changing operation process in SBR treatment. • A dual filter of carbon-sand is suitable as a polishing treatment of leachate. • Combined treatment success for the complete treatment of non-biodegradable leachate. - Abstract: This study describes the complete treatment of non-biodegradable landfill leachate by combined treatment processes. The processes consist of agitation as a novel stripping method used to overcome the ammonia toxicity regarding aerobic microorganisms. The NH{sub 3}-N removal ratio was 93.9% obtained at pH 11.5 and a gradient velocity (G) 150 s{sup −1} within a five-hour agitation time. By poly ferric sulphate (PFS) coagulation followed the agitation process; chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biological oxygen demand (BOD{sub 5}) were removed at 70.6% and 49.4%, respectively at an optimum dose of 1200 mg L{sup −1} at pH 5.0. The biodegradable ratio BOD{sub 5}/COD was improved from 0.18 to 0.31 during pretreatment step by agitation and PFS coagulation. Thereafter, the effluent was diluted with sewage at a different ratio before it was subjected to sequencing batch reactor (SBR) treatment. Up to 93.3% BOD{sub 5}, 95.5% COD and 98.1% NH{sub 3}-N removal were achieved by SBR operated under anoxic–aerobic–anoxic conditions. The filtration process was carried out using sand and carbon as a dual filter media as polishing process. The final effluent concentration of COD, BOD{sub 5}, suspended solid (SS), NH{sub 3}-N and total organic carbon (TOC) were 72.4 mg L{sup −1}, 22.8 mg L{sup −1}, 24.2 mg L{sup −1}, 18.4 mg L{sup −1} and 50.8 mg L{sup −1} respectively, which met the discharge standard. The results indicated that a combined process of agitation-coagulation-SBR and filtration effectively eliminated

  14. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for treating agitation in dementia (major neurocognitive disorder) - a promising option.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glass, Oliver M; Forester, Brent P; Hermida, Adriana P

    2017-05-01

    Agitation in patients with dementia increases caretaker burden, increases healthcare costs, and worsens the patient's quality of life. Antipsychotic medications, commonly used for the treatment of agitation in patients with dementia have a box warning from the FDA for elevated mortality risk. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has made significant advances over the past several years, and is efficacious in treating a wide range of psychiatric conditions. We provide a systematic review of published literature regarding the efficacy of ECT for the treatment of agitation in patients with dementia (major neurocognitive disorder). We searched PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar, UptoDate, Embase, and Cochrane for literature concerning ECT for treating agitation in dementia using the title search terms "ECT agitation dementia;" "ECT aggression dementia;" "ECT Behavior and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia;" and "ECT BPSD." The term "dementia" was also interchanged with "Major Neurocognitive Disorder." No time frame restriction was placed. We attempted to include all publications that were found to ensure a comprehensive review. We found 11 papers, with a total (N) of 216 patients. Limited to case reports, case series, retrospective chart review, retrospective case-control, and an open label prospective study, ECT has demonstrated promising results in decreasing agitation in patients with dementia. Patients who relapsed were found to benefit from maintenance ECT. Available studies are often limited by concomitant psychotropic medications, inconsistent use of objective rating scales, short follow-up, lack of a control group, small sample sizes, and publication bias. A future randomized controlled trial will pose ethical and methodological challenges. A randomized controlled trial must carefully consider the definition of usual care as a comparison group. Well-documented prospective studies and/or additional case series with explicit selection criteria, a wide range of outcome

  15. Thermal Response Of An Aerated Concrete Wall With Micro-Encapsulated Phase Change Material

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halúzová, Dušana

    2015-06-01

    For many years Phase Change Materials (PCM) have attracted attention due to their ability to store large amounts of thermal energy. This property makes them a candidate for the use of passive heat storage. In many applications, they are used to avoid the overheating of the temperature of an indoor environment. This paper describes the behavior of phase change materials that are inbuilt in aerated concrete blocks. Two building samples of an aerated concrete wall were measured in laboratory equipment called "twin-boxes". The first box consists of a traditional aerated concrete wall; the second one has additional PCM micro-encapsulated in the wall. The heat flux through the wall was measured and compared to simulation results modeled in the ESP-r program. This experimental measurement provides a foundation for a model that can be used to analyze further building constructions.

  16. Perioperative prediction of agitated (hyperactive) delirium after cardiac surgery in adults - The development of a practical scorecard.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mufti, Hani N; Hirsch, Gregory M

    2017-12-01

    Delirium is a temporary mental disorder that occurs frequently among hospitalized patients. In this study we sought to develop a user-friendly scorecard based on perioperative features to identify patients at risk of developing agitated delirium after cardiac surgery. Retrospective analysis was performed on adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery in a single center. A parsimonious predictive model was created, with subsequent internal validation. Then a simple scorecard was developed that can be used to predict the probability of agitated delirium. Among the 5584 patients who met the study criteria, 614 (11.4%) developed postoperative agitated delirium. Independent predictors of postoperative agitated delirium were age, male gender, history of cerebrovascular disease, procedure other than isolated Coronary Arteries Bypass Surgery, transfusion of blood products within the first 48h, mechanical ventilation for >24h, length of stay in the Intensive Care Unit. The scorecard stratified patients into 4 categories at risk of postoperative agitated delirium ranging from 30%. Using a large cohort of adult patient's undergoing cardiac surgery, a user-friendly scorecard was developed and validated, which will facilitate the implementation of timely interventions to mitigate adverse effects of agitated delirium in this high risk population. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Agitation in the inpatient psychiatric setting: a review of clinical presentation, burden, and treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hankin, Cheryl S; Bronstone, Amy; Koran, Lorrin M

    2011-05-01

    Agitation among psychiatric inpatients (particularly those diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder) is common and, unless recognized early and managed effectively, can rapidly escalate to potentially dangerous behaviors, including physical violence. Inpatient aggression and violence have substantial adverse psychological and physical consequences for both patients and providers, and they are costly to the healthcare system. In contrast to the commonly held view that inpatient violence occurs without warning or can be predicted by "static" risk factors, such as patient demographics or clinical characteristics, research indicates that violence is usually preceded by observable behaviors, especially non-violent agitation. When agitation is recognized, staff should employ nonpharmacological de-escalation strategies and, if the behavior continues, offer pharmacological treatment to calm patients rapidly. Given the poor therapeutic efficacy and potential for adverse events associated with physical restraint and seclusion, and the potential adverse sequelae of involuntary drug treatment, these interventions should be considered last resorts. Pharmacological agents used to treat agitation include benzodiazepines and first- and second-generation antipsychotic drugs. Although no currently available agent is ideal, recommendations for selecting among them are provided. There remains an unmet need for a non-invasive and rapidly acting agent that effectively calms without excessively sedating patients, addresses the patient's underlying psychiatric symptoms, and is reasonably safe and tolerable. A treatment with these characteristics could substantially reduce the clinical and economic burden of agitation in the inpatient psychiatric setting.

  18. Microbial nar-GFP cell sensors reveal oxygen limitations in highly agitated and aerated laboratory-scale fermentors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rao Govind

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Small-scale microbial fermentations are often assumed to be homogeneous, and oxygen limitation due to inadequate micromixing is often overlooked as a potential problem. To assess the relative degree of micromixing, and hence propensity for oxygen limitation, a new cellular oxygen sensor has been developed. The oxygen responsive E. coli nitrate reductase (nar promoter was used to construct an oxygen reporter plasmid (pNar-GFPuv which allows cell-based reporting of oxygen limitation. Because there are greater than 109 cells in a fermentor, one can outfit a vessel with more than 109 sensors. Our concept was tested in high density, lab-scale (5 L, fed-batch, E. coli fermentations operated with varied mixing efficiency – one verses four impellers. Results In both cases, bioreactors were maintained identically at greater than 80% dissolved oxygen (DO during batch phase and at approximately 20% DO during fed-batch phase. Trends for glucose consumption, biomass and DO showed nearly identical behavior. However, fermentations with only one impeller showed significantly higher GFPuv expression than those with four, indicating a higher degree of fluid segregation sufficient for cellular oxygen deprivation. As the characteristic time for GFPuv expression (approx 90 min. is much larger than that for mixing (approx 10 s, increased specific fluorescence represents an averaged effect of oxygen limitation over time and by natural extension, over space. Conclusion Thus, the pNar-GFPuv plasmid enabled bioreactor-wide oxygen sensing in that bacterial cells served as individual recirculating sensors integrating their responses over space and time. We envision cell-based oxygen sensors may find utility in a wide variety of bioprocessing applications.

  19. Impact of fluidic agitation on human pluripotent stem cells in stirred suspension culture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nampe, Daniel; Joshi, Ronak; Keller, Kevin; Zur Nieden, Nicole I; Tsutsui, Hideaki

    2017-09-01

    The success of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) as a source of future cell therapies hinges, in part, on the availability of a robust and scalable culture system that can readily produce a clinically relevant number of cells and their derivatives. Stirred suspension culture has been identified as one such promising platform due to its ease of use, scalability, and widespread use in the pharmaceutical industry (e.g., CHO cell-based production of therapeutic proteins) among others. However, culture of undifferentiated hPSCs in stirred suspension is a relatively new development within the past several years, and little is known beyond empirically optimized culture parameters. In particular, detailed characterizations of different agitation rates and their influence on the propagation of hPSCs are often not reported in the literature. In the current study, we systematically investigated various agitation rates to characterize their impact on cell yield, viability, and the maintenance of pluripotency. Additionally, we closely examined the distribution of cell aggregates and how the observed culture outcomes are attributed to their size distribution. Overall, our results showed that moderate agitation maximized the propagation of hPSCs to approximately 38-fold over 7 days by keeping the cell aggregates below the critical size, beyond which the cells are impacted by the diffusion limit, while limiting cell death caused by excessive fluidic forces. Furthermore, we observed that fluidic agitation could regulate not only cell aggregation, but also expression of some key signaling proteins in hPSCs. This indicates a new possibility to guide stem cell fate determination by fluidic agitation in stirred suspension cultures. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 2109-2120. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. Dimensioning of aerated submerged fixed bed biofilm reactors ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The description of a biofilm mathematical model application for dimensioning an aerated fixed bed biofilm reactor (ASFBBR) for petrochemical wastewater polishing is presented. A simple one-dimensional model of biofilm, developed by P Harremöes, was chosen for this purpose. The model was calibrated and verified ...

  1. Dewaterability of sludge digested in extended aeration plants using ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    STORAGESEVER

    2010-07-19

    Jul 19, 2010 ... extended aeration (EA) or anaerobic digestion were compared on full and lab scale sand drying ... Novak, 1999) and to the reduction of iron concentration in ... nutrient removal and provide semi-plug flow conditions to reduce.

  2. Optimization and control of the activated sludge process by adaptation of aeration tank volume

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Staud, R

    1982-04-01

    Purpose of full scale studies conducted at a municipal wastewater treatment plant at Schwetzingen, Germany, was to optimize the activated sludge treatment process. Influent loading fluctuations were answered by operating a distinct number of the four parallel treatment plant units (aeration tank/clarifier) present. During the intermediate period of time the aerators were also switched off, and the activated sludge was kept anaerobically. The purpose of this particular technique is to equalize the nutrient supply of the microorganisms to gain an improved metabolic potential, as well as to decrease the energy demand for aeration. A mathematical algorithm for process control was developed to accomplish this technique. Initial parameters are inflow rate, MLSS and plateau-BOD to evaluate the substrate concentration. The results of the full scale studies prove the practicability of this concept. Equalization of the F:M ratio fluctuations leads to an increase of the average substrate loading but not to any decrease in the overall process efficiency. Anaerobic sludge storage did not cause any problem. Odor problems could be handled by limitation of the storage period to 24 hours. As far as energy consumption for aeration is concerned a decrease by 47% percent could be achieved.

  3. PREPARATION OF ULTRA-LOW VOLUME WEIGHT AUTOCLAVED AERATED CONCRETE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ondrej Koutny

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Autoclaved aerated concrete is a modern construction material that gains its popularity especially due to its thermal insulation performance resulting from low volume weight and porous structure with sufficient mechanical strength. Nowadays, there are attempts to use this material for thermal insulation purposes and to replace current systems, which have many disadvantages, mainly concerning durability. The key for improvement of thermal insulation properties is therefore obtaining a material based on autoclaved aerated concrete with extremely low volume weight (below 200 kg/m ³ ensuring good thermal isolation properties, but with sufficient mechanical properties to allow easy manipulation. This material can be prepared by foaming very fine powder materials such as silica fume or very finely ground sand. This paper deals with the possibilities of preparation and summarizes the basic requirements for successful preparation of such a material.

  4. Horizontal dimensions of ionosphere agitation provoked by underground nuclear explosions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Drobzheva, Ya.V.; Krasnov, V.M.; Sokolova, O.I.

    2001-01-01

    The horizontal dimensions of ionosphere agitation provoked by underground nuclear explosions have been experimentally determined for 13 explosions conducted at the Balapan test site of the Semipalatinsk test site. (author)

  5. Impacts of aeration and active sludge addition on leachate recirculation bioreactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dong Jun; Zhao Yongsheng; Henry, Rotich K.; Hong Mei

    2007-01-01

    Stabilization of municipal solid waste (MSW) is affected by moisture, nutrients, oxygen, pH and accumulation of inhibitory fermentation products, etc. Optimization of these parameters could create a favorable environment that promotes the rapid development of the desired microbial population and acceleration of decomposition of MSW. The objectives of this work was to determine the feasibility of enhancing phase separation through intermittent aeration strategy throughout the treatment process; to demonstrate the potential of active sludge for in situ nitrogen removal; to examine the efficiency and evaluate the possibility of in situ removal of contaminants from leachate. The results indicate that the removal ratio of COD, BOD 5 , NH 4 + and total nitrogen are over 80, 81, 75, and 74%, respectively, in the leachate recirculation reactors with aeration; the removal efficiency of NH 4 + and total nitrogen of the reactor which were added active sludge were 88 and 84%, respectively. Therefore, aeration strategy has positive impacts on the solid waste stabilization; addition of active sludge in reactor is favorable for the remediation of the nitrogen; using landfill itself for in situ attenuating the contaminants from leachate is feasible

  6. Colloid formation in groundwater by subsurface aeration: characterisation of the geo-colloids and their counterparts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wolthoorn, Anke; Temminghoff, Erwin J.M.; Riemsdijk, Willem H. van

    2004-01-01

    Subsurface aeration is used to oxidise Fe in situ in groundwater to make the water potable. In a groundwater system with pH > 7, subsurface aeration results in a non-mobile Fe precipitate and mobile Fe colloids. Since originally the goal of subsurface aeration is to remove Fe in situ, the formation of non-mobile Fe precipitate is the desired result. In addition to this intended effect, subsurface aeration may also strongly enhance the microbiological removal of NH 4 in the purification station. A hypothesis is that mobile Fe colloids may be the link between subsurface aeration and the positive effect on the microbiological removal of NH 4 . The objective of this study is to characterise the mobile Fe colloids and to derive a synthetic substitute for the naturally formed Fe colloids in order to be able to apply the Fe colloids as a management tool to enhance the removal of NH 4 in the process of producing drinking water from groundwater. At a purification station in The Netherlands natural Fe colloids from an aerated well were sampled. Furthermore, eight synthetic Fe colloids were prepared by oxidising synthetic solutions differing in elemental composition. The colloids were analysed using chemical analysis and electron microscopy (SEM and SEM-EDAX). The Fe colloids sampled in the field contained Fe, Ca, Na, PO 4 and Mn. Also in the synthetic Fe colloids PO 4 , Ca, Na and Mn were the most important elements next to Fe. Phosphate and dissolved organic C strongly influenced the morphology of the synthetic Fe colloids. When both the elemental composition and the morphology of the Fe colloids are taken into account, the synthetic Fe colloids formed in the synthetic solution containing Fe, Mn, PO 4 , SiO 4 and dissolved organic matter best match the Fe colloids from the field

  7. Colloid formation in groundwater by subsurface aeration: characterisation of the geo-colloids and their counterparts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wolthoorn, Anke; Temminghoff, Erwin J.M.; Riemsdijk, Willem H. van

    2004-09-01

    Subsurface aeration is used to oxidise Fe in situ in groundwater to make the water potable. In a groundwater system with pH > 7, subsurface aeration results in a non-mobile Fe precipitate and mobile Fe colloids. Since originally the goal of subsurface aeration is to remove Fe in situ, the formation of non-mobile Fe precipitate is the desired result. In addition to this intended effect, subsurface aeration may also strongly enhance the microbiological removal of NH{sub 4} in the purification station. A hypothesis is that mobile Fe colloids may be the link between subsurface aeration and the positive effect on the microbiological removal of NH{sub 4}. The objective of this study is to characterise the mobile Fe colloids and to derive a synthetic substitute for the naturally formed Fe colloids in order to be able to apply the Fe colloids as a management tool to enhance the removal of NH{sub 4} in the process of producing drinking water from groundwater. At a purification station in The Netherlands natural Fe colloids from an aerated well were sampled. Furthermore, eight synthetic Fe colloids were prepared by oxidising synthetic solutions differing in elemental composition. The colloids were analysed using chemical analysis and electron microscopy (SEM and SEM-EDAX). The Fe colloids sampled in the field contained Fe, Ca, Na, PO{sub 4} and Mn. Also in the synthetic Fe colloids PO{sub 4}, Ca, Na and Mn were the most important elements next to Fe. Phosphate and dissolved organic C strongly influenced the morphology of the synthetic Fe colloids. When both the elemental composition and the morphology of the Fe colloids are taken into account, the synthetic Fe colloids formed in the synthetic solution containing Fe, Mn, PO{sub 4}, SiO{sub 4} and dissolved organic matter best match the Fe colloids from the field.

  8. Management of Agitation Following Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Is There a Role for Beta-Blockers?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fayaz Ibrahim

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Stroke is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the United States. About 20% of the stroke is hemorrhagic and about 50% of these is due to aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. A troublesome neuropsychiatric complication of subarachnoid hemorrhage is agitation/aggression. Case Presentation. A 45-year-old man with no prior psychiatric history, sustained subarachnoid hemorrhage. After initial stabilization for 2 days, he underwent craniotomy and clipping of anterior cerebral communicating artery aneurysm. Treatment was continued with labetalol, nimodipine, and levetiracetam. Beginning postoperative day 4, patient developed episodes of confusion and agitation/aggression. Switching of Levetiracetam to valproate did not show any improvement. Psychiatry team tried to manage him with intense nursing intervention and different medications like olanzapine, valproate, lorazepam, and haloperidol. However, patient continued to be agitated and aggressive. Switching from labetalol to metoprolol resulted in dramatic improvement within 3 days. Discussion. Antipsychotics and benzodiazepines are often not sufficiently effective in the control of agitation/aggression in patients with traumatic brain injury and similar conditions. Our case report and the literature review including a cochrane review suggests that beta-blockers may be helpful in this situation.

  9. Treatment of agitation in the acute psychiatric setting. An observational study of the effectiveness of intramuscular psychotropic medication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bauer, Jeanett Østerby; Stenborg, Dina; Lodahl, Tue; Mønsted, Mik Mathias

    2016-11-01

    Agitation is frequent in the acute psychiatric setting. The observation and treatment of agitation is important to avoid harm to patients or staff, to reduce distress of the patient, and to reduce the risk of coercion, especially physical restraint. To evaluate the effect of intramuscular treatment with psychotropics on agitation in a non-selected acute psychiatric population. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale Excitement Component (PANSS-EC) was implemented in the acute psychiatric ward at Psychiatric Center Copenhagen to improve assessment and treatment of agitation. During a period of almost ~2 years the staff was requested to assess agitation before and after administration of intramuscular injections. PANSS-EC was obtained at baseline and within 2 hours after injection for 135 injections with antipsychotics or benzodiazepines administered to 101 acute, non-selected psychiatric patients with high occurrence of co-morbid substance abuse. Mean PANSS-EC at baseline was 26.53 ± 4.87, and mean reduction in PANSS-EC was 14.99 ± 8.48 (p patients were subjected to physical restraint. Patients subjected to restraint had a significantly higher PANSS-EC score. Patients who received a subsequent injection had a significantly lower decline in PANSS-EC score. Besides two cases of acute dystonia following haloperidol injections, no serious side-effects were observed. Treatment of agitation with intramuscular injections of psychotropics was in general effective in this non-selected, highly agitated psychiatric population, and injections were well tolerated.

  10. Flexural Behaviour of Precast Aerated Concrete Panel (PACP with Added Fibrous Material: An Overview

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdul Rahim Noor Hazlin

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The usage of precast aerated concrete panel as an IBS system has become the main alternative to conventional construction system. The usage of this panel system contributes to a sustainable and environmental friendly construction. This paper presents an overview of the precast aerated concrete panel with added fibrous material (PACP. PACP is fabricated from aerated foamed concrete with added Polypropylene fibers (PP. The influence of PP on the mechanical properties of PACP are studied and reviewed from previous research. The structural behaviour of precast concrete panel subjected to flexure load is also reviewed. It is found that PP has significant affects on the concrete mixture’s compressive stregth, tensile strength and flexural strength. It is also found that PP manage to control the crack propagation in the concrete panel.

  11. Thermal and microstructural analysis of an aluminium A356 alloy solidified by magnetic agitation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bustos, O; Ordonez, S; Jarami, Dario; Colas, R

    2008-01-01

    A magnetic agitation device was designed using a permanently rotating magnetic field, in order to study the effect of applying a variable magnetic field to agitate cast metals during the solidification process. The procedure used to verify the machine's functioning involved smelting and casting a predefined amount of A356 alloy in the device with and without the application of the magnetic field and then characterizing the material obtained with standard procedures of metallographic analysis. The results obtained show that the application of a permanently rotating magnetic field produces a destruction of the cast dendritic structure. This is explained by the fact that a magnetic field that varies over time induces a f.e.m. in a fluid conductor that becomes an increased convective transport through the Lorentz force. This work also studied the kinetics of solidification. The alloy was heated to 680 o C and was cast in molds preheated to 200 o C. Tests were carried out with and without the application of magnetic agitation. The cooling curves were recorded to evaluate the effect of the magnetic agitation on the alloy's form of solidification. The thermal analysis of the cooling curves shows a decrease in the temperatures under which the formation of dendrites from the primary phase as well as from the eutectic Al-Si phase begins when a magnetic field is imposed. A series of intermetallic AlFeSi type compounds appear in these alloys, which display noticeable refining and redistribution from the magnetic agitation (au)

  12. Severe agitation in severe early-onset Alzheimer’s disease resolves with ECT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aksay SS

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Suna Su Aksay, Lucrezia Hausner, Lutz Frölich, Alexander Sartorius Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany Abstract: Dementia-related behavioral disturbances are mostly treated with antipsychotics; however, the observed beneficial effects are modest and the risk of serious adverse effects high. We report the case of a 57-year-old woman with severe early-onset Alzheimer’s disease and severe agitation, whom we treated with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT. A significant clinical improvement was achieved over eight ECT sessions, which were tolerated well without cognitive worsening, and lasted approximately 3 months. Our case demonstrates the safe and effective use of ECT in pharmacotherapy-resistant severe agitation in Alzheimer’s disease. The risk–benefit profile of ECT for dementia-related agitation should be further investigated in clinical trials. Keywords: dementia, electroconvulsive therapy, cognition, emotional distress, disinhibition.

  13. Ketamine sedation for patients with acute agitation and psychiatric illness requiring aeromedical retrieval.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le Cong, Minh; Gynther, Bruce; Hunter, Ernest; Schuller, Peter

    2012-04-01

    Aeromedical retrieval services face the difficult problem of appropriate levels of sedation for transport of acutely agitated patients to definitive care. This paper describes a technique using ketamine, which is titratable and avoids problems associated with airway management. A 3-year review of a new technique of ketamine sedation by aeromedical retrieval teams from the Cairns base of the Queensland section of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. Clinical records were systematically reviewed for ketamine administration and signs of adverse events during transport and in the subsequent 72 h. 18 patients were sedated during retrieval with intravenous ketamine. Effective sedation was achieved in all cases, with no significant adverse events noted during retrieval or 72 h afterwards. Ketamine sedation is effective and safe in agitated patients with a psychiatric illness in the aeromedical setting and does not lead to worsening agitation in the subsequent 72-h period.

  14. Greenhouse gas production and efficiency of planted and artificially aerated constructed wetlands

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maltais-Landry, Gabriel [Departement des sciences biologiques, Universite de Montreal 90, rue Vincent-D' Indy, Montreal (Ciheam), H2V 2S9 (Canada); Institut de recherche en biologie vegetale, Universite de Montreal 4101, rue Sherbrooke Est, Montreal (Ciheam), H1X 2B2 (Canada)], E-mail: gabriel.maltais-landry@umontreal.ca; Maranger, Roxane [Departement des sciences biologiques, Universite de Montreal 90, rue Vincent-D' Indy, Montreal (Ciheam), H2V 2S9 (Canada)], E-mail: r.maranger@umontreal.ca; Brisson, Jacques [Departement des sciences biologiques, Universite de Montreal 90, rue Vincent-D' Indy, Montreal (Ciheam), H2V 2S9 (Canada); Institut de recherche en biologie vegetale, Universite de Montreal 4101, rue Sherbrooke Est, Montreal (Ciheam), H1X 2B2 (Canada)], E-mail: jacques.brisson@umontreal.ca; Chazarenc, Florent [Institut de recherche en biologie vegetale, Universite de Montreal 4101, rue Sherbrooke Est, Montreal (Ciheam), H1X 2B2 (Canada)

    2009-03-15

    Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by constructed wetlands (CWs) could mitigate the environmental benefits of nutrient removal in these man-made ecosystems. We studied the effect of 3 different macrophyte species and artificial aeration on the rates of nitrous oxide (N{sub 2}O), carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) and methane (CH{sub 4}) production in CW mesocosms over three seasons. CW emitted 2-10 times more GHG than natural wetlands. Overall, CH{sub 4} was the most important GHG emitted in unplanted treatments. Oxygen availability through artificial aeration reduced CH{sub 4} fluxes. Plant presence also decreased CH{sub 4} fluxes but favoured CO{sub 2} production. Nitrous oxide had a minor contribution to global warming potential (GWP < 15%). The introduction of oxygen through artificial aeration combined with plant presence, particularly Typha angustifolia, had the overall best performance among the treatments tested in this study, including lowest GWP, greatest nutrient removal, and best hydraulic properties. - Methane is the main greenhouse gas produced in constructed wetlands and oxygen availability is the main factor controlling fluxes.

  15. Some factors affecting agitation leach test during in-situ leaching of uranium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liao Wensheng; Jiang Yan; Wang Limin; Shi Zhenfeng; Zhao Qiaofu; MARMAR

    2014-01-01

    The agitation leaching test is one of the most fundamental research works in in-situ leaching of uranium. Some factors affecting the test results were analyzed including stirring, leaching time, oxidizer used in alkaline leach, washing solution, the amount and size of ore samples. The results indicate that stirring can enhance diffusion velocity. The leach time l or 2 days is suitable for the samples containing accessible uranium and low acid consumption minerals; whereas 3 or 4 days for those containing refractory ore to leach and slowly acid consuming minerals. For the oxidizer used in alkaline leach, potassium permanganate is better than hydrogen peroxide. Recovery calculated by the leach solution can be directly obtained by its uranium level and the original volume of lixiviant without analyzing and calculating the washing solution. The appropriate amount and size of ore samples for the agitation leaching test are 60 g and <1 mm. By controlling the above factors, the agitation leach test can improve the applicability of the different ore samples and give the more reliable data. (authors)

  16. Comparisons Study of Phosphate Removal in Unaerated and Aerated High Calcium Steel Slag Filter System of Different pH Feed

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmad Siti Zu Nurain

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Excess phosphorus in water body will lead to eutrophication. This study investigated the phosphate removal efficiencies of unaerated and aerated filter systems using high composition of Calcium (Ca steel slag as the filter media at different pH values of the wastewater influents. Lab-scale filters were developed using 25 mg/L synthetic wastewater and weekly sampling was done to monitor the phosphate removal efficiencies together with the concentration of metals (Calcium (Ca and Magnesium (Mg. The results show that both unaerated and aerated systems have excellent phosphate removal efficiency at all acidic, neutral and alkaline pH feed, though unaerated systems removed slightly better compared to aerated systems; 76-98% and 69-97% respectively. The dominant phosphate removal mechanism for aerated systems was adsorption, meanwhilefor unaerated systems; both adsorption and precipitation for acidic and neutral pH, whileprecipitation was more dominant at basic pH. The performance of unaerated systems are slightly better compared to aerated systems, however, aerated systems are recommended to be applied when simultaneous removal of nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen are concerned.

  17. Data on mixing of viscous fluids by helical screw impellers in cylindrical vessels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Houari Ameur

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available In this article, the data assembled regarding the mixing of Newtonian and shear thinning fluids by screw impellers in a cylindrical tank is disclosed. The data summarizing some information on the efficiency of such impellers are obtained via 3D calculations of velocities and viscous dissipation in the whole vessel volume. The data presented herein may be useful for those who want to outline the mixing characteristics in terms of fluid circulation and power consumption for this kind of impellers, therefore, avoiding a great effort for achieving a high number of experiments. Keyword: Mixing, Helical screw agitator, Power consumption, Fluid circulation, Cylindrical tanks

  18. Intramuscular ziprasidone versus haloperidol for managing agitation in Chinese patients with schizophrenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Hongyan; Wang, Gang; Zhao, Jingping; Xie, Shiping; Xu, Xiufeng; Shi, Jianguo; Deng, Hehuang; Li, Keqing; Gao, Chengge; Wang, Xiaoping; Vanderburg, Douglas; Pan, Sharon; Tang, Haiyun; Shu, Liang; Karayal, Onur N

    2013-04-01

    Intramuscular (IM) antipsychotics are preferred for efficient control of agitation symptoms. Previous studies have demonstrated that IM ziprasidone is efficacious and safe for treatment of agitation in schizophrenia. However, clinicians now recognize that racial differences may contribute to altered therapeutic response and tolerability. This study compared the efficacy and tolerability of IM ziprasidone versus IM haloperidol for the management of agitation in Chinese subjects with schizophrenia. Subjects with acute schizophrenia were randomized to either ziprasidone (n = 189, 10 to 20 mg as required up to a maximum of 40 mg/d) or haloperidol (n = 187, 5 mg every 4 to 8 hours to a maximum of 20 mg/d) for 3 days. Psychiatric assessments and adverse events were assessed at baseline, 2, 4, 24, 48, and 72 hours. In the ziprasidone group, 2.1% of subjects discontinued versus 3.7% in the haloperidol group. The least squares mean change (SE) from baseline to 72 hours in Brief Psychiatry Rating Scale total score was -17.32 (0.7) for ziprasidone (n = 167) and -18.44 (0.7) for haloperidol (n = 152), with a 95% confidence interval treatment difference of -0.7 to 2.9. Fewer subjects experienced adverse events after ziprasidone (n = 54, 28.6%) than haloperidol (n = 116, 62.0%), with a notably higher incidence of extrapyramidal symptoms in the haloperidol group (n = 69, 36.9%) compared to the ziprasidone group (n = 4, 2.1%). For controlling agitation in schizophrenia in this Chinese study, ziprasidone had a favorable tolerability profile and comparable efficacy and safety compared to haloperidol.

  19. Embedded system in Arduino platform with Fuzzy control to support the grain aeration decision

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Albino Szesz Junior

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT: Aeration is currently the most commonly used technique to improve the drying and storage of grain, depending on temperature and water content of the grain, as of the temperature and relative humidity of the outside air. In order to monitor temperature and humidity of the grain mass, it is possible to have a network of sensors in the cells of both internal and external storage. Use of artificial intelligence through Fuzzy theory, has been used since the 60s and enables their application on various forms. Thus, it is observed that the aeration of grain in function of representing a system of controlled environment can be studied in relation to the application of this theory. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to present an embedded Fuzzy control system based on the mathematical model of CRUZ et al. (2002 and applied to the Arduino platform, for decision support in aeration of grain. For this, an embedded Arduino system was developed, which received the environmental values of temperature and humidity to then be processed in a Fuzzy controller and return the output as a recommendation to control the aeration process rationally. Comparing the results obtained from the graph presented by LASSERAN (1981 it was observed that the system is effective.

  20. Psychiatric evaluation of the agitated patient: consensus statement of the american association for emergency psychiatry project Beta psychiatric evaluation workgroup.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stowell, Keith R; Florence, Peter; Harman, Herbert J; Glick, Rachel L

    2012-02-01

    It is difficult to fully assess an agitated patient, and the complete psychiatric evaluation usually cannot be completed until the patient is calm enough to participate in a psychiatric interview. Nonetheless, emergency clinicians must perform an initial mental status screening to begin this process as soon as the agitated patient presents to an emergency setting. For this reason, the psychiatric evaluation of the agitated patient can be thought of as a 2-step process. First, a brief evaluation must be aimed at determining the most likely cause of agitation, so as to guide preliminary interventions to calm the patient. Once the patient is calmed, more extensive psychiatric assessment can be completed. The goal of the emergency assessment of the psychiatric patient is not necessarily to obtain a definitive diagnosis. Rather, ascertaining a differential diagnosis, determining safety, and developing an appropriate treatment and disposition plan are the goals of the assessment. This article will summarize what components of the psychiatric assessment can and should be done at the time the agitated patient presents to the emergency setting. The complete psychiatric evaluation of the patient whose agitation has been treated successfully is beyond the scope of this article and Project BETA (Best practices in Evaluation and Treatment of Agitation), but will be outlined briefly to give the reader an understanding of what a full psychiatric assessment would entail. Other issues related to the assessment of the agitated patient in the emergency setting will also be discussed.

  1. Comparison of the efficacy of aroma-acupressure and aromatherapy for the treatment of dementia-associated agitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Man-Hua; Lin, Li-Chan; Wu, Shiao-Chi; Chiu, Jen-Hwey; Wang, Pei-Ning; Lin, Jaung-Geng

    2015-03-29

    One of the most common symptoms observed in patients with dementia is agitation, and several non-pharmacological treatments have been used to control this symptom. However, because of limitations in research design, the benefit of non-pharmacological treatments has only been demonstrated in certain cases. The purpose of this study was to compare aroma-acupressure and aromatherapy with respect to their effects on agitation in patients with dementia. In this experimental study, the participants were randomly assigned to three groups: 56 patients were included in the aroma-acupressure group, 73 patients in the aromatherapy group, and 57 patients in the control group who received daily routine as usual without intervention. The Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI) scale and the heart rate variability (HRV) index were used to assess differences in agitation. The CMAI was used in the pre-test, post-test and post-three-week test, and the HRV was used in the pre-test, the post-test and the post-three-week test as well as every week during the four-week interventions. The CMAI scores were significantly lower in the aroma-acupressure and aromatherapy groups compared with the control group in the post-test and post-three-week assessments. Sympathetic nervous activity was significantly lower in the fourth week in the aroma-acupressure group and in the second week in the aromatherapy group, whereas parasympathetic nervous activity increased from the second week to the fourth week in the aroma-acupressure group and in the fourth week in the aromatherapy group. Aroma-acupressure had a greater effect than aromatherapy on agitation in patients with dementia. However, agitation was improved in both of the groups, which allowed the patients with dementia to become more relaxed. Future studies should continue to assess the benefits of aroma-acupressure and aromatherapy for the treatment of agitation in dementia patients. ChiCTR-TRC-14004810; Date of registration: 2014/6/12.

  2. Unlocking Chain Exchange in Highly Amphiphilic Block Polymer Micellar Systems: Influence of Agitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murphy, Ryan P; Kelley, Elizabeth G; Rogers, Simon A; Sullivan, Millicent O; Epps, Thomas H

    2014-11-18

    Chain exchange between block polymer micelles in highly selective solvents, such as water, is well-known to be arrested under quiescent conditions, yet this work demonstrates that simple agitation methods can induce rapid chain exchange in these solvents. Aqueous solutions containing either pure poly(butadiene- b -ethylene oxide) or pure poly(butadiene- b -ethylene oxide- d 4 ) micelles were combined and then subjected to agitation by vortex mixing, concentric cylinder Couette flow, or nitrogen gas sparging. Subsequently, the extent of chain exchange between micelles was quantified using small angle neutron scattering. Rapid vortex mixing induced chain exchange within minutes, as evidenced by a monotonic decrease in scattered intensity, whereas Couette flow and sparging did not lead to measurable chain exchange over the examined time scale of hours. The linear kinetics with respect to agitation time suggested a surface-limited exchange process at the air-water interface. These findings demonstrate the strong influence of processing conditions on block polymer solution assemblies.

  3. Mechanical properties of lightweight aerated concrete with different aluminium powder content

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shabbar Rana

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Aerated concrete is produced by introducing gas into a concrete, the amount dependent upon the requirements for strength. One method to achieve this is by using powdered aluminium which reacts with the calcium hydroxide produced upon hydration of the cement. The aim of the current study was to investigate the influence of the powder content on the mechanical properties of aerated concrete namely; compressive and flexural strengths, modulus of elasticity, density and porosity. The results indicated that an increase in aluminium content caused a decrease in the compressive and tensile strengths. It also produced a decrease in the modulus of elasticity. When the aluminium content increased, the density decreased and the porosity increased.

  4. El Agit-Prop Cultural en la Guerra Civil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christopher H. COBB

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available RESUMEN:La práctica de agitación y propaganda se sitúa en el contexto de una historia rica y variada. Las relaciones entre las artes y la transformación revolucionaria de la sociedad son evidentes durante las revoluciones francesa y soviética. La transmisión de estas prácticas a España pasó por las visitas a Rusia de intelectuales, escritores y activistas y fue propiciada por el creciente recurso a estas técnicas durante los años treinta no sólo en la Unión Soviética sino también en Alemania e Italia para lograr la adhesión de los ciudadanos. Al empezar la guerra civil, ya existía una gran variedad de grupos y actividades en España y el trabajo para motivar la población y establecer una identidad popular tuvo considerables repercusiones. Sin embargo, fuera del contexto de momentos de gran exaltación, tales como el sitio de Madrid, la repetición machacona de la propaganda podía resultar pretenciosa y hasta contraproducente. Pronto surgió un conflicto de orden político. Consecuencia de la mayor experiencia de los comunistas en este asunto, se asoció el agit-prop con ellos, despertando así tensiones con otros partidarios del Frente Popular, sobre todo los libertarios. ABSTRACT: The development of agit-prop techniques is to be placed in the context of a long and varied history. The relationship between the arts and the revolutionary transformation of society is evident during the French and Russian revolutions. The spread of agit-prop techniques to Spain came about as the result of the visits to Russia of intellectuals, writers and political activists and it was aided by the growing development of these techniques during the thirties, not only in Russia but also in Germany and Italy in order to win the support of the population. When the civil war broke out there were a large number of groups active in Spain and their efforts to motivate the followers of the Republic and engender a sense of popular identity had considerable

  5. Non-biodegradable landfill leachate treatment by combined process of agitation, coagulation, SBR and filtration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abood, Alkhafaji R; Bao, Jianguo; Du, Jiangkun; Zheng, Dan; Luo, Ye

    2014-02-01

    This study describes the complete treatment of non-biodegradable landfill leachate by combined treatment processes. The processes consist of agitation as a novel stripping method used to overcome the ammonia toxicity regarding aerobic microorganisms. The NH3-N removal ratio was 93.9% obtained at pH 11.5 and a gradient velocity (G) 150 s(-1) within a five-hour agitation time. By poly ferric sulphate (PFS) coagulation followed the agitation process; chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biological oxygen demand (BOD5) were removed at 70.6% and 49.4%, respectively at an optimum dose of 1200 mg L(-1) at pH 5.0. The biodegradable ratio BOD5/COD was improved from 0.18 to 0.31 during pretreatment step by agitation and PFS coagulation. Thereafter, the effluent was diluted with sewage at a different ratio before it was subjected to sequencing batch reactor (SBR) treatment. Up to 93.3% BOD5, 95.5% COD and 98.1% NH3-N removal were achieved by SBR operated under anoxic-aerobic-anoxic conditions. The filtration process was carried out using sand and carbon as a dual filter media as polishing process. The final effluent concentration of COD, BOD5, suspended solid (SS), NH3-N and total organic carbon (TOC) were 72.4 mg L(-1), 22.8 mg L(-1), 24.2 mg L(-1), 18.4 mg L(-1) and 50.8 mg L(-1) respectively, which met the discharge standard. The results indicated that a combined process of agitation-coagulation-SBR and filtration effectively eliminated pollutant loading from landfill leachate. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Biological treatment of acute agitation or aggression with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder in the inpatient setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Correll, Christoph U; Yu, Xin; Xiang, Yutao; Kane, John M; Masand, Prakash

    2017-05-01

    Schizophrenia and bipolar disorders are chronic illnesses that commonly present with symptoms of acute agitation and aggression. These symptoms must be managed rapidly to prevent potential harm to the patient and others, including their caregivers, peers, and health care workers. A number of treatment options are available to clinicians to manage acute agitation and aggression, including non-pharmacologic behavioral and environmental de-escalation strategies, as well as biological treatment options such as pharmacologic agents and electroconvulsive therapy. We summarize the available biological treatment options for patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder presenting with acute agitation or aggression in the inpatient setting, focusing on antipsychotics. The following searches were used in PubMed to obtain the most relevant advances in treating schizophrenia or bipolar disorder with acute agitation and aggression: (agitation, agitated, aggression, aggressive, hostile, hostility, violent, or violence) and (schizophr*, psychosis, psychot*, psychos*, mania, manic, or bipolar) and (*pharmacologic, antipsychotic*, neuroleptic*, antiepileptic*, anti-seizure*, mood stabilizer*, lithium, benzodiazepine*, beta blocker, beta-blocker, alpha2, alpha-2, *histamine*, electroconvulsive, ECT, shock, or transcranial). Individual searches were performed for each drug class. The studies were limited to peer-reviewed, English-language, and human studies. Most were placebo-controlled randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or meta-analyses. Among pharmacologic agents, antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, anticonvulsants, and lithium have been studied in randomized trials. Some typical and, more recently, atypical antipsychotics are available as both oral and short-acting intramuscular (IM) formulations, with 1 typical antipsychotic also available as an inhalable formulation. Among the pharmacologic agents studied in RCTs, atypical antipsychotics have the best evidence to support

  7. Dewaterability of sludge digested in extended aeration plants using ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Dewaterability of unconditioned sludge digested in full scale and lab scale experiments using either extended aeration (EA) or anaerobic digestion were compared on full and lab scale sand drying beds. Sludge digested in EA plants resulted in improvement in sludge dewaterability compared to sludge digested ...

  8. Radionuclide migration test using undisturbed aerated soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamamoto, Tadatoshi; Ohtsuka, Yoshiro; Ogawa, Hiromichi; Wadachi, Yoshiki

    1988-01-01

    As one of the most important part of safety assessment on the shallow land disposal of lowlevel radioactive waste, the radionuclide migration was studied using undisturbed soil samples, in order to evaluate an exact radionuclide migration in an aerated soil layer. Soil samples used in the migration test were coastal sand and loamy soil which form typical surface soil layers in Japan. The aqueous solution containing 60 CoCl 2 , 85 SrCl 2 and 137 CsCl was fed into the soil column and concentration of each radionuclide both in effluent and in soil was measured. Large amount of radionuclides was adsorbed on the surface of soil column and small amount of radionuclides moved deep into the soil column. Difference in the radionuclide profile was observed in the low concentration portion particularly. It is that some fractions of 60 Co and 137 Cs are stable in non-ionic form and move downward through the soil column together with water. The radionuclide distribution in the surface of soil column can be fairly predicted with a conventional migration equation for ionic radionuclides. As a result of radionuclide adsorption, both aerated soil layers of coastal sand and loamy soil have large barrier ability on the radionuclide migration through the ground. (author)

  9. The Application of EIS and PIV Methods to the Measurement of Aerated Flow

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fejfarová M.

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available The paper describes measurements in the aerated water medium using modern methods PIV (Particle Image Velocimetry and EIS (Electrical Impedance Spectrometry, which are applied in the Laboratory of Water Management Research (LVV of the Department of Water Structures (UVST at the Faculty of Civil Engineering (FAST of Brno University of Technology (VUT. Measurements of the water medium were carried out for three different aeration intensities at special experimental workplaces. The experiment was focused on the capability of the methods to monitor the air content in the water.

  10. Effect of processing conditions on quality of green beans subjected to reciprocating agitation thermal processing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Anika; Singh, Anubhav Pratap; Ramaswamy, Hosahalli S

    2015-12-01

    The effect of reciprocating agitation thermal processing (RA-TP) on quality of canned beans was evaluated in a lab-scale reciprocating retort. Green beans were selected due to their soft texture and sensitive color. Green beans (2.5cm length×0.8cm diameter) were filled into 307×409 cans with carboxylmethylcellulose (0-2%) solutions and processed at different temperatures (110-130°C) and reciprocation frequency (1-3Hz) for predetermined heating times to achieve a process lethality (F o ) of 10min. Products processed at higher temperatures and higher reciprocation frequencies resulted in better retention of chlorophyll and antioxidant activity. However, high reciprocation frequency also resulted in texture losses, with higher breakage of beans, increased turbidity and higher leaching. There was total loss of product quality at the highest agitation speed, especially with low viscosity covering solutions. Results suggest that reciprocating agitation frequency needs to be adequately moderated to get the best quality. For getting best quality, particularly for canned liquid particulate foods with soft particulates and those susceptible to high impact agitation, a gentle reciprocating motion (~1Hz) would be a good compromise. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Bio production of Vanillin from Agro-Industrial Wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abd EI-Aziz, A.B.

    2011-01-01

    The present study describes an environmentally friendly vanillin production processes from agro industrial wastes. Ferulic 'acid is a well-known product of cereal. brans and sugarcane bagasse lignin degradation, ferulic acid and cellulose degradation sugars were used as feedstock for the vanillin bio production by Debaryomyces hansenii. The bioconversion of ferulic into vanillin by Debaryomyces hansenii was affected by the type and amount of ferulic acid. Addition of purified ferulic acid (2 g/l) and using of adapted yeast cells. increase the yield of vanillin and decrease the secondary products. Yeast extract (3 g/l) and glucose (20 g/l) proved to be the best component as co-substrates for bio production of vanillin. Variable aeration conditions were tested by simultaneously vanilIin the ratio of medium to vessel volume and the agitation speed. under excess aeration, oxidation of a, significant portion of vanillin to vanillic acid occur, thus reducing the vanillin yield. Increasing the inoculum size up to 1 g/I and using low doses of gamma irradiation (0.25 kGy) increase the vanillin production. Under optimum conditions vanillin production from ferulic acid by Debaryomyces attained very high level of 1531 mg/1 with a molar yield of 76.5%

  12. Coupling of bio-PRB and enclosed in-well aeration system for remediation of nitrobenzene and aniline in groundwater.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Na; Ding, Feng; Wang, Liu; Liu, Peng; Yu, Xiaolong; Ye, Kang

    2016-05-01

    A laboratory-scale bio-permeable reactive barrier (bio-PRB) was constructed and combined with enclosed in-well aeration system to treat nitrobenzene (NB) and aniline (AN) in groundwater. Batch-style experiments were first conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of NB and AN degradation, using suspension (free cells) of degrading consortium and immobilized consortium by a mixture of perlite and peat. The NB and AN were completely degraded in 4 mg L(-1) when the aeration system was applied into the bio-PRB system. The NB and AN were effectively removed when the aeration system was functional in the bio-PRB. The removal efficiency decreased when the aeration system malfunctioned for 20 days, thus indicating that DO was an important factor for the degradation of NB and AN. The regain of NB and AN removal after the malfunction indicates the robustness of degradation consortium. No original organics and new formed by-products were observed in the effluent. The results indicate that NB and AN in groundwater can be completely mineralized in a bio-PRB equipped with enclosed in-well aeration system and filled with perlite and peat attached with degrading consortium.

  13. Passively Aerated Composting of Straw-Rich Organic Pig Manure

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Veeken, A.H.M.; Wilde, de V.; Szanto, G.; Hamelers, H.V.M.

    2002-01-01

    In this study pig manure from organic farming systems is composted with passive aeration. Effectiveness of the composting process strongly depended on the density of the compost. Best results were observed at a density of 700 kg/m3, where both aerobic degradation and drying were adequate and

  14. Efficacy and safety of valproic acid versus haloperidol in patients with acute agitation: results of a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asadollahi, Shadi; Heidari, Kamran; Hatamabadi, Hamidreza; Vafaee, Reza; Yunesian, Somayeh; Azadbakht, Alireza; Mirmohseni, Ladan

    2015-05-01

    The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of valproate versus haloperidol in decreasing the agitation level in affected patients in the emergency department. We assigned 80 acutely agitated patients to receive either intravenous sodium valproate (20 mg/kg) or intramuscular haloperidol (5 mg/1 ml). Agitation was measured at baseline and 30 min after the first injection using the Agitation-Calmness Evaluation Scale (ACES), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale-Excited Component subscale, and the Agitated Behavior Scale. For 80 patients treated with sodium valproate, the mean ± SD dosage was 1541.5 ± 286 mg (range 940-2400). The mean postintervention ACES scores from baseline to 30 min after drug injection were 4.73 (SD = 1.93) for the valproate group and 5.45 (SD = 2.09) for the haloperidol group (P = 0.028). No significant differences were observed in terms of the mean changes 30 min after the intervention for two additional agitation scales. A larger proportion of patients in the haloperidol group experienced intense sedation (36.2%, P haloperidol in reducing agitation, with a better safety profile.

  15. Relationship between speaking English as a second language and agitation in people with dementia living in care homes: Results from the MARQUE (Managing Agitation and Raising Quality of life) English national care home survey

    OpenAIRE

    Cooper, C.; Rapaport, P.; Robertson, S.; Marston, L.; Barber, J.; Manela, M.; Livingston, G.

    2017-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: As not speaking English as a first language may lead to increased difficulties in communication with staff and other residents, we (1) tested our primary hypotheses that care home residents with dementia speaking English as a second language experience more agitation and overall neuropsychiatric symptoms, and (2) explored qualitatively how staff consider that residents' language, ethnicity, and culture might impact on how they manage agitation. METHODS: We interviewed st...

  16. Effects of agitation speed, temperature, carbon and nitrogen sources ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Lactococcus lactis is a Gram-positive bacterium widely used in the production of buttermilk and cheese. Recently, the bacterium becomes famous as the genetically modified organism can be used alive for the treatment of disease. In this study, different cultural conditions based on agitation speed and temperature on the ...

  17. Tailwater concerns and the history of turbine aeration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bohac, C.E.; Ruane, R.J.

    1991-01-01

    All new proposals for hydropower development and many of the almost 300 hydroelectric projects which will be relicensed before 2000 will have to address the issue of minimum dissolved oxygen concentrations. This paper highlights some of the causes and concerns of low dissolved oxygen concentrations in releases from hydropower projects and describes the history of hydroturbine aeration for reaerating these releases

  18. Integral parameters for characterizing water, energy, and aeration properties of soilless plant growth media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chamindu Deepagoda, T. K. K.; Chen Lopez, Jose Choc; Møldrup, Per; de Jonge, Lis Wollesen; Tuller, Markus

    2013-10-01

    Over the last decade there has been a significant shift in global agricultural practice. Because the rapid increase of human population poses unprecedented challenges to production of an adequate and economically feasible food supply for undernourished populations, soilless greenhouse production systems are regaining increased worldwide attention. The optimal control of water availability and aeration is an essential prerequisite to successfully operate plant growth systems with soilless substrates such as aggregated foamed glass, perlite, rockwool, coconut coir, or mixtures thereof. While there are considerable empirical and theoretical efforts devoted to characterize water retention and aeration substrate properties, a holistic, physically-based approach considering water retention and aeration concurrently is lacking. In this study, the previously developed concept of integral water storage and energy was expanded to dual-porosity substrates and an analog integral oxygen diffusivity parameter was introduced to simultaneously characterize aeration properties of four common soilless greenhouse growth media. Integral parameters were derived for greenhouse crops in general, as well as for tomatoes. The integral approach provided important insights for irrigation management and for potential optimization of substrate properties. Furthermore, an observed relationship between the integral parameters for water availability and oxygen diffusivity can be potentially applied for the design of advanced irrigation and management strategies to ensure stress-free growth conditions, while conserving water resources.

  19. Nitrogen removal in the bioreactor landfill system with intermittent aeration at the top of landfilled waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    He Ruo; Shen Dongsheng

    2006-01-01

    High ammonia concentration of recycled landfill leachate makes it very difficult to treat. In this work, a vertical aerobic/anoxic/anaerobic lab-scale bioreactor landfill system, which was constructed by intermittent aeration at the top of landfilled waste, as a bioreactor for in situ nitrogen removal was investigated during waste stabilization. Intermittent aeration at the top of landfilled waste might stimulate the growth of nitrifying bacteria and denitrifying bacteria in the top and middle layers of waste. The nitrifying bacteria population for the landfill bioreactor with intermittent aeration system reached between10 6 and 10 8 cells/dry g waste, although it decreased 2 orders of magnitude on day 30, due to the inhibitory effect of the acid environment and high organic matter in the landfilled waste. The denitrifying bacteria population increased by between 4 and 13 orders of magnitude compared with conventional anaerobic landfilled waste layers. Leachate NO 3 - -N concentration was very low in both two experimental landfill reactors. After 105 days operation, leachate NH 4 + -N and TN concentrations for the landfill reactor with intermittent aeration system dropped to 186 and 289 mg/l, respectively, while they were still kept above 1000 mg/l for the landfill reactor without intermittent aerobic system. In addition, there is an increase in the rate of waste stabilization as well as an increase of 12% in the total waste settlement for the landfill reactor with intermittent aeration system

  20. The response of archaeal species to seasonal variables in a subtropical aerated soil: insight into the low abundant methanogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Wei; Jiao, Na; Ma, Cenling; Fang, Sa; Phelps, Tommy J; Zhu, Ruixin; Zhang, Chuanlun

    2017-08-01

    Archaea are cosmopolitan in aerated soils around the world. While the dominance of Thaumarchaeota has been reported in most soils, the methanogens are recently found to be ubiquitous but with low abundances in the aerated soil globally. However, the seasonal changes of Archaea community in the aerated soils are still in the mist. In this study, we investigated the change of Archaea in the context of environmental variables over a period of 12 months in a subtropical soil on the Chongming Island, China. The results showed that Nitrososphaera spp. were the dominant archaeal population while the methanogens were in low proportions but highly diverse (including five genera: Methanobacterium, Methanocella, Methanosaeta, Methanosarcina, and Methanomassiliicoccus) in the aerated soil samples determined by high throughput sequencing. A total of 126 LSA correlations were found in the dataset including all the 72 archaeal OTUs and 8 environmental factors. A significance index defined as the pagerank score of each OTU divided by its relative abundance was used to evaluate the significance of each OTU. The results showed that five out of 17 methanogen OTUs were significantly positively correlated with temperature, suggesting those methanogens might increase with temperature rather than being dormant in the aerated soils. Given the metabolic response of methanogens to temperature under aerated soil conditions, their contribution to the global methane cycle warrants evaluation.

  1. A field study on phytoremediation of dredged sediment contaminated by heavy metals and nutrients: the impacts of sediment aeration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Juan; Yang, Lihua; Zhong, Fei; Cheng, Shuiping

    2014-12-01

    Compared to traditional chemical or physical treatments, phytoremediation has proved to be a cost-effective and environmentally sound alternative for remediation of contaminated dredged sediment. A field study was conducted in a sediment disposal site predominantly colonized by Typha angustifolia under different sediment moisture conditions to estimate the phytoremediation effects of dredged sediment. The moisture content was 37.30 % and 48.27 % in aerated and waterlogged sediment, respectively. Total nitrogen (TN) content was higher in the waterlogged sediment than in the aerated sediment. The total Cd contents were lower in aerated sediment, which was mainly resulted from the lower exchangeable fraction of Cd. The bioaccumulation of P, Cu and Pb in T. angustifolia was promoted by waterlogging, and the belowground tissue concentrations and accumulation factors (AFs) of Cu were higher than that of other metals, which can be explained by that Cu is an essential micronutrient for plants. Consistent with many previous studies, T. angustifolia showed higher metal levels in roots than in above-ground tissues at both the sediment conditions. Due to the improved biomass produced in the aerated sediment, the removals of nutrients and the metals by plant harvest were higher from aerated sediment than from waterlogged sediment. It was indicated that maintaining the dredged sediment aerated can avoid release risk and plant uptake of metals, while the opposite management option can promote phytoextraction of these contaminants.

  2. Relationship between speaking English as a second language and agitation in people with dementia living in care homes: Results from the MARQUE (Managing Agitation and Raising Quality of life) English national care home survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooper, C; Rapaport, P; Robertson, S; Marston, L; Barber, J; Manela, M; Livingston, G

    2018-03-01

    As not speaking English as a first language may lead to increased difficulties in communication with staff and other residents, we (1) tested our primary hypotheses that care home residents with dementia speaking English as a second language experience more agitation and overall neuropsychiatric symptoms, and (2) explored qualitatively how staff consider that residents' language, ethnicity, and culture might impact on how they manage agitation. We interviewed staff, residents with dementia, and their family carers from 86 care homes (2014-2015) about resident's neuropsychiatric symptoms, agitation, life quality, and dementia severity. We qualitatively interviewed 25 staff. Seventy-one out of 1420 (5%) of care home residents with dementia interviewed spoke English as a second language. After controlling for dementia severity, age, and sex, and accounting for care home and staff proxy clustering, speaking English as a second language compared with as a first language was associated with significantly higher Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (adjusted difference in means 8.3, 95% confidence interval 4.1 to 12.5) and Neuropsychiatric inventory scores (4.1, 0.65 to 7.5). Staff narratives described how linguistic and culturally isolating being in a care home where no residents or staff share your culture or language could be for people with dementia, and how this sometimes caused or worsened agitation. Considering a person with dementia's need to be understood when selecting a care home and developing technology resources to enable dementia-friendly translation services could be important strategies for reducing distress of people with dementia from minority ethnic groups who live in care homes. © 2017 The Authors. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. Characterization and behaviour of Autoclaved Aerated Concrete before Autoclaving

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Straub, Chr.; Florea, M.V.A.; Brouwers, H.J.H.; Schmidt, Wolfram; Msinjili, Nsesheye Susan

    In order to achieve a high quality Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) product, certain steps need to be ensured: the characterization of the raw materials, a proper mixing and correct slurry behaviour to achieve a good green body during green curing. In the current research the emphasis is on all of

  4. Oxygen mass transfer in a stirred tank bioreactor using different impeller configurations for environmental purposes

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    In this study, a miniature stirred tank bioreactor was designed for treatment of waste gas containing benzene, toluene and xylene. Oxygen mass transfer characteristics for various twin and single-impeller systems were investigated for 6 configurations in a vessel with 10 cm of inner diameter and working volume of 1.77L. Three types of impellers, namely, Rushton turbine, Pitched 4blades and Pitched 2blades impellers with downward pumping have been used. Deionized water was used as a liquid phase. With respect to other independent variables such as agitation speed, aeration rate, type of sparger, number of impellers, the relative performance of these impellers was assessed by comparing the values of (KLa) as a key parameter. Based on the experimental data, empirical correlations as a function of the operational conditions have been proposed, to study the oxygen transfer rates from air bubbles generated in the bioreactor. It was shown that twin Rushton turbine configuration demonstrates superior performance (23% to 77% enhancement in KLa) compared with other impeller compositions and that sparger type has negligible effect on oxygen mass transfer rate. Agitation speeds of 400 to 800 rpm were the most efficient speeds for oxygen mass transfer in the stirred bioreactor. PMID:23369581

  5. Oral Medication for Agitation of Psychiatric Origin: A Scoping Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mullinax, Samuel; Shokraneh, Farhad; Wilson, Michael P; Adams, Clive E

    2017-10-01

    Understanding more about the efficacy and safety of oral second-generation antipsychotic medications in reducing the symptoms of acute agitation could improve the treatment of psychiatric emergencies. The objective of this scoping review was to examine the evidence base underlying expert consensus panel recommendations for the use of oral second-generation antipsychotics to treat acute agitation in mentally ill patients. The Cochrane Schizophrenia Group's Study-Based Register was searched for randomized controlled trials comparing oral second-generation antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, or first-generation antipsychotics with or without adjunctive benzodiazepines, irrespective of route of administration of the drug being compared. Six articles were included in the final review. Two oral second-generation antipsychotic medications were studied across the six included trials. While the studies had relatively small sample sizes, oral second-generation antipsychotics were similarly effective to intramuscular first-generation antipsychotics in treating symptoms of acute agitation and had similar side-effect profiles. This scoping review identified six randomized trials investigating the use of oral second-generation antipsychotic medications in the reduction of acute agitation among patients experiencing psychiatric emergencies. Further research will be necessary to make clinical recommendations due to the overall dearth of randomized trials, as well as the small sample sizes of the included studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Use of Tablet Devices in the Management of Agitation Among Inpatients with Dementia: An Open-Label Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vahia, Ipsit V; Kamat, Rujvi; Vang, Cheng; Posada, Carolina; Ross, Lisa; Oreck, Sarah; Bhatt, Alok; Depp, Colin; Jeste, Dilip V; Sewell, Daniel D

    2017-08-01

    To investigate the feasibility, safety, and utility of tablet devices as novel nonpharmacologic tools in managing older psychiatric inpatients with agitation and dementia. Thirty-six patients at a geriatric psychiatry inpatient unit were provided with tablets when agitated and used various apps on the tablet related to communication, games, music, web browser, and photography during their stay. Study staff documented the frequency, duration, and app usage history and rated the extent to which agitation improved after tablet use. All participants, regardless of dementia severity, were able to use apps and were rated by staff to have clinical benefit. Dementia severity was negatively associated with app complexity. Age was negatively associated with frequency and duration of tablet use. Tablet use as a nonpharmacologic intervention for agitation in older adults, including those with severe dementia, appears to be feasible, safe, and of potential utility. Copyright © 2016 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Spatiotemporal Aeration and Lung Injury Patterns Are Influenced by the First Inflation Strategy at Birth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tingay, David G; Rajapaksa, Anushi; Zonneveld, C Elroy; Black, Don; Perkins, Elizabeth J; Adler, Andy; Grychtol, Bartłomiej; Lavizzari, Anna; Frerichs, Inéz; Zahra, Valerie A; Davis, Peter G

    2016-02-01

    Ineffective aeration during the first inflations at birth creates regional aeration and ventilation defects, initiating injurious pathways. This study aimed to compare a sustained first inflation at birth or dynamic end-expiratory supported recruitment during tidal inflations against ventilation without intentional recruitment on gas exchange, lung mechanics, spatiotemporal regional aeration and tidal ventilation, and regional lung injury in preterm lambs. Lambs (127 ± 2 d gestation), instrumented at birth, were ventilated for 60 minutes from birth with either lung-protective positive pressure ventilation (control) or as per control after either an initial 30 seconds of 40 cm H2O sustained inflation (SI) or an initial stepwise end-expiratory pressure recruitment maneuver during tidal inflations (duration 180 s; open lung ventilation [OLV]). At study completion, molecular markers of lung injury were analyzed. The initial use of an OLV maneuver, but not SI, at birth resulted in improved lung compliance, oxygenation, end-expiratory lung volume, and reduced ventilatory needs compared with control, persisting throughout the study. These changes were due to more uniform inter- and intrasubject gravity-dependent spatiotemporal patterns of aeration (measured using electrical impedance tomography). Spatial distribution of tidal ventilation was more stable after either recruitment maneuver. All strategies caused regional lung injury patterns that mirrored associated regional volume states. Irrespective of strategy, spatiotemporal volume loss was consistently associated with up-regulation of early growth response-1 expression. Our results show that mechanical and molecular consequences of lung aeration at birth are not simply related to rapidity of fluid clearance; they are also related to spatiotemporal pressure-volume interactions within the lung during inflation and deflation.

  8. Pilot scale experiment with MBR operated in intermittent aeration condition: analysis of biological performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Capodici, M; Di Bella, G; Di Trapani, D; Torregrossa, M

    2015-02-01

    The effect of intermittent aeration (IA) on a MBR system was investigated. The study was aimed at analyzing different working conditions and the influence of different IA cycles on the biological performance of the MBR pilot plant, in terms of organic carbon and ammonium removal as well as extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) production. The membrane modules were placed in a separate compartment, continuously aerated. This configuration allowed to disconnect from the filtration stage the biological phenomena occurring into the IA bioreactor. The observed results highlighted good efficiencies, in terms of organic carbon and ammonium removal. It was noticed a significant soluble microbial products (SMPs) release, likely related to the higher metabolic stress that anoxic conditions exerted on the biomass. However, the proposed configuration, with the membranes in a separate compartment, allowed to reduce the EPSs in the membrane tank even during the non-aerated phase, thus lowering fouling development. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Determination of pressure distribution in an aerated bed in a controlled pilot-scale compost reactor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Solowiej, P. [Warmia and Mazury Univ., Olsztyn (Poland)

    2010-07-01

    This study investigated the effectiveness of dealing with biological waste by composting. In particular, it examined the feasibility of recovering excess thermal energy produced in the process of composting biological waste in terms of mass and energy transport parameters required in the aerated compost bed. An experiment was performed in which a 100 dm{sup 3} adiabatic, leak-tight reactor equipped with a controlled aeration system was constructed to study the temperature and pressure distribution in the bed. Sensors were used to determine the amount and humidity of emitted gases under variable external physical conditions. The perforated bottom of the reactor allowed for bed aeration. As such, the humidity and heat were transported upwards, forced by the air pumped in and by natural convection. In terms of pressure distribution inside the composted and aerated bed, the study results showed that there were considerable differences in pressure for the selected places of the bed of the composted biological material. An increase in upwards pressure was observed in the heap throughout the experiment. Pressure differences in the same plane of the bed were also noted. The study results should facilitate the development of a model of mass and energy transport in a bed of composted material.

  10. Psychiatric Evaluation of the Agitated Patient: Consensus Statement of the American Association for Emergency Psychiatry Project BETA Psychiatric Evaluation Workgroup

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Keith R. Stowell

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available It is difficult to fully assess an agitated patient, and the complete psychiatric evaluation usually cannot be completed until the patient is calm enough to participate in a psychiatric interview. Nonetheless, emergency clinicians must perform an initial mental status screening to begin this process as soon as the agitated patient presents to an emergency service. For this reason, the psychiatric evaluation of the agitated patient can be thought of as a two-step process. First a brief evaluation must be aimed at determining the most likely cause of agitation, so as to guide preliminary interventions to calm the patient. Once the patient is calmed, more extensive psychiatric assessment can be completed. The goal of the emergency assessment of the psychiatric patient is not necessarily to obtain a definitive diagnosis. Rather, ascertaining a differential diagnosis, determining safety, and developing an appropriate treatment and disposition plan are the goals of the assessment. This article will summarize what components of the psychiatric assessment can and should be done at the time the agitated patient presents. The complete psychiatric evaluation of the patient whose agitation has been treated successfully is beyond the scope of this paper and Project BETA, but will be outlined briefly to give the reader an understanding of what a full psychiatric assessment would entail. Other issues related to the assessment of the agitated patient in the emergency setting will also be discussed. [West J Emerg Med. 2012;13(1:11–16.

  11. Pumping Capacity of Pitched Blade Impellers in a Tall Vessel with a Draught Tube

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Brož

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available A study was made of the pumping capacity of pitched blade impellers (two, three, four, five and six blade pitched blade impellers with pitch angles α = 35° and 45° coaxially located in a cylindrical pilot plant vessel with cylindrical draught tube provided with a standard dished bottom. The draught tube was equipped with four equally spaced radial baffles above the impeller pumping liquid upwards towards the liquid surface. In all investigated cases the liquid aspect ratio H/T = 1.2 - 1.5, the draught tube / vessel diameter ratios DT /T = 0.2 and 0.4 and the impeller / draught tube diameter ratio D/DT = 0.875. The pumping capacity of the impeller was calculated from the radial profile of the axial component of the mean velocity in the draught tube below the impeller at such an axial distance from the impeller that the rotor does not affect the vorticity of the flow. The mean velocity was measured using a laser Doppler anemometer with forward scatter mode in a transparent draught tube and a transparent vessel of diameter T = 400 mm. Two series of experiments were performed, both of them under a turbulent regime of flow of the agitated liquid. First, the optimum height of the dished bottom was sought, and then the dependences of the dimensionless flow rate criterion and the impeller power number on the number of impeller blades were determined for both pitch angles tested under conditions of optimum ratio HT /DT. It follows from the results of the experiments that the optimum ratio HT /DT = 0.25 when the cross sectional areas of the horizontal flow around the bottom and the vertical inflow to the draught tube are the same. For all the tested pitched blade impellers the impeller power number when α = 45° exceeds the value of this quantity when pitch angle α  =   35°, while the flow rate number when α = 35° exceeds this quantity when α = 45°. On the other hand, the absolute values of the impeller power number when the draught tube was

  12. Deriving a Framework for a Systems Approach to Agitated Patient Care in the Emergency Department.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Ambrose H; Ruppel, Halley; Crispino, Lauren J; Rosenberg, Alana; Iennaco, Joanne D; Vaca, Federico E

    2018-05-01

    The rising agitated patient population presenting to the emergency department (ED) has caused increasing safety threats for health care workers and patients. Development of evidence-based strategies has been limited by the lack of a structured framework to examine agitated patient care in the ED. In this study, a systems approach from the patient safety literature was used to derive a comprehensive theoretical framework for addressing ED patient agitation. A mixed-methods approach was used with ED staff members at an academic site and a community site of a regional health care network. Participants consisted of resident and attending physicians, physician assistants/nurse practitioners, nurses, technicians, and security officers. After a simulated agitated patient encounter to prime participants, uniprofessional and interprofessional focus groups were conducted, followed by a structured thematic analysis using a grounded theory approach. Quantitative data consisted of surveys of violence exposure and attitudes toward patient aggression and management. Data saturation was reached with 57 participants. Violence exposure was higher for technicians, nurses, and officers. Conflicting priorities and management challenges occurred due to four main interconnected elements: perceived complex patient motivations; a patient care paradox between professional duty and personal safety; discordant interprofessional dynamics mitigated by respect and trust; and logistical challenges impeding care delivery and long-term outcomes. Using a systems approach, five interconnected levels of ED agitated patient care delivery were identified: patient, staff, team, ED microsystem, and health care macrosystem. These care dimensions were synthesized to form a novel patient safety-based framework that can help guide future research, practice, and policy. Copyright © 2018 The Joint Commission. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Effect of agitation rate on ethanol production from sugar maple hemicellulosic hydrolysate by Pichia stipitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shupe, Alan M; Liu, Shijie

    2012-09-01

    Concentrated dilute acid hydrolysate was obtained from hot water extracts of Acer saccharum (sugar maple) and was fermented to ethanol by Pichia stipitis in a 1.3-L-benchtop bioreactor. The conditions under which the highest ethanol yield was achieved were when the air flow rate was set to 100 cm(3) and the agitation rate was set to 150 rpm resulting in an overall mass transfer coefficient (K(L)a) of 0.108 min(-1). A maximum ethanol concentration of 29.7 g/L was achieved after 120 h of fermentation; however, after 90 h of fermentation, the ethanol concentration was only slightly lower at 29.1 g/L with a yield of 0.39 g ethanol per gram of sugar consumed. Using the same air flow rate and adjusting the agitation rate resulted in lower ethanol yields of 0.25 g/g at 50 rpm and 0.30 g/g at 300 rpm. The time it takes to reach the maximum ethanol concentration was also affected by the agitation rate. The ethanol concentration continued to increase even after 130 h of fermentation when the agitation rate was set at 50 rpm, whereas the maximum ethanol concentration was reached after only 68.5 h at 300 rpm.

  14. Experiments in randomly agitated granular assemblies close to the jamming transition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caballero, Gabriel; Lindner, Anke; Ovarlez, Guillaume; Reydellet, Guillaume; Lanuza, José; Clément, Eric

    2004-11-01

    We present the results obtained for two experiments on randomly agitated granular assemblies using a novel way of shaking. First we discuss the transport properties of a 2D model system undergoing classical shaking that show the importance of large scale dynamics for this type of agitation and offer a local view of the microscopic motions of a grain. We then develop a new way of vibrating the system allowing for random accelerations smaller than gravity. Using this method we study the evolution of the free surface as well as results from a light scattering method for a 3D model system. The final aim of these experiments is to investigate the ideas of effective temperature on the one hand as a function of inherent states and on the other hand using fluctuation dissipation relations.

  15. Mechanisms for naphthalene removal during electrolytic aeration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goel, Ramesh K; Flora, Joseph R V; Ferry, John

    2003-02-01

    Batch tests were performed to investigate chemical and physical processes that may result during electrolytic aeration of a contaminated aquifer using naphthalene as a model contaminant. Naphthalene degradation of 58-66% took place electrolytically and occurred at the same rates at a pH of 4 and 7. 1,4-naphthoquinone was identified as a product of the electrolysis. Stripping due to gases produced at the electrodes did not result in any naphthalene loss. Hydrogen peroxide (which may be produced at the cathode) did not have any effect on naphthalene, but the addition of ferrous iron (which may be present in aquifers) resulted in 67-99% disappearance of naphthalene. Chlorine (which may be produced from the anodic oxidation of chloride) can effectively degrade naphthalene at pH of 4, but not at a pH of 7. Mono-, di- and poly chloronaphthalenes were identified as oxidation products. Ferric iron coagulation (due to the oxidation of ferrous iron) did not significantly contribute to naphthalene loss. Overall, electrolytic oxidation and chemical oxidation due to the electrolytic by-products formed are significant abiotic processes that could occur and should be accounted for if bioremediation of PAH-contaminated sites via electrolytic aeration is considered. Possible undesirable products such as chlorinated compounds may be formed when significant amounts of chlorides are present.

  16. Pharmacological interventions for agitation in patients with traumatic brain injury: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David R. Williamson

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Traumatic brain injury (TBI is a worldwide leading cause of mortality and disability. Among TBI complications, agitation is a frequent behavioural problem. Agitation causes potential harm to patients and caregivers, interferes with treatments, leads to unnecessary chemical and physical restraints, increases hospital length of stay, delays rehabilitation, and impedes functional independence. Pharmacological treatments are often considered for agitation management following TBI. Several types of agents have been proposed for the treatment of agitation. However, the benefit and safety of these agents in TBI patients as well as their differential effects and interactions are uncertain. In addition, animal studies and observational studies have suggested impaired cognitive function with the use of certain antipsychotics and benzodiazepines. Hence, a safe and effective treatment for agitation, which does not interfere with neurological recovery, remains to be identified. Methods/design With the help of Health Sciences librarian, we will design a search strategy in the following databases: PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE®, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, Directory of Open Access Journals, LILACS, Web of Science, and Prospero. A grey literature search will be performed using the resources suggested in CADTH’s Grey Matters. We will include all randomized controlled, quasi-experimental, and observational studies with control groups. The population of interest is all patients, including children and adults, who have suffered a TBI. We will include studies in which agitation, not further defined, was the presenting symptom or one of the presenting symptoms. We will also include studies where agitation was not the presenting symptom but was measured as an outcome variable and studies assessing the safety of these pharmacological interventions in TBI patients. We will include studies evaluating all pharmacological

  17. Field study of nitrous oxide production with in situ aeration in a closed landfill site.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nag, Mitali; Shimaoka, Takayuki; Nakayama, Hirofumi; Komiya, Teppei; Xiaoli, Chai

    2016-03-01

    Nitrous oxide (N(2)O) has gained considerable attention as a contributor to global warming and depilation of stratospheric ozone layer. Landfill is one of the high emitters of greenhouse gas such as methane and N(2)O during the biodegradation of solid waste. Landfill aeration has been attracted increasing attention worldwide for fast, controlled and sustainable conversion of landfills into a biological stabilized condition, however landfill aeration impel N(2)O emission with ammonia removal. N(2)O originates from the biodegradation, or the combustion of nitrogen-containing solid waste during the microbial process of nitrification and denitrification. During these two processes, formation of N(2)O as a by-product from nitrification, or as an intermediate product of denitrification. In this study, air was injected into a closed landfill site and investigated the major N(2)O production factors and correlations established between them. The in-situ aeration experiment was carried out by three sets of gas collection pipes along with temperature probes were installed at three different distances of one, two and three meter away from the aeration point; named points A-C, respectively. Each set of pipes consisted of three different pipes at three different depths of 0.0, 0.75 and 1.5 m from the bottom of the cover soil. Landfill gases composition was monitored weekly and gas samples were collected for analysis of nitrous oxide concentrations. It was evaluated that temperatures within the range of 30-40°C with high oxygen content led to higher generation of nitrous oxide with high aeration rate. Lower O(2) content can infuse N(2)O production during nitrification and high O(2) inhibit denitrification which would affect N(2)O production. The findings provide insights concerning the production potentials of N(2)O in an aerated landfill that may help to minimize with appropriate control of the operational parameters and biological reactions of N turnover. Investigation of

  18. The theoretical framework of agent based monitoring for use in the production of gellan gum in a microbial fermentation system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eleni Mangina

    2003-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper introduces the application of an agent-based software system for monitoring the process of gellan gum production. Gellan gum (biopolymer is produced in industrial scale in bioreactors (sealed vessels where the microbial culture is grown in a liquid fermentation medium under controlled environmental conditions (temperature, pH, aeration and agitation. The multi agent system will view the monitoring problem as the interaction of simple independent software entities, for effective use of the available data. The outcome of this agent – based solution will include the automatic on-line data acquisition and correlation of the most important parameters. Within such a dynamic process, like the gellan gum production, certan parameters (such as biomass, gellan and glucose concentration change continuously and have to be measured and controlled. Also automatic knowledge derivation from past cases through the multi agent software system can be of future benefit.

  19. Application of glass recycling by-products in Autoclaved Aerated Concrete

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Straub, Chr.; Florea, M.V.A.; Brouwers, H.J.H.; Schmidt, Wolfram; Msinjili, Nsesheye Susan

    Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) is a construction material with a large range of applications. In order to generate more sustainable materials, the possibility of the incorporation of by-products and left-over-materials from various processes is investigated. The focus of this research is the

  20. Knowledge and Attitude Towards Pharmacological Management of Acute Agitation: A Survey of Psychiatrists, Psychiatry Residents, and Psychiatric Nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tangu, KeumbÔh; Ifeanyi, Adaora; Velusamy, Mayurapriya; Dar, Sara; Shah, Nurun; Ezeobele, Ifeoma E; Okusaga, Olaoluwa O

    2017-06-01

    The authors compared the current knowledge and attitude of psychiatrists, psychiatry residents, and psychiatric nurses towards the pharmacological management of acute agitation. Questionnaires were electronically distributed to all attending psychiatrists, psychiatry residents, and psychiatric nurses who were either employed by the University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences or were staff at a 250-bed affiliated Psychiatric Hospital. Where possible, Fisher's exact test was used to compare responses to questions based on designation. Of the 250 questionnaires distributed, 112 were returned (response rate of 44.8%), of which 64 (57.1%) were psychiatric nurses, 27 (24.1%) were attending psychiatrists, and 21 (18.8%) were psychiatry residents. A significantly higher percentage of attending psychiatrists and psychiatric nurses compared to psychiatry residents thought that newer second- generation antipsychotics (SGAs) are not as effective as older first-generation antipsychotics (FGAs) for managing acute agitation (55.6, 48.4, and 9.5% respectively, p = 0.008). The combination of intramuscular haloperidol, lorazepam, and diphenhydramine was the most preferred option chosen by all designations for the psychopharmacological management of severe agitation. Furthermore, a larger percentage of the psychiatric nurses, in comparison to attending psychiatrists, also chose the combination of intramuscular chlorpromazine, lorazepam, and diphenhydramine as an option for managing severe agitation; no psychiatry resident chose this option. Knowledge of evidence-based psychopharmacological management of agitation differs among attending psychiatrists, psychiatry residents and psychiatric nurses. Although the management of agitation should be individualized and context specific, monotherapy should be considered first where applicable.

  1. A New Control and Design of PEM Fuel Cell System Powered Diffused Air Aeration System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hassen T. Dorrah

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available The goal of aquaculture ponds is to maximize production and profits while holding labor and management efforts to the minimum. Poor water quality in most ponds causes risk of fish kills, disease outbreaks which lead to minimization of pond production. Dissolved Oxygen (DO is considered to be among the most important water quality parameters in fish culture. Fish ponds in aquaculture farms are usually located in remote areas where grid lines are at far distance. Aeration of ponds is required to prevent mortality and to intensify production, especially when feeding is practical, and in warm regions. To increase pond production it is necessary to control dissolved oxygen. Aeration offers the most immediate and practical solution to water quality problems encountered at higher stocking and feeding rates. Many units of aeration system are electrical units so using a continuous, high reliability, affordable, and environmentally friendly power sources is necessary. Fuel cells have become one of the major areas of research in the academia and the industry. Aeration of water by using PEM fuel cell power is not only a new application of the renewable energy, but also, it provides an affordable method to promote biodiversity in stagnant ponds and lakes. This paper presents a new design and control of PEM fuel cell powered a diffused air aeration system for a shrimp farm in Mersa Matruh in Egypt. Also Artificial intelligence (AI control techniques are used to control the fuel cell output power by controlling its input gases flow rate. Moreover the mathematical modeling and simulation of PEM fuel cell is introduced. A comparative study is applied between the performance of fuzzy logic controller (FLC and neural network controller (NNC. The results show the effectiveness of NNC over FLC.

  2. Improved Aeration Process - Catalytic Role Of The Iron Oxides In Arsenic Oxidation And Coprecipitation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kowalski, Krysztof; Søgaard, Erik Gydesen

    2013-01-01

    Demands for a better drinking water quality, especially concerning arsenic, a compound with many adverse health effects, put a pressure on the utilities to ensure the best treatment technologies that meet nowadays and possible future quality standards. The aim of this paper is to introduce...... an improved aeration process that can also help in developing better arsenic removal treatment. The results present advantages of arsenic oxidation in an aeration process in the presence of ferrihydrite surface that have been shown to adsorb arsenic simultaneously to its oxidation. The presence...

  3. An investigation of the interactive effects of the capability for suicide and acute agitation on suicidality in a military sample.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ribeiro, Jessica D; Bender, Theodore W; Buchman, Jennifer M; Nock, Matthew K; Rudd, M David; Bryan, Craig J; Lim, Ingrid C; Baker, Monty T; Knight, Chadwick; Gutierrez, Peter M; Joiner, Thomas E

    2015-01-01

    According to the interpersonal theory of suicide (1, 2), the difficulties inherently associated with death by suicide deter many individuals from engaging in suicidal behavior. Consistent with the notion that suicide is fearsome, acute states of heightened arousal are commonly observed in individuals immediately prior to lethal and near-lethal suicidal behavior. We suggest that among individuals who possess elevated levels of the capability for suicide, the heightened state of arousal experienced during periods of acute agitation may facilitate suicidal behavior in part because it would provide the necessary energy to approach a potentially lethal stimulus. Among individuals who are low on capability, the arousal experienced during agitation may result in further avoidance. In the present project we examine how acute agitation may interact with the capability for suicide to predict suicidality in a large military sample (n = 1,208) using hierarchical multiple regression. Results were in line with a priori hypotheses: among individuals high on capability, as agitation increases, suicidality increases whereas as agitation increases among individuals low on capability, suicidality decreases. Results held beyond the effects of thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and suicidal cognitions. Beyond further substantiating the link between agitation and suicide, findings of the present study provide evidence for the construct validity of the acquired capability as well as offer initial evidence for moderating role of capability on the effect of agitation on suicide. Limitations of the current study highlight a need for future research that improves upon the techniques used in the present study. Implications for science and practice are discussed. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  4. The impact of aeration on potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.) minituber ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Aeroponic systems are more effective than hydroponics for minituber production, as provided by the optimal system for root oxygenation. The study was conducted to improve conventional hydroponic systems by applying aeration so as to enhance potato minituber production yield via providing adequate oxygen in the root ...

  5. A review and investigations of some properties of foamed aerated ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The properties investigated on foamed aerated concrete having a designed density of 1600kg/m3 were: workability, density, compressive strength, tensile strength, and the water absorption capacity. The results showed that at the designed density adopted for this work, the material was workable and repeatable.

  6. A full-scale biological aerated filtration system application in the ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The treated wastewater characteristics are in compliance with the Egyptian law which regulates the discharge of industrial wastewater to the sewerage system. The results from each treatment process proved to be efficient for the treatment of such wastewater. Keywords: Paints wastewater treatment, Biological aerated filter ...

  7. Bubble growth as a means to measure dissolved nitrogen concentration in aerated water

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ando, Keita; Yamashita, Tatsuya

    2017-11-01

    Controlling the amount of dissolved gases in water is important, for example, to food processing; it is essential to quantitatively evaluate dissolved gas concentration. The concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO) can be measured by commercial DO meters, but that of dissolved nitrogen (DN) cannot be obtained easily. Here, we propose a means to measure DN concentration based on Epstein-Plesset-type analysis of bubble growth under dissolved gas supersaturation. DO supersaturation in water is produced by oxygen microbubble aeration. The diffusion-driven growth of bubbles nucleated at glass surfaces in contact with the aerated water is first observed. The observed growth is then compared to the extended Epstein-Plesset theory that considers Fick's mass transfer of both DO and DN across bubble interfaces; in this comparison, the unknown DN concentration is treated as a fitting parameter. Comparisons between the experiment and the theory suggest, as expected, that DN can be effectively purged by oxygen microbubble aeration. This study was supported in part by the Mizuho Foundation for the Promotion of Science and by a MEXT Grant-in-Aid for the Program for Leading Graduate Schools.

  8. The frequency of agitation due to inappropriate use of naltrexone in addicts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sima Siadat

    2014-01-01

    Conclusion: Considering the high prevalence of agitation in the poisoning emergency department due to inappropriate use of naltrexone, more accurate planning for administration of naltrexone in addicts seems necessary.

  9. Health service use and costs associated with aggressiveness or agitation and containment in adult psychiatric care: a systematic review of the evidence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rubio-Valera, Maria; Luciano, Juan V; Ortiz, José Miguel; Salvador-Carulla, Luis; Gracia, Alfredo; Serrano-Blanco, Antoni

    2015-03-04

    Agitation and containment are frequent in psychiatric care but little is known about their costs. The aim was to evaluate the use of services and costs related to agitation and containment of adult patients admitted to a psychiatric hospital or emergency service. Systematic searches of four electronic databases covering the period January 1998-January 2014 were conducted. Manual searches were also performed. Paper selection and data extraction were performed in duplicate. Cost data were converted to euros in 2014. Ten studies met inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis (retrospective cohorts, prospective cohorts and cost-of-illness studies). Evaluated in these studies were length of stay, readmission rates and medication. Eight studies assessed the impact of agitation on the length of stay and six showed that it was associated with longer stays. Four studies examined the impact of agitation on readmission and a statistically significant increase in the probability of readmission of agitated patients was observed. Two studies evaluated medication. One study showed that the mean medication dose was higher in agitated patients and the other found higher costs of treatment compared with non-agitated patients in the unadjusted analysis. One study estimated the costs of conflict and containment incurred in acute inpatient psychiatric care in the UK. The estimation for the year 2014 of total annual cost per ward for all conflict was €182,616 and €267,069 for containment based on updated costs from 2005. Agitation has an effect on healthcare use and costs in terms of longer length of stay, more readmissions and higher drug use. Evidence is scarce and further research is needed to estimate the burden of agitation and containment from the perspective of hospitals and the healthcare system.

  10. Comparison of the removal of calcium hydroxide medicaments on the root canal treatment irrigated with manual and sonic agitation technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Muryani

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Irrigation of the root canal system is an important part of the endodontic treatment principle which aims to improve the hygiene of the root canal system from any debris and medicament residue with the hydrodynamic system. Root irrigation technique can be done with the manual and sonic system by using 2.5% NaOCI irrigation solution. Calcium hydroxide is used as a medicament for root canal sterilization. Root canal treatment will fail due to the imperfect removal of calcium hydroxide residue. The objective of this research was to analyze the comparison of the removal of calcium hydroxide medicaments on the root canal treatment irrigated with manual and sonic agitation technique using 2.5% sodium hypochlorite solution. Methods: The methods used in this study was experimental laboratory. The sample used was 30 maxillary incisors. The teeth were then divided into two groups randomly, then the root canal preparation was done by the crown down technique with manual irrigation using 2.5% NaOCI solution. The radicular part of the teeth was then split longitudinally, given a standardized groove in the one-third of the apical part, then applied with water-solved calcium hydroxide. The teeth were unified afterwards by using flowable composites, then soaked in the artificial saliva at the temperature of 37ºC. The sample of the 1st group was irrigated by manual agitation technique, and the sample of the 2nd group 2 was irrigated by sonic agitation technique, then both were viewed by stereo microscope. The data results were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. Results: The results of calcium hydroxide removal were different between the root canals that were irrigated using 2.5% sodium hypochlorite irrigation solution by manual agitation technique compared to the sonic agitation technique. Irrigation using 2.5% sodium hypochlorite irrigation solution with the sonic agitation techniques were proven to be more effective in lifting Ca

  11. Characterization of the external and internal flow structure of an aerated-liquid injector using X-ray radiography and fluorescence

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peltier, Scott J.; Lin, Kuo-Cheng; Carter, Campbell D.; Kastengren, Alan L.

    2017-08-02

    In the present study, the internal flowfield of aerated-liquid fuel injectors is examined through x-ray radiography and x-ray fluorescence. An inside-out injector, consisting of a perforated aerating tube within an annular liquid stream, sprays into a quiescent environment at a fixed mass flow rate of water and nitrogen gas. The liquid is doped with bromine (in the form of NaBr) to create an x-ray fluorescence signal. This allows for reasonable absorption and fluorescence signals, and one or both diagnostics can be used to track the liquid distribution. The injector housing is fabricated from beryllium (Be), which allows the internal flowfield to be examined (as Be has relatively low x-ray attenuation coefficient). Two injector geometries are compared, illustrating the effects of aerating orifice size and location on the flow evolution. Time-averaged equivalent pathlength (EPL) and line-of-sight averaged density ρ(y) reveal the formation of the two-phase mixture, showing that the liquid film thickness along the injector walls is a function of the aerating tube geometry, though only upstream of the nozzle. These differences in gas and liquid distribution (between injectors with different aerating tube designs) are suppressed as the mixture traverses the nozzle contraction. The averaged liquid velocity (computed from the density and liquid mass flow rate) reveal a similar trend. This suggests that at least for the current configurations, the plume width, liquid mass distribution, and averaged liquid velocity for the time-averaged external spray are insensitive to the aerating tube geometry.

  12. Characterization of the external and internal flow structure of an aerated-liquid injector using X-ray radiography and fluorescence

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peltier, Scott J. [Aerospace Systems Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Arnold AFB, TN (United States); Lin, Kuo-Cheng [Taitech, Inc., Beavercreek, OH (United States); Carter, Campbell D. [Aerospace Systems Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (United States); Kastengren, Alan L. [Argonne National Laboratory, X-Ray Science Division, Advanced Photon Source, Argonne, IL (United States)

    2017-09-15

    In the present study, the internal flowfield of aerated-liquid fuel injectors is examined through X-ray radiography and X-ray fluorescence. An inside-out injector, consisting of a perforated aerating tube within an annular liquid stream, sprays into a quiescent environment at a fixed mass flow rate of water and nitrogen gas. The liquid is doped with bromine (in the form of NaBr) to create an X-ray fluorescence signal. This allows for reasonable absorption and fluorescence signals, and one or both diagnostics can be used to track the liquid distribution. The injector housing is fabricated from beryllium (Be), which allows the internal flowfield to be examined (as Be has relatively low X-ray attenuation coefficient). Two injector geometries are compared, illustrating the effects of aerating orifice size and location on the flow evolution. Time-averaged equivalent pathlength and line-of-sight averaged density ρ(y) reveal the formation of the two-phase mixture, showing that the liquid film thickness along the injector walls is a function of the aerating tube geometry, though only upstream of the nozzle. These differences in gas and liquid distribution (between injectors with different aerating tube designs) are suppressed as the mixture traverses the nozzle contraction. The averaged liquid velocity (computed from the density and liquid mass flow rate) reveals a similar trend. This suggests that at least for the current configurations, the plume width, liquid mass distribution, and averaged liquid velocity for the time-averaged external spray are insensitive to the aerating tube geometry. (orig.)

  13. Psychiatric Evaluation of the Agitated Patient: Consensus Statement of the American Association for Emergency Psychiatry Project BETA Psychiatric Evaluation Workgroup

    OpenAIRE

    Stowell, Keith R; Florence, Peter; Harman, Herbert J; Glick, Rachel L

    2012-01-01

    It is difficult to fully assess an agitated patient, and the complete psychiatric evaluation usually cannot be completed until the patient is calm enough to participate in a psychiatric interview. Nonetheless, emergency clinicians must perform an initial mental status screening to begin this process as soon as the agitated patient presents to an emergency setting. For this reason, the psychiatric evaluation of the agitated patient can be thought of as a 2-step process. First, a brief evaluati...

  14. Mixing and solid suspension of up-down agitators in a slab tank

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramsey, C.J.

    1989-01-01

    Seven different up-down agitators were studied for their ability to produce mixing and solid suspension in a slab tank. Mixing times were measured as the time needed to disperse injected dye. The solid suspension studies determined the minimum stroke frequency of the agitators needed for complete off-bottom suspension. The effects of stroke frequency, n; amplitude, a; blade width, w; blade clearance, c; and liquid depth, h, and weight percent solids, X, were studied. The most effective geometry, in terms of mixing, solid suspension and design simplicity, was a single flat blade with minimum off-bottom clearance and a blade width/tank thickness ratio, w/T, of 0.74 at the maximum stroke amplitude studied. 15 refs., 7 figs

  15. Computational fluid dynamics modelling of hydraulics and sedimentation in process reactors during aeration tank settling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jensen, M D; Ingildsen, P; Rasmussen, M R; Laursen, J

    2006-01-01

    Aeration tank settling is a control method allowing settling in the process tank during high hydraulic load. The control method is patented. Aeration tank settling has been applied in several waste water treatment plants using the present design of the process tanks. Some process tank designs have shown to be more effective than others. To improve the design of less effective plants, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling of hydraulics and sedimentation has been applied. This paper discusses the results at one particular plant experiencing problems with partly short-circuiting of the inlet and outlet causing a disruption of the sludge blanket at the outlet and thereby reducing the retention of sludge in the process tank. The model has allowed us to establish a clear picture of the problems arising at the plant during aeration tank settling. Secondly, several process tank design changes have been suggested and tested by means of computational fluid dynamics modelling. The most promising design changes have been found and reported.

  16. Electroless deposition of nickel-boron coatings using low frequency ultrasonic agitation: Effect of ultrasonic frequency on the coatings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonin, L; Bains, N; Vitry, V; Cobley, A J

    2017-05-01

    The effect of ultrasound on the properties of Nickel-Boron (NiB) coatings was investigated. NiB coatings were fabricated by electroless deposition using either ultrasonic or mechanical agitation. The deposition of Ni occurred in an aqueous bath containing a reducible metal salt (nickel chloride), reducing agent (sodium borohydride), complexing agent (ethylenediamine) and stabilizer (lead tungstate). Due to the instability of the borohydride in acidic, neutral and slightly alkaline media, pH was controlled at pH 12±1 in order to avoid destabilizing the bath. Deposition was performed in three different configurations: one with a classical mechanical agitation at 300rpm and the other two employing ultrasound at a frequency of either 20 or 35kHz. The microstructures of the electroless coatings were characterized by a combination of optical Microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The chemistry of the coatings was determined by ICP-AES (Inductively Coupled Plasma - Atomic Emission Spectrometry) after dissolution in aqua regia. The mechanical properties of the coatings were established by a combination of roughness measurements, Vickers microhardness and pin-on-disk tribology tests. Lastly, the corrosion properties were analysed by potentiodynamic polarization. The results showed that low frequency ultrasonic agitation could be used to produce coatings from an alkaline NiB bath and that the thickness of coatings obtained could be increased by over 50% compared to those produced using mechanical agitation. Although ultrasonic agitation produced a smoother coating and some alteration of the deposit morphology was observed, the mechanical and corrosion properties were very similar to those found when using mechanical agitation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Animal-assisted therapy and agitation and depression in nursing home residents with dementia: a matched case-control trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Majić, Tomislav; Gutzmann, Hans; Heinz, Andreas; Lang, Undine E; Rapp, Michael A

    2013-11-01

    To investigate the efficacy of animal-assisted therapy (AAT) on symptoms of agitation/aggression and depression in nursing home residents with dementia in a randomized controlled trial. Previous studies have indicated that AAT has beneficial effects on neuropsychiatric symptoms in various psychiatric disorders but few studies have investigated the efficacy of AAT in patients suffering from dementia. Of 65 nursing home residents with dementia (mean [standard deviation] age: 81.8 [9.2] years; mean Mini-Mental State Examination score: 7.1 [0.7]), 27 matched pairs (N = 54) were randomly assigned to either treatment as usual or treatment as usual combined with AAT, administered over 10 weekly sessions. Blinded raters assessed cognitive impairment with the Mini-Mental State Examination, presence of agitation/aggression with the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory, and depression with the Dementia Mood Assessment Scale at baseline and during a period of 4 weeks after AAT intervention. In the control group, symptoms of agitation/aggression and depression significantly increased over 10 weeks; in the intervention group, patients receiving combined treatment displayed constant frequency and severity of symptoms of agitation/aggression (F1,48 = 6.43; p <0.05) and depression (F1,48 = 26.54; p <0.001). Symptom amelioration did not occur in either group. AAT is a promising option for the treatment of agitation/aggression and depression in patients with dementia. Our results suggest that AAT may delay progression of neuropsychiatric symptoms in demented nursing home residents. Further research is needed to determine its long-time effects. Copyright © 2013 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Addressing Dual Patient and Staff Safety Through A Team-Based Standardized Patient Simulation for Agitation Management in the Emergency Department.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Ambrose H; Auerbach, Marc A; Ruppel, Halley; Crispino, Lauren J; Rosenberg, Alana; Iennaco, Joanne D; Vaca, Federico E

    2018-06-01

    Emergency departments (EDs) have seen harm rise for both patients and health workers from an increasing rate of agitation events. Team effectiveness during care of this population is particularly challenging because fear of physical harm leads to competing interests. Simulation is frequently employed to improve teamwork in medical resuscitations but has not yet been reported to address team-based behavioral emergency care. As part of a larger investigation of agitated patient care, we designed this secondary study to examine the impact of an interprofessional standardized patient simulation for ED agitation management. We used a mixed-methods approach with emergency medicine resident and attending physicians, Physician Assistants (PAs) and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs), ED nurses, technicians, and security officers at two hospital sites. After a simulated agitated patient encounter, we conducted uniprofessional and interprofessional focus groups. We undertook structured thematic analysis using a grounded theory approach. Quantitative data consisted of responses to the KidSIM Questionnaire addressing teamwork and simulation-based learning attitudes before and after each session. We reached data saturation with 57 participants. KidSIM scores revealed significant improvements in attitudes toward relevance of simulation, opportunities for interprofessional education, and situation awareness, as well as four of six questions for roles/responsibilities. Two broad themes emerged from the focus groups: (1) a team-based agitated patient simulation addressed dual safety of staff and patients simultaneously and (2) the experience fostered interprofessional discovery and cooperation in agitation management. A team-based simulated agitated patient encounter highlighted the need to consider the dual safety of staff and patients while facilitating interprofessional dialog and learning. Our findings suggest that simulation may be effective to enhance teamwork in

  19. Comparison between lab- and full-scale applications of in situ aeration of an old landfill and assessment of long-term emission development after completion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hrad, Marlies; Gamperling, Oliver [Institute of Waste Management, Department of Water–Atmosphere–Environment, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 107, 1190 Vienna (Austria); Huber-Humer, Marion, E-mail: marion.huber-humer@boku.ac.at [Institute of Waste Management, Department of Water–Atmosphere–Environment, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 107, 1190 Vienna (Austria)

    2013-10-15

    Highlights: ► Current data on in situ aeration effects from the first Austrian full-scale case study. ► Data on lasting waste stabilisation after aeration completion. ► Information on the transferability of results from lab- to full-scale aeration. - Abstract: Sustainable landfilling has become a fundamental objective in many modern waste management concepts. In this context, the in situ aeration of landfills has been recognised for its potential to convert conventional anaerobic landfills into biological stabilised state, whereby both current and potential (long-term) emissions of the landfilled waste are mitigated. In recent years, different in situ aeration concepts have been successfully applied in Europe, North America and Asia, all pursuing different objectives and strategies. In Austria, the first full-scale application of in situ landfill aeration by means of low pressure air injection and simultaneous off-gas collection and treatment was implemented on an old, small municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill (2.6 ha) in autumn 2007. Complementary laboratory investigations were conducted with waste samples taken from the landfill site in order to provide more information on the transferability of the results from lab- to full-scale aeration measures. In addition, long-term emission development of the stabilised waste after aeration completion was assessed in an ongoing laboratory experiment. Although the initial waste material was described as mostly stable in terms of the biological parameters gas generation potential over 21 days (GP{sub 21}) and respiration activity over 4 days (RA{sub 4}), the lab-scale experiments indicated that aeration, which led to a significant improvement of leachate quality, was accompanied by further measurable changes in the solid waste material under optimised conditions. Even 75 weeks after aeration completion the leachate, as well as gaseous emissions from the stabilised waste material, remained low and stayed below the

  20. Comparison between lab- and full-scale applications of in situ aeration of an old landfill and assessment of long-term emission development after completion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hrad, Marlies; Gamperling, Oliver; Huber-Humer, Marion

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► Current data on in situ aeration effects from the first Austrian full-scale case study. ► Data on lasting waste stabilisation after aeration completion. ► Information on the transferability of results from lab- to full-scale aeration. - Abstract: Sustainable landfilling has become a fundamental objective in many modern waste management concepts. In this context, the in situ aeration of landfills has been recognised for its potential to convert conventional anaerobic landfills into biological stabilised state, whereby both current and potential (long-term) emissions of the landfilled waste are mitigated. In recent years, different in situ aeration concepts have been successfully applied in Europe, North America and Asia, all pursuing different objectives and strategies. In Austria, the first full-scale application of in situ landfill aeration by means of low pressure air injection and simultaneous off-gas collection and treatment was implemented on an old, small municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill (2.6 ha) in autumn 2007. Complementary laboratory investigations were conducted with waste samples taken from the landfill site in order to provide more information on the transferability of the results from lab- to full-scale aeration measures. In addition, long-term emission development of the stabilised waste after aeration completion was assessed in an ongoing laboratory experiment. Although the initial waste material was described as mostly stable in terms of the biological parameters gas generation potential over 21 days (GP 21 ) and respiration activity over 4 days (RA 4 ), the lab-scale experiments indicated that aeration, which led to a significant improvement of leachate quality, was accompanied by further measurable changes in the solid waste material under optimised conditions. Even 75 weeks after aeration completion the leachate, as well as gaseous emissions from the stabilised waste material, remained low and stayed below the authorised

  1. Effect of light and aeration on the metamorphosis rate from nauplii to protozoea and larval quality of Litopenaeus vannamei

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hadja Radtke Nunes

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available In order to determine the optimal ranges of the factors light intensity and aeration that reflect the best rate of metamorphosis from nauplii to the first protozoea stage of Litopenaeus vannamei, and also the highest quality of the larvae, two separate experiments were carried out. The nauplii were exposed to four different light intensities (0; 5,000; 10,000; and 15,000 lux and four aeration conditions (static, low, medium and strong. The data were subjected to one-way ANOVA (significance level of 5%, followed by Tukey test for comparison of means. There were no significant differences between the percentages of metamorphosis under the different conditions of light and aeration that were tested (P>0.05. However, the score of the quality of the larvae was significantly lower (P<0.05 for the condition of continuous darkness (0 lux and the treatment with low intensity of aeration compared to other treatments in both experiments.

  2. Influence of Concentration and Agitation of Sodium Hypochlorite and Peracetic Acid Solutions on Tissue Dissolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanomaru-Filho, Mário; Silveira, Bruna Ramos Franco; Martelo, Roberta Bosso; Guerreiro-Tanomaru, Juliane Maria

    2015-11-01

    To evaluated the tissue dissolution of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and peracetic acid (PA) solutions at different concentrations, with or without ultrasonic agitation. The following solutions were analyzed: 2.5% NaOCl, 0.5, 1 and 2% PA, 1% PA associated with 6.5% hydrogen peroxide (HP) and saline. Fragments of bovine pulp tissue with 25 ± 2g mg were immersed into test tubes containing 4 mL of the solutions for 10 minutes. In the groups with agitation, pulp tissues were submitted to 2 cycles of 1 minute of ultrasonic agitation. The specimens were weighed after the removal from the solutions. The percentage of mass loss was calculated according to the difference of mass before and after exposure to solutions. Data were submitted to ANOVA and Tukey tests (p Peracetic acid solution has pulp tissue dissolution. However, this ability is lower than 2.5% NaOCl solution. The sodium hypochlorite solution shows higher ability to dissolve tissue than PA.

  3. Combination of Successive Alkalinity Producing System (SAPS) and Aeration for Passive Treatment of Highly Acidic Mine Drainage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oh, C.; Ji, S.

    2015-12-01

    Passive treatment system has been widely used for remediation of mine drainage since its advantage of low installation and maintenance cost. The system, however, has also a disadvantage in assuring remediation and management efficiency if the drainage is highly acidic mine drainage. To remediate acid mine drainage (AMD) especially showing high acidity, passive treatment system which consists of successive alkalinity producing system (SAPS) and subsequent aeration pond was proposed and its mechanisms and efficiency was evaluated in this research. Target AMD was obtained from Waryong coal mine and showed typical characteristics of AMD having high metal concentration and low pH (acidity > 300 mg/L as CaCO3). Four experimental cases were conducted; untreated, treated with SAPS, treated with aeration, treated with SAPS and aeration to compare role and mechanism of each unit. Between organic matter and limestone layer which constitute SAPS, the former eliminated most of Fe(III) and Al in the AMD so that the latter was kept from being clogged by precipitates. Net acidity of the AMD rapidly decreased by supplement of alkalinity at the limestone layer. A primary function of SAPS, producing alkalinity constantly without clogging, was attained due to addition a portion of limestone particle into the organic matter layer. The discharge from SAPS had low ORP and DO values because of an anaerobic environment formed at the organic matter layer although its alkalinity was increased. This water quality was unfavorable for Fe(II) to be oxidized. Installation of aeration pond after SAPS, therefore, could be effective way of enhancing oxidation rate of Fe(II). Among the experimental cases, the combination of SAPS and aeration pond was only able to remediate the AMD. This concluded that to remediate highly acidic mine drainage with passive treatment system, three critical conditions were required; pre-precipitation of Fe(III) and Al at organic matter layer in SAPS, constant alkalinity

  4. Sodium carbonate activated slag as cement replacement in autoclaved aerated concrete

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Yuan, B.; Straub, C.; Segers, S.; Yu, Q.; Brouwers, H.J.H.

    2017-01-01

    This paper aims to study the suitability of fully replacing cement by sodium carbonate activated slag in producing autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC). The material properties of the product are characterized in terms of green strength development, mechanical properties, pore related properties such

  5. Medical Evaluation and Triage of the Agitated Patient: Consensus Statement of the American Association for Emergency Psychiatry Project BETA Medical Evaluation Workgroup

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nordstrom, Kimberly; Zun, Leslie S; Wilson, Michael P; MD, Victor Stiebel; Ng, Anthony T; Bregman, Benjamin; Anderson, Eric L

    2012-01-01

    Numerous medical and psychiatric conditions can cause agitation; some of these causes are life threatening. It is important to be able to differentiate between medical and nonmedical causes of agitation so that patients can receive appropriate and timely treatment. This article aims to educate all clinicians in nonmedical settings, such as mental health clinics, and medical settings on the differing levels of severity in agitation, basic triage, use of de-escalation, and factors, symptoms, and signs in determining whether a medical etiology is likely. Lastly, this article focuses on the medical workup of agitation when a medical etiology is suspected or when etiology is unclear. PMID:22461915

  6. Role of macrophyte and effect of supplementary aeration in up-flow constructed wetland-microbial fuel cell for simultaneous wastewater treatment and energy recovery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oon, Yoong-Ling; Ong, Soon-An; Ho, Li-Ngee; Wong, Yee-Shian; Dahalan, Farrah Aini; Oon, Yoong-Sin; Lehl, Harvinder Kaur; Thung, Wei-Eng; Nordin, Noradiba

    2017-01-01

    This study investigates the role of plant (Elodea nuttallii) and effect of supplementary aeration on wastewater treatment and bioelectricity generation in an up-flow constructed wetland-microbial fuel cell (UFCW-MFC). Aeration rates were varied from 1900 to 0mL/min and a control reactor was operated without supplementary aeration. 600mL/min was the optimum aeration flow rate to achieve highest energy recovery as the oxygen was sufficient to use as terminal electron acceptor for electrical current generation. The maximum voltage output, power density, normalized energy recovery and Coulombic efficiency were 545.77±25mV, 184.75±7.50mW/m 3 , 204.49W/kg COD, 1.29W/m 3 and 10.28%, respectively. The variation of aeration flow rates influenced the NO 3 - and NH 4 + removal differently as nitrification and denitrification involved conflicting requirement. In terms of wastewater treatment performance, at 60mL/min aeration rate, UFCW-MFC achieved 50 and 81% of NO 3 - and NH 4 + removal, respectively. E. nuttallii enhanced nitrification by 17% and significantly contributed to bioelectricity generation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Comparison of the Effects of Oral Midazolam, Ketamine and Tramadol on Postoperative Agitation Related to Sevoflurane in Children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rahşan Karayazılı

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Aim: The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of oral midazolam, ketamine and tramadol, which have been administered as premedication in pediatric patients, on sedation quality, postoperative agitation and pain. Methods: Sixty pediatric patients (aged 2-12 years with American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA classifications I and II were included in the study. Group M was administered 0.5 mg kg-1 midazolam, Group K 6 mg kg-1 ketamine and Group T 2 mg kg-1 tramadol orally. The mean arterial blood pressure (MAP, heart rates (HR, Ramsey sedation scores (Rss and sedation agitation scores (Sas were recorded before and at 10 and 30 min after drug administration, before induction and 5,10, 15, 30, 45, 60, and 90 minutes after operation in all patients. Anesthesia induction was performed with lidocaine, propofol and rocuronium. Maintenance of anaesthesia was provided with sevoflurane, N2O and O2. Recovery times, Alderete scores and facial pain scores (FPS were recorded. Results: There were no differences between the groups according to demographic data. HR was significantly lower in Group T. Group M was determined to be more agitated 30 and 45 min after the operation. Also, Alderete scores were lower in Goup K. The FPS scores of Group T were lower (p<0.05. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups according to frequency of postoperative agitation and delirium. Conclusion: Although ketamine may reduce the postoperative sedation-agitation scores, it also may reduce the recovery scores in pediatric patients. Tramadol does not provide adequate sedation in premedication, but it reduces postoperative pain scores. However, the frequency of postoperative agitation-delirium is not different among these three agents. (The Medical Bulletin of Haseki 2010; 48: 146-52

  8. Computational Fluid Dynamics Modelling of Hydraulics and Sedimentation in Process Reactors During Aeration Tank Settling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dam Jensen, Mette; Ingildsen, Pernille; Rasmussen, Michael R.

    2005-01-01

    Aeration Tank Settling is a control method alowing settling in the process tank during high hydraulic load. The control method is patented. Aeration Tank Settling has been applied in several waste water treatment plant's using present design of the process tanks. Some process tank designs have...... shown to be more effective than others. To improve the design of less effective plants Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling of hydraulics and sedimentation has been applied. The paper discusses the results at one particular plant experiencing problems with partly short-circuiting of the inlet...

  9. Effect of Dextromethorphan-Quinidine on Agitation in Patients With Alzheimer Disease Dementia: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cummings, Jeffrey L; Lyketsos, Constantine G; Peskind, Elaine R; Porsteinsson, Anton P; Mintzer, Jacobo E; Scharre, Douglas W; De La Gandara, Jose E; Agronin, Marc; Davis, Charles S; Nguyen, Uyen; Shin, Paul; Tariot, Pierre N; Siffert, João

    Agitation is common among patients with Alzheimer disease; safe, effective treatments are lacking. To assess the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of dextromethorphan hydrobromide-quinidine sulfate for Alzheimer disease-related agitation. Phase 2 randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial using a sequential parallel comparison design with 2 consecutive 5-week treatment stages conducted August 2012-August 2014. Patients with probable Alzheimer disease, clinically significant agitation (Clinical Global Impressions-Severity agitation score ≥4), and a Mini-Mental State Examination score of 8 to 28 participated at 42 US study sites. Stable dosages of antidepressants, antipsychotics, hypnotics, and antidementia medications were allowed. In stage 1, 220 patients were randomized in a 3:4 ratio to receive dextromethorphan-quinidine (n = 93) or placebo (n = 127). In stage 2, patients receiving dextromethorphan-quinidine continued; those receiving placebo were stratified by response and rerandomized in a 1:1 ratio to dextromethorphan-quinidine (n = 59) or placebo (n = 60). The primary end point was change from baseline on the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) Agitation/Aggression domain (scale range, 0 [absence of symptoms] to 12 [symptoms occur daily and with marked severity]). A total of 194 patients (88.2%) completed the study. With the sequential parallel comparison design, 152 patients received dextromethorphan-quinidine and 127 received placebo during the study. Analysis combining stages 1 (all patients) and 2 (rerandomized placebo nonresponders) showed significantly reduced NPI Agitation/Aggression scores for dextromethorphan-quinidine vs placebo (ordinary least squares z statistic, -3.95; P dextromethorphan-quinidine and from 7.0 to 5.3 with placebo. Between-group treatment differences were significant in stage 1 (least squares mean, -1.5; 95% CI, -2.3 to -0.7; Pdextromethorphan-quinidine and from 6.7 to 5.8 with placebo

  10. Delayed ultraviolet light-induced cessation of respiration by inadequate aeration of Escherichia coli

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Joshi, J.G.; Swenson, P.A.; Schenley, R.L.

    1977-01-01

    Inadequately aerated Escherichia coli B/r cultures did not shut their respiration off 60 min after ultraviolet light (52 J/m 2 at 254 nm) as they did when well supplied with oxygen. Since cessation of respiration is associated with cell death, the result suggested that oxygen toxicity by superoxide radicals generated by cell metabolism might be responsible for cell death. The specific activity of superoxide dismutase, which scavenges O 2 - radicals, increased twofold after 90 min of adequate aeration, but the specific activity of catalase remained constant. Respiration and viability of irradiated cells were affected not at all by the presence of superoxide dismutase and only slightly by the presence of catalase. Metal ions such as Mn 2+ and Fe 2+ , inducers of superoxide dismutase, had no effect on respiration and viability. When irradiated cells were incubated under N 2 for 90 min, the respiration, growth, and viability time-course responses were the same as for cells not exposed to anaerobiosis. We conclude that superoxide anions generated at the time of irradiation play no part in cessation of respiration and cell death and that inadequate aeration or anaerobiosis delays the ultraviolet light-induced synthesis of proteins responsible for the irreversible cessation of respiration

  11. Prophylactic Use of Oral Acetaminophen or IV Dexamethasone and Combination of them on Prevention Emergence Agitation in Pediatric after Adenotonsillectomy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Parvin Sajedi

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: The present study was aimed to evaluate the efficacy of acetaminophen plus dexamethasone on post-operative emergence agitation in pediatric adenotonsillectomy. Methods: A total of 128 patients were randomized and assigned among four groups as: Intravenous (IV dexamethasone, oral acetaminophen, IV dexamethasone plus oral acetaminophen, placebo. Group 1 received 0.2 mg/kg dexamethasone plus 0.25 mg/kg strawberry syrup 2 h before surgery. Group 2 received 20 mg/kg oral acetaminophen (0.25 ml/kg with 0.05 ml/kg IV normal saline. Group 3 received 20 mg/kg acetaminophen and 0.2 mg/kg dexamethasone intravenously. Group 4 received 0.25 ml/kg strawberry syrup and 0.05 ml/kg normal saline. Agitation was measured according to Richmond agitation sedation score in the post anesthetic care unit (PACU after admission, 10, 20 and 30 min after extubation. Pain score was measured with FACE scale. Nurse satisfaction was measured with verbal analog scale. If agitation scale was 3 ≥ or pain scale was 4 ≥ meperidine was prescribed. If symptoms did not control wit in 15 min midazolam was prescribed. Patients were discharged from PACU according Modified Alderet Score. Data were analyzed with ANOVA, Chi-square, and Kruskal-Wallis among four groups. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 140 patients were recruited in the study, which 12 of them were excluded. Thus, 128 patients were randomized and assigned among four groups. The four treatment groups were generally matched at baseline data. Median of pain score in 0, 10, 20 and 30 min after extubation were different between each study group with the control group (<0.001, 0.003 respectively. Also median of agitation score in 0, 10, 20 and 30 min after extubation were different between each study group with the control group (<0.001. Incidence of pain and incidence of agitation after extubation were not statistically identical among groups (P < 0.001 and P = 0

  12. Deflector plants turbine aeration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miller, D.E.; Sheppard, A.R.; Widener, D.W.

    1991-01-01

    Water quality requirements have become a focal point in recent re-licensing of hydroelectric projects. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has significantly increased the relevance of license conditions to insure that turbine discharges meet state or other specific criteria for dissolved oxygen (D.O.). Due to naturally occurring depletion of D.O. at increased depths in large reservoirs, water withdrawn from this strata may result in unacceptably low levels of D.O. Different researchers have evaluated various methods of improving D.O. content in hydro turbine discharges, including; diffusers, weirs, oxygen injection, and variations of turbine venting. The authors describe an approach called deflector plate turbine aeration. This computer based, engineered approach allows systems to be evaluated, designed, and installed with predictable performance and costs. Many experts in this field now agree that, to the extent practical, turbine venting offers the most dependable, maintenance free, and cost effective solution to the low D.O. problem. The approach presented in this paper has resulted in proven results

  13. [Development of a liquid fermentation system and encystment for a nitrogen-fixing bacterium strain having biofertilizer potential].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camelo-Rusinque, Mauricio; Moreno-Galván, Andrés; Romero-Perdomo, Felipe; Bonilla-Buitrago, Ruth

    The indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers has contributed to the deterioration of the biological, physical and chemical properties of the soil, resulting in the loss of its productive capacity. For this reason, the use of biofertilizers has emerged as a technological alternative. The objective of this research was to develop a suitable liquid fermentation system and encystment for the multiplication of Azotobacter chroococcum AC1 strain, a bacterium employed in a biofertilizer formulation produced at present by CARPOICA, Colombia. Sequential statistical designs were used to determine the conditions in the fermentation system. The interaction between agitation, aeration and pH was evaluated on the viable biomass (CFU/ml) of AC1. In addition, the encystment ability of the strain was evaluated using two encystment agents and the potential plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) activity was assessed by different techniques, such as nitrogen fixation by ARA, phosphate solubilization by the phospho-molybdenum-blue reaction and indolic compound production by colorimetric reaction using the Salkowski reagent. Results showed significant effects (p<0.05) on the viable biomass in the three conditions (pH, aeration and agitation) tested individually, in one dual interaction and one tripartite interaction, were demonstrated to have a positive effect on the response variable aeration and agitation. The addition of the two encystment agents evaluated, AE01 and AE02, demonstrated the ability of AC1 to form cysts under stress conditions. Likewise, fermentation and encystment conditions did not affect the biological activities tested. Copyright © 2017 Asociación Argentina de Microbiología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  14. The Effects of White Noise on Agitated Behaviors, Mental Status, and Activities of Daily Living in Older Adults With Dementia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Li-Wei; Weng, Shu-Chuan; Wu, Hua-Shan; Tsai, Lu-Jen; Lin, Ya-Ling; Yeh, Shu-Hui

    2018-02-01

    The aging of society is a global trend, and care of older adults with dementia is an urgent challenge. As dementia progresses, patients exhibit negative emotions, memory disorders, sleep disorders, and agitated behavior. Agitated behavior is one of the most difficult problems for family caregivers and healthcare providers to handle when caring for older adults with dementia. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of white noise in improving agitated behavior, mental status, and activities of daily living in older adults with dementia. An experimental research design was used to study elderly participants two times (pretest and posttest). Six dementia care centers in central and southern Taiwan were targeted to recruit participants. There were 63 participants: 28 were in the experimental group, and 35 were in the comparison group. Experimental group participants received 20 minutes of white noise consisting of ocean, rain, wind, and running water sounds between 4 and 5 P.M. daily over a period of 4 weeks. The comparison group received routine care. Questionnaires were completed, and observations of agitated behaviors were collected before and after the intervention. Agitated behavior in the experimental group improved significantly between pretest and posttest. Furthermore, posttest scores on the Mini-Mental Status Examination and Barthel Index were slightly better for this group than at pretest. However, the experimental group registered no significant difference in mental status or activities of daily living at posttest. For the comparison group, agitated behavior was unchanged between pretest and posttest. The results of this study support white noise as a simple, convenient, and noninvasive intervention that improves agitated behavior in older adults with dementia. These results may provide a reference for related healthcare providers, educators, and administrators who care for older adults with dementia.

  15. Anxiety or agitation in mood disorder with mixed features: A review with a focus on validity as a dimensional criterion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shim, In Hee; Bae, Dong Sik; Bahk, Won-Myong

    2016-08-01

    The diagnostic validity of mixed features, excluding anxiety or psychomotor agitation in mood disorders, has not yet been fully examined. PubMed and relevant English-language literature (regardless of year) were searched. Keywords were mixed or mixed state or mixed features or mixed episode and anxious or anxiety or agitation and bipolar disorder or depressive disorder or mood disorder or affective disorder. Most studies on anxiety or psychomotor agitation have included a significant correlation relevant to the "with mixed features" specifier, although it is common in both poles of mood episodes regardless of the predominant polarity. There is some confusion between the characteristic of classical mixed states and the definition of the mixed features specifier with the newly added anxious distress specifier in DSM-5, specifically, whether to include anxiety and agitation as significant characteristics. This change is of concern because a large proportion of patients with mixed features are now unspecified, and this may influence treatment planning and prognosis. The findings of our review suggest that anxiety and psychomotor agitation can be core symptoms in mood episodes with mixed features and important clinical clues for prediction of treatment effects and disease course.

  16. Sevoflurane-emergence agitation: Effect of supplementary low-dose oral ketamine premedication in preschool children undergoing dental surgery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khattab Ahmed

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Background and Objectives: The use of sevoflurane in pediatric anesthesia, which could enable a more rapid emergence and recovery, is complicated by the frequent occurrence of post-anesthesia agitation. This study aims to test the efficacy of adding a low dose of ketamine orally, as a supplement to the midazolam-based oral premedication for reducing sevoflurane-related emergence agitation. Materials and Methods: Ninety-two preschool children, aged between two and six years, with an American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I or II, scheduled for elective dental filling and extractions under general anesthesia were included. The patients were allocated into two groups: Group M (46 patients received oral midazolam 0.5 mg/kg, mixed with ibuprofen 10 mg/kg, while group KM (46 patients received a similar premedication mixture, in addition to ketamine 2 mg/kg. The acceptance of the drug mixture, the onset of action, and the occurrence of vomiting were monitored over the next 30 minutes. Induction of anesthesia was carried out using sevoflurane 8 Vol% in 100% oxygen via face mask. Anesthesia was maintained with sevoflurane 1.5-2 Vol% in an oxygen-nitrous oxide mixture. After extubation, the standard scoring scale was used for assessing the quality of emergence. Agitation parameters were measured using a five-point scale. Agitated children were managed by giving intravenous increments of fentanyl 1 μg/ kg. The time of hospital discharge allowance was recorded. Results: Drug palatability, vomiting, and onset of action of premedication; showed no significant differences between both groups. Time of eye opening after discontinuation of sevoflurane showed no significant differences between both groups. Postoperative agitation score and rescue fentanyl consumption were higher in group M than in group KM on admission to the PACU ( P < 0.01. The time of hospital discharge allowance in group M was longer than in group KM ( P< 0.05. Conclusion

  17. 1064-nm Nd:YAG and 980-nm Diode Laser EDTA Agitation on the Retention of an Epoxy-Based Sealer to Root Dentin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Macedo, Helena Suleiman de; Messias, Danielle Cristine Furtado; Rached-Júnior, Fuad Jacob; Oliveira, Ligia Teixeira de; Silva-Sousa, Yara Teresinha Correa; Raucci-Neto, Walter

    2016-01-01

    Root canal irrigants are used to minimize the negative effects of smear layer on endodontic sealer retention. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of agitation of 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) with ultrasonic, 1064-nm Nd:YAG and 980-nm diode laser on the retention of an epoxy-based sealer to the root canal walls. Forty single-rooted bovine teeth were instrumented with ProTaper rotary system and divided into four groups according to the final irrigation protocol (n = 10): (1) 17% EDTA (control); (2) 17% EDTA with 50-s ultrasonic agitation; (3) 17% EDTA with 50-s diode laser (2-W) agitation; and (4) 17% EDTA with 50-s Nd:YAG (1.5-W) laser agitation. After endodontic filling with gutta-percha F5 master cone and Sealer 26, the roots were sectioned at the cervical, middle, and apical root thirds to obtain 1.5-mm slices. Push-out tests were performed using a universal testing machine at a 1 mm/min crosshead speed. Data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA and Tukey's tests (α=0.05). Apical root thirds had significant higher retention values than cervical and middle thirds (p diode laser presented the highest retention values and was significantly different from EDTA with ultrasonic agitation and EDTA only (p diode laser EDTA agitation enhanced the retention of the epoxy-based sealer to the root canal walls compared with that due to EDTA only or EDTA with ultrasonic agitation.

  18. Scanning electron microscopy of autoclaved aerated concrete with supplementary raw materials

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Straub, C.; Florea, M.V.A.; Brouwers, H.J.H.; Nisperos, Arturo G.; Pöllmann, Herbert

    Microscopy is a key analysis technology for the understanding of the achieved properties of building materials. In the case of Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) it is even more important due to the phase transformation during the hydrothermal hardening. The incorporation of substitution materials in

  19. CFD Investigation of the effects of bubble aerator layouts on hydrodynamics of an activated sludge channel reactor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hreiz, Rainier; Potier, Olivier; Wicks, Jim; Commenge, Jean-Marc

    2018-03-08

    In this paper, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are employed to characterize the effects of bubble aerator layouts (i.e. spatial arrangement) on the hydrodynamics in activated sludge (AS) reactors. The first configuration considered is a channel reactor with aerators placed alongside one lateral wall, for which velocity measurements are available in literature. CFD results were in good agreement with experimental data, which proves that the model is sufficiently accurate and predictive. Accordingly, simulations and numerical residence time distribution tests were conducted for different aerator layouts to determine their effects on the reactor hydrodynamics. The results revealed that the flow characteristics are extremely sensitive to the aerators arrangement given the high gas flow rates used in AS processes. Among the layouts investigated, the one where diffusers are placed all over the reactor floor has led to the least dispersive flow, i.e. which characteristics best tend toward that of an ideal plug flow reactor. Indeed, this flow field presented the lowest average turbulent diffusion and the most uniform axial velocity and turbulence fields. Such a flow behaviour is expected to be highly beneficial for biological treatment since it reduces pollutant dilution by axial diffusion and limits raw wastewater channelling to the outlet.

  20. The Role of Inhaled Loxapine in the Treatment of Acute Agitation in Patients with Psychiatric Disorders: A Clinical Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Domenico de Berardis

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Loxapine is a first generation antipsychotic, belonging to the dibenzoxazepine class. Recently, loxapine has been reformulated at a lower dose, producing an inhaled powder that can be directly administered to the lungs to treat the agitation associated with psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Thus, the aim of this narrative and clinical mini-review was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of inhaled loxapine in the treatment of acute agitation in patients with psychiatric disorders. The efficacy of inhaled loxapine has been evaluated in one Phase II trial on patients with schizophrenia, and in two Phase III trials in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Moreover, there are two published case series on patients with borderline personality disorder and dual diagnosis patients. Inhaled loxapine has proven to be effective and generally well tolerated when administered to agitated patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Two case series have suggested that inhaled loxapine may also be useful to treat agitation in patients with borderline personality disorder and with dual diagnosis, but further studies are needed to clarify this point. However, the administration of inhaled loxapine requires at least some kind of patient collaboration, and is not recommended in the treatment of severe agitation in totally uncooperative patients. Moreover, the drug-related risk of bronchospasm must always be kept in mind when planning to use inhaled loxapine, leading to a careful patient assessment prior to, and after, administration. Also, the higher costs of inhaled loxapine, when compared to oral and intramuscular medications, should be taken into account when selecting it for the treatment of agitation.

  1. The Role of Inhaled Loxapine in the Treatment of Acute Agitation in Patients with Psychiatric Disorders: A Clinical Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Berardis, Domenico; Fornaro, Michele; Orsolini, Laura; Iasevoli, Felice; Tomasetti, Carmine; de Bartolomeis, Andrea; Serroni, Nicola; Valchera, Alessandro; Carano, Alessandro; Vellante, Federica; Marini, Stefano; Piersanti, Monica; Perna, Giampaolo; Martinotti, Giovanni; Di Giannantonio, Massimo

    2017-02-08

    Loxapine is a first generation antipsychotic, belonging to the dibenzoxazepine class. Recently, loxapine has been reformulated at a lower dose, producing an inhaled powder that can be directly administered to the lungs to treat the agitation associated with psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Thus, the aim of this narrative and clinical mini-review was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of inhaled loxapine in the treatment of acute agitation in patients with psychiatric disorders. The efficacy of inhaled loxapine has been evaluated in one Phase II trial on patients with schizophrenia, and in two Phase III trials in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Moreover, there are two published case series on patients with borderline personality disorder and dual diagnosis patients. Inhaled loxapine has proven to be effective and generally well tolerated when administered to agitated patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Two case series have suggested that inhaled loxapine may also be useful to treat agitation in patients with borderline personality disorder and with dual diagnosis, but further studies are needed to clarify this point. However, the administration of inhaled loxapine requires at least some kind of patient collaboration, and is not recommended in the treatment of severe agitation in totally uncooperative patients. Moreover, the drug-related risk of bronchospasm must always be kept in mind when planning to use inhaled loxapine, leading to a careful patient assessment prior to, and after, administration. Also, the higher costs of inhaled loxapine, when compared to oral and intramuscular medications, should be taken into account when selecting it for the treatment of agitation.

  2. Musikterapi til reduktion af agitation hos personer med demens

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ridder, Hanne Mette Ochsner; Stige, Brynjulf

    2015-01-01

    . The concept agitation is used professionally to define and measure disturbing behaviours in people with severe dementia. The causes are multiple and include factors in the psychosocial environment, which suggests that treatment should be holistic and interdisciplinary and not limited to symptom management...... regarding the single individual. A relevant method in an integrated and holistic approach is professional music therapy combined with other staffs’ use of music in daily dementia care....

  3. Optimization of Biological Treatment of an Industrial Wastewater in an Intermittent Aeration Sequencing Batch Reactor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Azar Asadi

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, the simultaneous removal of carbon and nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus from Faraman’s industrial wastewater (FIW in a time-based sequencing batch reactor (SBR was investigated. The experiments were conducted based on a central composite design (CCD and analyzed using the response surface methodology (RSM. Reaction and aeration times were selected for the purposes of analyzing, modeling, and optimizing the process. Nine dependent parameters were monitored as process responses. The region of exploration for the process was taken as the area enclosed by the boundaries of reaction time (12-36 h and aeration time (40-60 min/h. Reaction time was found to be the most effective variable and showed a decreasing impact on the total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD, slowly-biodegradable chemical oxygen demand (sbCOD, total nitrogen (TN, and total phosphorus (TP removal efficiencies. The optimum operating conditions were determined in the range of 12 to 16 h for the reaction time and 40 to 60 min/h for the aeration time.

  4. Properties of Agro-Industrial Aerated Concrete as Potential Thermal Insulation for Building

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aminudin Eeydzah

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The present paper is aiming to provide an actual state of the development of non autoclaved Agro-Industrial aerated concrete by using multiple ashes as improvement of thermal behavior for building. The feasibility of Agro-Industrial wastes as lightweight concrete by utilizing the Palm Oil Fuel Ash (POFA as binder replacement and bottom ash as fine aggregate was investigated in this paper. Portland cement, bottom ash, aluminum powder and lime (Ca(OH2 were used in this study. The POFA was used to replace Portland cement and Hydrated Lime at 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% by weight and aluminum powder was added at 0.75% dry weight in order to form bubbles. The compressive strength, water absorption, porosity and the thermal conductivity test were carried out after the concrete were water cured for 7 days and later being exposed to the air and water until 28days. The results show that the 20% replacements give the optimum strength of 7.143MPa and 30% give the best thermal conductivity with 0.48W/mK. Hence, this study aim, was to develop an agro-industrial aerated concrete good in insulation but having an optimum strength. Hence, it has been found that the more the percentage of POFA is added the lower the thermal conductivity since the pore structure is increasing and by the optimization done, 30% replacement has been chosen as the best mix design for Agro-Industrial Aerated Concrete.

  5. A novel enhanced diffusion sampler for collecting gaseous pollutants without air agitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pan, Xuelian; Zhuo, Shaojie; Zhong, Qirui; Chen, Yuanchen; Du, Wei; Cheng, Hefa; Wang, Xilong; Zeng, Eddy Y; Xing, Baoshan; Tao, Shu

    2018-03-06

    A novel enhanced diffusion sampler for collecting gaseous phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) without air agitation is proposed. The diffusion of target compounds into a sampling chamber is facilitated by continuously purging through a closed-loop flow to create a large concentration difference between the ambient air and the air in the sampling chamber. A glass-fiber filter-based prototype was developed. It was demonstrated that the device could collect gaseous PAHs at a much higher rate (1.6 ± 1.4 L/min) than regular passive samplers, while the ambient air is not agitated. The prototype was also tested in both the laboratory and field for characterizing the concentration gradients over a short distance from the soil surface. The sampler has potential to be applied in other similar situations to characterize the concentration profiles of other chemicals.

  6. Influence of Surface Roughness and Agitation on the Morphology of Magnetite Films Electrodeposited on Carbon Steel Substrates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Soon-Hyeok Jeon

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available In this work, we investigated the effects of surface roughness and agitation on the morphology of magnetite films electrodeposited from alkaline Fe(III-triethanolamine (TEA solutions on carbon steel substrates. The surface roughness of the carbon steel substrates was maintained in the range of 1.64–0.06 μm by using mechanical grinding and polishing methods. The agitation speed was set at 0 and 900 rpm during the electrodeposition process. The particle size and surface roughness value of the magnetite films gradually decreased with decreasing substrate roughness. However, the influence of the substrate roughness on the thickness of the magnetite film was negligible. The morphology of the magnetite film fabricated at 900 rpm appeared to be highly faceted compared to that of the magnetite film produced at 0 rpm. The thickness and surface roughness of the magnetite film significantly increased with the agitation speed, which also significantly affected the electrodeposition efficiency. The effects of substrate surface roughness and agitation on the morphology of magnetite films electrodeposited on carbon steel substrates were also discussed. The obtained results provide critical information for the simulation of magnetite deposits on carbon steel pipes in the secondary systems of nuclear power plants.

  7. Medical Evaluation and Triage of the Agitated Patient: Consensus Statement of the American Association for Emergency Psychiatry Project BETA Medical Evaluation Workgroup

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kimberly Nordstrom

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Numerous medical and psychiatric conditions can cause agitation, some of these causes are life threatening. It is important to be able to differentiate between medical and non-medical causes of agitation so that patients can receive appropriate and timely treatment. This article aims to educate all clinicians in non-medical settings, such as mental health clinics, and medical settings on the differing levels of severity in agitation, basic triage, use of de-escalation, and factors, symptoms, and signs in determining whether a medical etiology is likely. Lastly, this article focuses on the medical workup of agitation when a medical etiology is suspected or when etiology is unclear. [West J Emerg Med. 2012;13(1:3–10.

  8. This is Not a History Lesson; This is Agitation: A Call for a Methodology of Diffraction in US-Based Community Psychology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langhout, Regina Day

    2016-12-01

    Agitation, as deployed by the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF), occurs when imaginations and curiosities are piqued, and self-interest is made visible. In this framework, agitation is a step in creating change. In this paper, I outline two agitations within US-based community psychology. I then describe a third agitation that is underway; I add my voice and call for a methodology of diffraction as a contribution to critical reflexivity practices within US-based community psychology. Consistent with the IAF framework, I do not provide solutions. I write this paper as a provocation to help us think imaginatively and creatively about our actions and future, so that we can consider the paradigm shifts needed to move into critical ways of understanding connection, responsibility, accountability, and creating change-of interest during Swampscott and today. © Society for Community Research and Action 2016.

  9. Investigating the influence of pH, temperature and agitation speed on yellow pigment production by Penicillium aculeatum ATCC 10409.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Afshari, Majid; Shahidi, Fakhri; Mortazavi, Seyed Ali; Tabatabai, Farideh; Es'haghi, Zarin

    2015-01-01

    In this study, the combined effect of pH, temperature and agitation speed on yellow pigment production and mycelial growth of Penicillium aculeatum ATCC 10409 was investigated in whey media. Different pH levels (5, 6.5 and 8), temperatures (25, 30 and 35°C) and agitation speed levels (100 and 150 rpm) were tested to determine the best conditions to produce a fungal yellow pigment under submerged fermentation. The best production of yellow pigment (1.38 g/L) was obtained with a pH value of 6.5, a temperature of 30°C and an agitation speed of 150 rpm. In contrast, the maximal biomass concentration (11.12 g/L) was obtained at pH value of 8, a temperature of 30°C and an agitation speed of 100 rpm. These results demonstrated that biomass and yellow pigment production were not directly associated. The identification of the structure of unknown P. aculeatum yellow pigment was detected using UV absorption spectrum and FT-IR spectroscopy.

  10. Quality evaluation of carbonaceous industrial by-products and its effect on properties of autoclave aerated concrete

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fomina, E. V.; Lesovik, V. S.; Fomin, A. E.; Kozhukhova, N. I.; Lebedev, M. S.

    2018-03-01

    Argillite is a carbonaceous industrial by-product that is a potential source in environmentally friendly and source-saving construction industry. In this research, chemical and mineral composition as well as particle size distribution of argillite were studied and used to develop autoclave aerated concrete as partial substitute of quartz sand. Effect of the argillite as a mineral admixture in autoclave aerated concrete was investigated in terms of compressive and tensile strength, density, heat conductivity etc. The obtained results demonstrated an efficiency of argillite as an energy-saving material in autoclave construction composites.

  11. Sequentially aerated membrane biofilm reactors for autotrophic nitrogen removal: microbial community composition and dynamics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pellicer i Nàcher, Carles; Franck, Stephanie; Gülay, Arda

    2014-01-01

    Membrane-aerated biofilm reactors performing autotrophic nitrogen removal can be successfully applied to treat concentrated nitrogen streams. However, their process performance is seriously hampered by the growth of nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB). In this work we document how sequential aeration...... (rich in oxygen) and AnAOB in regions neighbouring the liquid phase. Both communities were separated by a transition region potentially populated by denitrifying heterotrophic bacteria. AOB and AnAOB bacterial groups were more abundant and diverse than NOB, and dominated by the r......-strategists Nitrosomonas europaea and Ca. Brocadia anammoxidans, respectively. Taken together, the present work presents tools to better engineer, monitor and control the microbial communities that support robust, sustainable and efficient nitrogen removal....

  12. Monitoring and modeling of nitrogen conversions in membrane-aerated biofilm reactors: Effects of intermittent aeration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ma, Yunjie

    Nitrogen can be removed from sewage by a variety of physicochemical and biological processes. Due to the high removal efficiency and relatively low costs, biological processes have been widely adopted for treating nitrogen-rich wastewaters. Among the biological technologies, biofilm processes show...... the membrane, whilst NH4+ is provid-ed from the bulk liquid phase. The counter substrate supply not only offers flexible aeration control, but also supports the development of a unique mi-crobial community and spatial structure inside the biofilm. In this study, lab-scale MABRs were operated under two types...... relevant biological N2O production pathways. Sensitive kinetic parameters were estimated with long-term bulk performance data. With the calibrated model, roles of HB and AnAOB were discussed and evaluated in mitigating N2O emissions in auto-trophic nitrogen removal MABRs. Moreover, I developed a 1-D...

  13. Combination effect of low dose fentanyl and propofol on emergence agitation in children following sevoflurane anesthesia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bakhamees, Hassan S; Mercan, Arzu; ElHalafawy, Yasser M

    2009-01-01

    To investigate the combination effect of low dose fentanyl and subhypnotic dose of propofol on emergence agitation in children receiving sevoflurane for adenotonsillectomy procedure.After ethical approval, a prospective, randomized, clinical study was performed in Saad Specialist Hospital, Al-Khobar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2007-2008. One hundred and twenty children in physical status of I according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists, aged 2-6 years, scheduled for adentonsillectomy under general anesthesia were allocated into 3 groups randomly. Anesthesia was induced and maintained by sevoflurane in all groups. Children received 0.1 ml.kg-1 normal saline at the end of surgery in group C (n=40), 1.5 mcg.kg-1 fentanyl during induction, and 0.1 ml.kg-1 normal saline at the end of surgery in group F (n=40), and 1.5 mcg.kg-1 fentanyl during induction and 1 mg.kg-1 propofol at the end of surgery in group FP (n=40). Postoperative agitation was recorded, if any, for the first postoperative hour.Three groups were comparable with regard to demographic data. Twenty-one patients (53%) in the control group, 14 patients (35%) in group F and 7 (18%) patients in group FP experienced postoperative agitation.The combination of low dose fentanyl before surgery and propofol at the end of surgery decreases the incidence and level of emergence agitation in children after adenotonsillectomy procedure under sevoflurane anesthesia. (author)

  14. Fault diagnosis for agitator driving system in a high temperature reduction reactor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Gee Young; Hong, Dong Hee; Jung, Jae Hoo; Kim, Young Hwan; Jin, Jae Hyun; Yoon, Ji Sup [KAERI, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

    2003-10-01

    In this paper, a preliminary study for development of a fault diagnosis is presented for monitoring and diagnosing faults in the agitator driving system of a high temperature reduction reactor. In order to identify a fault occurrence and classify the fault cause, vibration signals measured by accelerometers on the outer shroud of the agitator driving system are firstly decomposed by Wavelet Transform (WT) and the features corresponding to each fault type are extracted. For the diagnosis, the fuzzy ARTMAP is employed and thereby, based on the features extracted from the WT, the robust fault classifier can be implemented with a very short training time - a single training epoch and a single learning iteration is sufficient for training the fault classifier. The test results demonstrate satisfactory classification for the faults pre-categorized from considerations of possible occurrence during experiments on a small-scale reduction reactor.

  15. Effect of Post-Infiltration Soil Aeration at Different Growth Stages on Growth and Fruit Quality of Drip-Irrigated Potted Tomato Plants (Solanum lycopersicum).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yuan; Jia, Zongxia; Niu, Wenquan; Wang, Jingwei; Zhang, Mingzhi

    2015-01-01

    Soil hydraulic principles suggest that post-infiltration hypoxic conditions would be induced in the plant root-zone for drip-irrigated tomato production in small pots filled with natural soil. No previous study specifically examined the response of tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum) at different growth stages to low soil aeration under these conditions. A 2 × 6 factorial experiment was conducted to quantify effects of no post-infiltration soil aeration versus aeration during 5 different periods (namely 27-33, 34-57, 58-85, 86-99, and 27-99 days after sowing), on growth and fruit quality of potted single tomato plants that were sub-surface trickle-irrigated every 2 days at 2 levels. Soil was aerated by injecting 2.5 liters of air into each pot through the drip tubing immediately after irrigation. Results showed that post-infiltration aeration, especially during the fruit setting (34-57 DAS) and enlargement (58-85 DAS) growth stages, can positively influence the yield, root dry weight and activity, and the nutritional (soluble solids and vitamin C content), taste (titratable acidity), and market quality (shape and firmness) of the tomato fruits. Interactions between irrigation level and post-infiltration aeration on some of these fruit quality parameters indicated a need for further study on the dynamic interplay of air and water in the root zone of the plants under the conditions of this experiment.

  16. Effect of Post-Infiltration Soil Aeration at Different Growth Stages on Growth and Fruit Quality of Drip-Irrigated Potted Tomato Plants (Solanum lycopersicum.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuan Li

    Full Text Available Soil hydraulic principles suggest that post-infiltration hypoxic conditions would be induced in the plant root-zone for drip-irrigated tomato production in small pots filled with natural soil. No previous study specifically examined the response of tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum at different growth stages to low soil aeration under these conditions. A 2 × 6 factorial experiment was conducted to quantify effects of no post-infiltration soil aeration versus aeration during 5 different periods (namely 27-33, 34-57, 58-85, 86-99, and 27-99 days after sowing, on growth and fruit quality of potted single tomato plants that were sub-surface trickle-irrigated every 2 days at 2 levels. Soil was aerated by injecting 2.5 liters of air into each pot through the drip tubing immediately after irrigation. Results showed that post-infiltration aeration, especially during the fruit setting (34-57 DAS and enlargement (58-85 DAS growth stages, can positively influence the yield, root dry weight and activity, and the nutritional (soluble solids and vitamin C content, taste (titratable acidity, and market quality (shape and firmness of the tomato fruits. Interactions between irrigation level and post-infiltration aeration on some of these fruit quality parameters indicated a need for further study on the dynamic interplay of air and water in the root zone of the plants under the conditions of this experiment.

  17. Women, Scientists, Agitators: Magazine Portrayal of Rachel Carson and Theo Colborn.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corbett, Julia B.

    2001-01-01

    Utilizes a theoretical framework of the media's role in reporting conflict and uncertain science, and feminism and science in a thematic analysis of magazine coverage given Rachel Carson and "the Rachel Carson of '90s," Theo Colborn. Notes that Carson and Colborn's identities as women, scientists, and agitators led critics to charge that…

  18. Variation law of gas holdup in an autoclave during the pressure leaching process by using a mixed-flow agitator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Lei; Liu, Yan; Tang, Jun-jie; Lü, Guo-zhi; Zhang, Ting-an

    2017-08-01

    The multiphase reaction process of pressure leaching is mainly carried out in the liquid phase. Therefore, gas holdup is essential for the gas-liquid-solid phase reaction and the extraction rate of valuable metals. In this paper, a transparent quartz autoclave, a six blades disc turbine-type agitator, and a high-speed camera were used to investigate the gas holdup of the pressure leaching process. Furthermore, experiments determining the effects of agitation rate, temperature, and oxygen partial pressure on gas holdup were carried out. The results showed that when the agitation rate increased from 350 to 600 r/min, the gas holdup increased from 0.10% to 0.64%. When the temperature increased from 363 to 423 K, the gas holdup increased from 0.14% to 0.20%. When the oxygen partial pressure increased from 0.1 to 0.8 MPa, the gas holdup increased from 0.13% to 0.19%. A similar criteria relationship was established by Homogeneous Principle and Buckingham's theorem. Comprehensively, empirical equation of gas holdup was deduced on the basis of experimental data and the similarity theory, where the criterion equation was determined as ɛ = 4.54 × 10-11 n 3.65 T 2.08 P g 0.18. It can be seen from the formula that agitation rate made the most important impact on gas holdup in the pressure leaching process using the mixed-flow agitator.

  19. Effects of agitation rate on aggregation during beads-to-beads subcultivation of microcarrier culture of human mesenchymal stem cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takahashi, Iori; Sato, Keigo; Mera, Hisashi; Wakitani, Shigeyuki; Takagi, Mutsumi

    2017-06-01

    With the aim to utilize human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) grown in large scale for regenerative medicine, effects of agitation rate on aggregation during beads-to-beads subcultivation of microcarrier culture of hMSCs were studied. hMSCs could attach and grew on surface-type microcarriers of Cytodex 1, whereas almost no cell elongation and growth were observed on porous type microcarriers of Cytopores. The percentages of aggregated Cytodex 1 microcarriers at an agitation rate of 60 and 90 rpm were lower than that at 30 rpm, which was the lowest agitation rate necessary for the suspension of Cytodex 1 microcarriers, and the cells grew fastest at 60 rpm. hMSC could be subcultivated on Cytodex 1 by the beads-to-beads method at both 30 and 60 rpm without trypsinization. However, agitation at 60 rpm resulted in a markedly lower percentage of aggregated microcarriers not only before but also after subcultivation. The percentages of CD90- and CD166-positive cells among cells grown on Cytodex 1 at 60 rpm (91.5 and 87.6 %) were comparable to those of cells grown in the pre-culture on dishes. In conclusion, hMSCs could be subcultivated on Cytodex 1 by beads-to-beads method maintaining the expressions of the cell surface antigens CD90 and CD166, while adjusting agitation rate could decrease the microcarrier aggregation.

  20. Effect of Lorazepam With Haloperidol vs Haloperidol Alone on Agitated Delirium in Patients With Advanced Cancer Receiving Palliative Care

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hui, David; Frisbee-Hume, Susan; Wilson, Annie; Dibaj, Seyedeh S.; Nguyen, Thuc; De La Cruz, Maxine; Walker, Paul; Zhukovsky, Donna S.; Delgado-Guay, Marvin; Vidal, Marieberta; Epner, Daniel; Reddy, Akhila; Tanco, Kimerson; Williams, Janet; Hall, Stacy; Liu, Diane; Hess, Kenneth; Amin, Sapna; Breitbart, William; Bruera, Eduardo

    2017-01-01

    IMPORTANCE The use of benzodiazepines to control agitation in delirium in the last days of life is controversial. OBJECTIVE To compare the effect of lorazepam vs placebo as an adjuvant to haloperidol for persistent agitation in patients with delirium in the setting of advanced cancer. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Single-center, double-blind, parallel-group, randomized clinical trial conducted at an acute palliative care unit at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Texas, enrolling 93 patients with advanced cancer and agitated delirium despite scheduled haloperidol from February 11, 2014, to June 30, 2016, with data collection completed in October 2016. INTERVENTIONS Lorazepam (3 mg) intravenously (n = 47) or placebo (n = 43) in addition to haloperidol (2 mg) intravenously upon the onset of an agitation episode. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was change in Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) score (range, −5 [unarousable] to 4 [very agitated or combative]) from baseline to 8 hours after treatment administration. Secondary end points were rescue neuroleptic use, delirium recall, comfort (perceived by caregivers and nurses), communication capacity, delirium severity, adverse effects, discharge outcomes, and overall survival. RESULTS Among 90 randomized patients (mean age, 62 years; women, 42 [47%]), 58 (64%) received the study medication and 52 (90%) completed the trial. Lorazepam + haloperidol resulted in a significantly greater reduction of RASS score at 8 hours (−4.1 points) than placebo + haloperidol (−2.3 points) (mean difference, −1.9 points [95% CI, −2.8 to −0.9]; P haloperidol group required less median rescue neuroleptics (2.0 mg) than the placebo + haloperidol group (4.0 mg) (median difference, −1.0 mg [95% CI, −2.0 to 0]; P = .009) and was perceived to be more comfortable by both blinded caregivers and nurses (caregivers: 84% for the lorazepam + haloperidol group vs 37% for the placebo + haloperidol group; mean difference, 47

  1. Investigating the effect of aeration powder filling on the actual compacting press; Eareto jutenho no jikki press deno hyoka

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kondo, M. [Toyota Central Research and Development Labs., Inc., Nagoya (Japan); Urata, I. [Toyota Motor Co. Ltd., Aichi (Japan)

    1998-05-15

    The authors proposed an aeration filling method as a new filling method in order to obtain uniform and high speed filling by carrying out basic experiments on powder material filling using a visual apparatus. In this study, the aeration powder filling was applied to the product compacting on the actual compacting press, and its evaluation was carried out. As a result, the following effects were confirmed. The weight scattering was reduced to about 70% in the high speed filling and about 50% in the low speed filling. The maximum density was reduced to about 30% in the high speed filling and about 25% in the low speed filling. The maximum thickness difference was reduced to 65% in the high speed filling and about 20% in the low speed filling. The aeration powder effect was stronger in the high speed filling than that in the low speed filling. The weight and size accuracy of the components were increased by the aeration powder filling. The pause and the shaking operation were discarded in the front part of the powder box, thus the filling time could be remarkable shortened. 3 refs., 6 figs.

  2. Bubbling jet characteristics in an aeration tank; Aeration sonai kiho funryu no ryudo kyodo

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kaji, M; Iguchi, M; Okita, K [Osaka University, Osaka (Japan). Faculty of Engineering; Nakatani, T [Kobe University, Kobe (Japan). Faculty of Engineering

    1996-11-25

    Laser Doppler velocimeter measurements were made to investigate bubbling jet characteristics in an aeration tank at a pressure of 200 kPa. The data were compared with previous measurements at atmospheric and reduced pressures. Bubble frequencies at the nozzle outlet were correlated with the mass flow rate of gas rather than the volumetric flow rate. In the far field where the buoyancy force of bubbles prevails, the axial and radial distributions of the mean velocity components, the r. m. s. values of turbulence components, the Reynolds shear stress and the skewness and flatness factors of the turbulence components obtained at an elevated pressure agreed well with those obtained at the atmospheric pressure for the same volumetric gas flow rate. Consequently, the liquid flow characteristics including the turbulence structure in the far field are not influenced by an increase in surface pressure as long as the volumetric gas flow rate is the same. 13 refs., 14 figs.

  3. Mixing and solid suspension in a stirred precipitator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang, T.P.

    1986-04-01

    Full-scale mixing and solid suspension studies have been conducted to determine the optimum agitator design for precipitators used in plutonium processing. Design considerations include the geometry of precipitator vessels, feed locations, flow patterns, and product requirements. Evaluations of various agitator designs are based on their capabilities: (1) to achieve uniform mixing of reactants in minimum time, (2) to suspend slurry uniformly throughout the vessel, and (3) to minimize power consumption without inducing air entrainment. Tests of full-scale agitator designs showed that significant improvements in mixing, solid suspension, and energy consumption were achieved

  4. Computational fluid dynamics simulations of membrane filtration process adapted for water treatment of aerated sewage lagoons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cano, Grégory; Mouahid, Adil; Carretier, Emilie; Guasp, Pascal; Dhaler, Didier; Castelas, Bernard; Moulin, Philippe

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study is to apply the membrane bioreactor technology in an oxidation ditch in submerged conditions. This new wastewater filtration process will benefit rural areas (membranes developed without support are immersed in an aeration well and work in suction mode. The development of the membrane without support and more precisely the performance of spacers are approached by computational fluid dynamics in order to provide the best compromise between pressure drop/flow velocity and permeate flux. The numerical results on the layout and the membrane modules' geometry in the aeration well indicate that the optimal configuration is to install the membranes horizontally on three levels. Membranes should be connected to each other to a manifold providing a total membrane area of 18 m². Loss rate compared to the theoretical throughput is relatively low (less than 3%). Preliminary data obtained by modeling the lagoon provide access to its hydrodynamics, revealing that recirculation zones can be optimized by making changes in the operating conditions. The experimental validation of these results and taking into account the aeration in the numerical models are underway.

  5. Bioleaching of uranium in batch stirred tank reactor: Process optimization using Box–Behnken design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eisapour, M.; Keshtkar, A.; Moosavian, M.A.; Rashidi, A.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► High amount of uranium recovery achieved using Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. ► ANOVA shows individual variables and their squares are statistically significant. ► The model can accurately predict the behavior of uranium recovery. ► The model shows that pulp density has the greatest effect on uranium recovery. - Abstract: To design industrial reactors, it is important to identify and optimize the effective parameters of the process. Therefore, in this study, a three-level Box–Behnken factorial design was employed combining with a response surface methodology to optimize pulp density, agitation speed and aeration rate in uranium bioleaching in a stirred tank reactor using a pure native culture of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. A mathematical model was then developed by applying the least squares method using the software Minitab Version 16.1.0. The second order model represents the uranium recovery as a function of pulp density, agitation speed and aeration rate. An analysis of variance was carried out to investigate the effects of individual variables and their combined interactive effects on uranium recovery. The results showed that the linear and quadratic terms of variables were statistically significant whilst the interaction terms were statistically insignificant. The model estimated that a maximum uranium extraction (99.99%) could be obtained when the pulp density, agitation speed and aeration rate were set at optimized values of 5.8% w/v, 510 rpm and 250 l/h, respectively. A confirmatory test at the optimum conditions resulted in a uranium recovery of 95%, indicating a marginal error of 4.99%. Furthermore, control tests were performed to demonstrate the effect of A. ferrooxidans in uranium bioleaching process and showed that the addition of this microorganism greatly increases the uranium recovery

  6. Co-Occurrence and Predictors of Three Commonly Occurring Behavioral Symptoms in Dementia: Agitation, Aggression, and Rejection of Care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Scott Seung W; Budhathoki, Chakra; Gitlin, Laura N

    2017-05-01

    To investigate co-occurrences of agitation, aggression, and rejection of care in community-dwelling families living with dementia. Cross-sectional, secondary analysis from a randomized controlled trial testing a nonpharmacological intervention to reduce behavioral symptoms. We examined frequency of occurrence of presenting behaviors at baseline and their combination. Omnibus tests compared those exhibiting combinations of behaviors on contributory factors. Multinomial logistic regression analyses examined relationships of contributory factors to combinations of behaviors. Of 272 persons with dementia (PwDs), 41 (15%) had agitation alone (Agi), 3 (1%) had aggression alone, 5 (2%) had rejection of care alone. For behavioral combinations, 65 (24%) had agitation and aggression (Agi+Aggr), 35 (13%) had agitation and rejection (Agi+Rej), 1 (0%) had aggression and rejection, and 106 (39%) had all three behaviors (All). Four behavioral subgroups (Agi, Agi+Aggr, Agi+Rej, and All) were examined. Kruskal-Wallis tests showed that there were significant group differences in PwD cognition, functional dependence, and caregiver frustration. PwDs in Agi+Rej and All were more cognitively impaired than those in Agi and Agi+Aggr. Also, caregivers in All were more frustrated than those in Agi. In logistic regression analyses, compared with Agi, greater cognitive impairment was a significant predictor of Agi+Rej and All, but not Agi+Aggr. In contrast, greater caregiver frustration was a significant predictor of Agi+Aggr and All, but not Agi+Rej. We found that agitation, aggression, and rejection are common but distinct behaviors. Combinations of these behaviors have different relationships with contributory factors, suggesting the need for targeting treatment approaches to clusters. Copyright © 2016 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Design of a fungal bioprocess for vanillin production from vanillic acid at scalable level by Pycnoporus cinnabarinus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stentelaire, C; Lesage-Meessen, L; Oddou, J; Bernard, O; Bastin, G; Ceccaldi, B C; Asther, M

    2000-01-01

    The biotechnological process of vanillin production from vanillic acid by Pycnoporus cinnabarinus was scaled-up at the laboratory level. Vanillin production was studied in two types of bioreactors, a mechanically agitated and an air-lift bioreactor. In the mechanically agitated bioreactor where vanillin was produced in greater quantities, oxygen availability was studied during the growth and production phases. A maximal aeration rate (90l/h equivalent to 0.83 volume of air/volume of medium/min or vvm) during the growth phase and a minimal aeration rate (30 l/h equivalent to 0.28 vvm) during the production phase were necessary to increase vanillin production to 1260 mg/l. Vanillic acid bioconversion to vanillin occurred under the conditions of reduced dissolved oxygen concentration, gentle agitation, high carbon dioxide production and low specific growth rate. However, under these conditions, vanillin production was accompanied by a significant amount of methoxyhydroquinone. Vanillin over a concentration of 1000 mg/l was shown to be highly toxic to the growth of P. cinnabarinus on agar medium. The application of selective XAD-2 resin led to a reduction of vanillin concentration in the medium, thus limiting its toxicity towards the fungal biomass as well as the formation of unwanted by-products such as methoxyhydroquinone and allowed the concentration of vanillin produced to reach 1575 mg/l.

  8. Nonlinear Modeling of Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Masonry Wall Strengthened using Ferrocement Sandwich Structure

    KAUST Repository

    M., Abdel-Mooty; M., El-Kashef; E., Fahmy; M., Abou-Zeid; M., Haroun

    2011-01-01

    Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) block are used mainly as non-load-bearing walls that provide heat insulation. This results in considerable saving in cooling energy particularly in hot desert environment with large variation of daily and seasonal

  9. Circulation induced by diffused aeration in a shallow lake | Toné ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Field surveys were carried out to investigate the surface jet flows and the resulting circulation patterns generated by diffused aeration in a shallow lake. In conrast to previous studies, the experimental conditions included point-source bubble plumes with very high air flow rates (100–400 L/min) relative to the shallow water ...

  10. Eco-toxicological studies of diesel and biodiesel fuels in aerated soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lapinskiene, Asta; Martinkus, Povilas; Rebzdaite, Vilija

    2006-01-01

    The goal of this study was to compare diesel fuel to biodiesel fuel by determining the toxicity of analyzed materials and by quantitatively evaluating the microbial transformation of these materials in non-adapted aerated soil. The toxicity levels were determined by measuring the respiration of soil microorganisms as well as the activity of soil dehydrogenases. The quantitative evaluation of biotransformation of analyzed materials was based on the principle of balancing carbon in the following final products: (a) carbon dioxide; (b) humus compounds; (c) the remainder of non-biodegraded analyzed material; and (d) intermediate biodegradation products and the biomass of microorganisms. The results of these studies indicate that diesel fuel has toxic properties at concentrations above 3% (w/w), while biodiesel fuel has none up to a concentration of 12% (w/w). The diesel fuel is more resistant to biodegradation and produces more humus products. The biodiesel is easily biotransformed. - The comparison of diesel and biodiesel fuels' eco-toxicological parameters in non-adapted aerated soil is relevant when considering the effects of these substances on the environment in cases of accidental spills

  11. Evaluation of the Effect of a Preoperative Single Dose of Gabapentin on Emergence Agitation in Patients Undergoing Breast Cancer Surgery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simin Azemati

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Background: Emergence agitation is a transient confusional state that usuallyoccurs within 10 to 30 minutes of recovery from general anesthesia. It may lead to seriousconsequences and increasing hospital costs. This study evaluates the effect of gabapentinon emergence agitation in patients undergoing breast cancer surgery.Methods: This randomized, double blind controlled trial enrolled 100 femalepatients with American Society of Anesthesiologists' classifications I and II who werecandidates for breast cancer surgery. Patients were randomly assigned into two groups(n=50 that received either oral gabapentin 600 mg or placebo. Induction andmaintenance of anesthesia were similar in both groups. At the end of surgery, patient'sagitation score, pain score, and presence of nausea or vomiting were reported. In theward, the presence of headache or dizziness was checked during the first 8 h. Mann-Whitney test was used for comparison of agitation and pain scores between two groups.Chi-square test was used for comparing occurrence of nausea, vomiting and qualitative.The qualitative demographic variable and t-test compared quantitative demographicvariables.Results: There was a significantly lower incidence of emergence agitation in thegabapentin group before (P<0.001 and after (P=0.029 extubation. There weresignificantly lower mean agitation scores before (P<001 and after (P=0.006 extubationand in the pain score (P=0.005 in the gabapentin group. The need for remifentanilinfusion (P<0.05 during surgery was significantly lower in the gabapentin groupcompared with the placebo group. Occurrence of nausea and vomiting and gabapentinside effects that included headache or dizziness did not significantly differ between twogroups (P=0.126, P=1, P=0.629 respectively.Conclusion: Gabapentin not only decreased postoperative pain but also effectivelyreduced emergence agitation without any significant side effects in patients undergoingbreast cancer surgery.

  12. Comparison of Haloperidol Alone and in Combination with Midazolam for the Treatment of Acute Agitation in an Inpatient Palliative Care Service.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferraz Gonçalves, José António; Almeida, Ana; Costa, Isabel; Silva, Paula; Carneiro, Rui

    2016-12-01

    Agitation is a very distressing problem that must be controlled as quickly as possible, but using a safe method. The authors conducted a comparison of two protocols: a combination of haloperidol and midazolam and haloperidol alone. The combination drug protocol controlled 101 out of 121 (84%) episodes of agitation with only the first dose, whereas the haloperidol alone protocol controlled 47 out of 74 (64%) episodes. This difference is statistically significant (P =.002), with a post hoc analyzed power of 0.88. The median time from the first dose to the control of agitation was 15 minutes (range: 5-210) with the combination and 60 minutes (range: 10-430) with the other protocol, P haloperidol and midazolam is effective and safe for the control of agitation in palliative care and it is more effective than haloperidol alone. Therefore, the combination should be adopted as the preferred protocol. It would be helpful if the usefulness of this protocol is confirmed by others.

  13. Research on investment casting of TiAl alloy agitator treated by HIP and HT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    LI Zhen-xi

    2007-05-01

    Full Text Available Using TiAl alloy to substitute superalloy is a hot topic in aeroengine industry because of its low density,high elevated temperature strength, and anti-oxidization ability. In this research, Ti-47.5AL-2Cr-2Nb-0.2B alloy was used as the test material. By applying a combination process of ceramic shell mold and core making, vacuum arc melting and centrifugal pouring, and heat isostatic pressing (HIP and heat treatment (HT etc., the TiAl vortex agitator casting for aeroengine was successfully made. This paper introduced key techniques in making the TiAl vortex agitator with investment casting process, provided some experimental results including mechanical properties and machinability, and explained some concerns that could affect applications of TiAl castings.

  14. Incidence of secondary aeration in confined flames of high pressure premixed atmospheric burner

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cadavid Sierra, Francisco Javier; Buitrago Garcia, Jorge Enrique; Velasquez, Daniel

    2002-01-01

    In this work an experimental study about the variables that affect the secondary aeration has been applied. The relationships with phenomena that affect the proper operation of the combustion chamber are discussed in detail. These phenomena are quenching, flame stabilization and the combustion product recirculation. A flexible combustion system developed to allow variations in the volume of combustion chamber, the area of secondary air entrance, the outlet of combustion products and the thermal output is presented. Also, the system could vary the inlet of primary air, though the study is carried out with maximal working area. The experimental setup allowed to compare and to find the influence of design parameters mentioned above on the secondary aeration and also to obtain the insight that the most important design parameters were combustion product outlet and the combustion intensity

  15. Issues in the management of acute agitation: how much current guidelines consider safety?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bruno ePacciardi

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Agitated behavior constitutes up to 10% of emergency psychiatric interventions. Pharmacological tranquilization is often used as a valid treatment for agitation but a strong evidence base does not underpin it. Available literature shows different recommendations, supported by research data, theoretical considerations or clinical experience. Rapid tranquilization is mainly based on parenteral drug treatment and the few existing guidelines on this topic, when suggesting the use of first generation antipsychotics and benzodiazepines, include drugs with questionable tolerability profile such as chlorpromazine, haloperidol, midazolam and lorazepam. In order to systematically evaluate safety concerns related to the adoption of such guidelines, we reviewed them independently from principal diagnosis while examining tolerability data for suggested treatments. There is a growing evidence about safety profile of second generation antipsychotics for rapid tranquilization but further controlled studies providing definitive data in this area are urgently needed.

  16. Intramuscular olanzapine versus intramuscular haloperidol plus lorazepam for the treatment of acute schizophrenia with agitation: An open-label, randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Charles Lung-Cheng; Hwang, Tzung-Jeng; Chen, Yi-Hsing; Huang, Guan-Hua; Hsieh, Ming H; Chen, Hsiu-Hsi; Hwu, Hai-Gwo

    2015-05-01

    To compare the efficacy and safety profile between intramuscular (IM) olanzapine and IM haloperidol plus IM lorazepam in acute schizophrenic patients with moderate to severe agitation. This was a prospective, randomized, open-label study. Acutely agitated patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (n = 67) were randomized to receive 10 mg IM olanzapine (n = 37) or 5 mg IM haloperidol plus 2 mg IM lorazepam (n = 30). Agitation was measured with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale Excited Component (PANSS-EC) and Agitation-Calmness Evaluation Scale (ACES) during the first 2 hours and at 24 hours after the first injection. Safety was assessed using the Simpson-Angus Scale and Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale and by recording adverse events at 24 hours following the first injection. The Clinical Global Impression-Severity scale was also rated. The PANSS-EC scores decreased significantly at 2 hours after the first injection in both groups (olanzapine: -10.2, p haloperidol + lorazepam: -9.9, p Haloperidol plus lorazepam was not inferior to olanzapine in reducing agitation at 2 hours. There were no significant differences in PANSS-EC or ACES scores between the two groups within 2 hours following the first injection. The frequencies of adverse events and changes in Clinical Global Impression-Severity, Simpson-Angus Scale, and Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale scores from baseline to 24 hours showed no significant differences between the groups. The findings suggest that IM haloperidol (5 mg) plus lorazepam (2 mg) is not inferior to IM olanzapine (10 mg) in the treatment of acute schizophrenic patients with moderate to severe agitation (ClinialTrials.gov identifier number NCT00797277). Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  17. The effect of music therapy compared with general recreational activities in reducing agitation in people with dementia: a randomised controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vink, A C; Zuidersma, M; Boersma, F; de Jonge, P; Zuidema, S U; Slaets, J P J

    2013-10-01

    This study aimed to compare the effects of music therapy with general recreational day activities in reducing agitation in people with dementia, residing in nursing home facilities. In a randomised controlled design, residents with dementia (n = 94) were allocated to either music therapy or recreational activities. Both music therapy and general activities were offered twice weekly for 4 months. Changes in agitation were measured with a modified Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI) at four intervals on each intervention day. A mixed model analysis was used to evaluate the effectiveness of music therapy, compared with general activities, on CMAI scores at 4 h after the intervention, controlled for CMAI scores at 1 h before the session and session number. Data were analysed for 77 residents (43 randomised to music therapy and 34 to general activities). In both groups, the intervention resulted in a decrease in agitated behaviours from 1 h before to 4 h after each session. This decrease was somewhat greater in the music therapy group than in the general activities group, but this difference was statistically not significant (F = 2.885, p = 0.090) and disappeared completely after adjustment for Global Deterioration Scale stage (F = 1.500; p = 0.222). Both music therapy and recreational activities lead to a short-term decrease in agitation, but there was no additional beneficial effect of music therapy over general activities. More research is required to provide insight in the effects of music therapy in reducing agitation in demented older people. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  18. Low-concentration tailing and subsequent quicklime-enhanced remediation of volatile chlorinated hydrocarbon-contaminated soils by mechanical soil aeration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Yan; Du, Xiaoming; Shi, Yi; Xu, Zhu; Fang, Jidun; Li, Zheng; Li, Fasheng

    2015-02-01

    Mechanical soil aeration has long been regarded as an effective ex-situ remediation technique and as suitable for remediation of large-scale sites contaminated by volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at low cost. However, it has been reported that the removal efficiency of VOCs from soil is relatively low in the late stages of remediation, in association with tailing. Tailing may extend the remediation time required; moreover, it typically results in the presence of contaminants residues at levels far exceeding regulations. In this context, the present study aimed to discuss the tailing that occurs during the process of remediation of soils contaminated artificially with volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons (VCHs) and to assess possible quicklime-enhanced removal mechanisms. The results revealed the following conclusions. First, temperature and aeration rate can be important controls on both the timing of appearance of tailing and the levels of residual contaminants. Furthermore, the addition of quicklime to soil during tailing can reduce the residual concentrations rapidly to below the remedial target values required for site remediation. Finally, mechanical soil aeration can be enhanced using quicklime, which can improve the volatilization of VCHs via increasing soil temperature, reducing soil moisture, and enhancing soil permeability. Our findings give a basic understanding to the elimination of the tailing in the application of mechanical soil aeration, particularly for VOCs-contaminated soils. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. The effect of airflow rates and aeration mode on the respiration activity of four organic wastes: Implications on the composting process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mejias, Laura; Komilis, Dimitrios; Gea, Teresa; Sánchez, Antoni

    2017-07-01

    The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the airflow and of the aeration mode on the composting process of non-urban organic wastes that are found in large quantities worldwide, namely: (i) a fresh, non-digested, sewage sludge (FSS), (ii) an anaerobically digested sewage sludge (ADSS), (iii) cow manure (CM) and (iv) pig sludge (PS). This assessment was done using respirometric indices. Two aeration modes were tested, namely: (a) a constant air flowrate set at three different initial fixed airflow rates, and (b) an oxygen uptake rate (OUR)-controlled airflow rate. The four wastes displayed the same behaviour namely a limited biological activity at low aeration, while, beyond a threshold value, the increase of the airflow did not significantly increase the dynamic respiration indices (DRI 1 max , DRI 24 max and AT 4 ). The threshold airflow rate varied among wastes and ranged from 42NL air kg -1 DMh -1 for CM and from 67 to 77NL air kg -1 DMh -1 for FSS, ADSS and PS. Comparing the two aeration modes tested (constant air flow, OUR controlled air flow), no statistically significant differences were calculated between the respiration activity indices obtained at those two aeration modes. The results can be considered representative for urban and non-urban organic wastes and establish a general procedure to measure the respiration activity without limitations by airflow. This will permit other researchers to provide consistent results during the measurement of the respiration activity. Results indicate that high airflows are not required to establish the maximum respiration activity. This can result in energy savings and the prevention of off-gas treatment problems due to the excessive aeration rate in full scale composting plants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Dipping of Eggs, Use of Low Temperature and Aeration to Improve Fruit Fly Bactrocera Carambolae (Drew and Hancock) Mass Rearing in Sterile Insect Technique Programme

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nasution, Indah Arastuti; Achmad Nasroh Kuswadi

    2004-01-01

    In the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) programme a large number of homogenous age of pupae should be produced to be sterilized and released into the field. A methodology to preserve eggs which at the same time delay the egg hatch is needed in the production of a large number of pupae with homogenous age. The study on method of preserving fruit fly eggs the effect of dipping, low temperature, on the viability of eggs, the quality of larvae hatched from the eggs, and the quality of pupae produced were observed. Viability of eggs were observed as percent of egg hatch, quality of larvae as number of pupae produced from 0.5 ml of eggs when reared on artificial diet, and quality of pupae as percent of the flies number emerged and flew from the pupae. In room temperature (26 o C) dipping did not preserve fruit fly eggs and aeration did not improve the preservation. Although after one day dipping the viability of eggs only decreased from 90 % (control) to 80.5 %, (without aeration) and 81.5 % (with aeration) it decreased the number of pupae been produced from 1447 pupae (control) to 382 pupae (without aeration) and 616 pupae (with aeration). Low temperature successfully preserved the egg up to 24 hours. After 24 hour dipping in low temperature (16 o C) the viability of eggs were decreased up to 84.75 % (without aeration) and able to produce 1104 pupae. Aeration during dipping in low temperature did not improve the preservation. (author)

  1. EVALUATING THE COSTS OF PACKED-TOWER AERATION AND GAC FOR CONTROLLING SELECTED ORGANICS

    Science.gov (United States)

    This article focuses on a preliminary cost analysis that compares liquid-phase granular activated carbon (GAC) treatment with packed-tower aeration (PTA) treatment, with and without air emissions control. The sensitivity of cost to design and operating variables is also discussed...

  2. Effect of aeration rate, moisture content and composting period on availability of copper and lead during pig manure composting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Yujun; Zhao, Lixin; Meng, Haibo; Hou, Yueqing; Zhou, Haibin; Wang, Fei; Cheng, Hongsheng; Liu, Hongbin

    2016-06-01

    Pollution by heavy metals, such as copper and lead, has become a limiting factor for the land application of faecal manures, such as pig manure. This study was conducted to investigate the influence of composting process parameters, including aeration rate, moisture content and composting period, on the distribution of heavy metal species during composting, and to select an optimal parameter for copper and lead inactivation. Results showed that the distribution ratios of exchangeable fractions of copper and lead had a bigger decrease under conditions of aeration rate, 0.1 m(3) min(-1) m(-3), an initial moisture content of 65% and composting period of 50 days. Suboptimal composting process conditions could lead to increased availability of heavy metals. Statistical analysis indicated that the aeration rate was the main factor affecting copper and lead inactivation, while the effects of moisture content and composting period were not significant. The rates of reduction of copper-exchangeable fractions and lead-exchangeable fractions were positively correlated with increased pH. The optimal parameters for reducing heavy metal bioavailability during pig manure composting were aeration rate, 0.1 m(3) min(-1) m(-3), initial moisture content, 65%, and composting period, 20 days. © The Author(s) 2016.

  3. [Management of agitated, violent or psychotic patients in the emergency department: an overdue protocol for an increasing problem].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiménez Busselo, M T; Aragó Domingo, J; Nuño Ballesteros, A; Loño Capote, J; Ochando Perales, G

    2005-12-01

    Patients with extreme agitation, delirium, violent behavior or acute psychosis are frequently evaluated in the emergency departments of general hospitals. However, the traditional infrequency of this type of situation in pediatric emergency services can lead to a certain lack of foresight and efficiency in the initial management of these patients. Because of the current known increase of psychosocial disorders in pediatric emergencies, new pharmacological treatments for juvenile psychotic processes, and particularly the lack of compliance with these treatments, as well as the earlier consumption of ever more varied illicit drugs among young people, the frequency and diversity of this kind of disorder is on the increase. The treatment of agitation, aggression and violence begins with successful management of the acute episode, followed by strategies designed to reduce the intensity and frequency of subsequent episodes. The key to safety is early intervention to prevent progression from agitation to aggression and violence. Consequently, urgent measures designed to inhibit agitation should be adopted without delay by the staff initially dealing with the patient, usually in the emergency unit. Patients with psychomotor agitation disorder (PMAD) may require emergency physical and/or chemical restraints for their own safety and that of the healthcare provider in order to prevent harmful clinical sequelae and to expedite medical evaluation to determine the cause. However, the risks of restraint measures must be weighed against the benefits in each case. This review aims to present the emergency measures to be taken in children with PMAD. The distinct etiological situations and criteria for the choice of drugs for chemical restraint in each situation, as well as the complications associated with certain drugs, are discussed. It is advisable, therefore, that health professionals become familiar with the distinct pharmacological options.

  4. Polyhydroxyalkanoate synthesis by mixed microbial consortia cultured on fermented dairy manure: Effect of aeration on process rates/yields and the associated microbial ecology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coats, Erik R; Watson, Benjamin S; Brinkman, Cynthia K

    2016-12-01

    Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biodegradable polymers that can substitute for petroleum-based plastics in a variety of applications. One avenue to commercial PHA production involves coupling waste-based synthesis with the use of mixed microbial consortia (MMC). In this regard, production requires maximizing the enrichment of a MMC capable of feast-famine PHA synthesis, with the metabolic response induced through imposition of aerobic-dynamic feeding (ADF) conditions. However, the concept of PHA production in complex matrices remains unrefined; process operational improvements are needed, along with an enhanced understanding of the MMC. Research presented herein investigated the effect of aeration on feast-famine PHA synthesis, with four independent aeration state systems studied; MMC were fed volatile fatty acid (VFA)-rich fermented dairy manure. Regardless of the aeration state, all MMC exhibited a feast-famine response based on observed carbon cycling. Moreover, there was no statistical difference in PHA synthesis rates, with q PHA ranging from 0.10 to 0.19 CmmolPHA gVSS -1 min -1 ; VFA uptake rates exhibited similar statistical indifferences. PHA production assessments on the enriched MMC resulted in maximum intracellular concentrations ranging from 22.5 to 90.7% (mgPHA mgVSS -1 ); at maximum concentration, the mean hydroxyvalerate mol content was 73 ± 0.6%. While a typical feast-famine dissolved oxygen (DO) pattern was observed at maximum aeration, less resolution was observed at decreasing aeration rates, suggesting that DO may not be an optimal process monitoring parameter. At lower aeration states, nitrogen cycling patterns, supported by molecular investigations targeting AOBs and NOBs, indicate that NO 2 and NO 3 sustained feast-famine PHA synthesis. Next-generation sequencing analysis of the respective MMC revealed numerous and diverse genera exhibiting the potential to achieve PHA synthesis, suggesting functional redundancy embedded in the diverse

  5. A group music intervention using percussion instruments with familiar music to reduce anxiety and agitation of institutionalized older adults with dementia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sung, Huei-chuan; Lee, Wen-li; Li, Tzai-li; Watson, Roger

    2012-06-01

    This experimental study aimed to evaluate the effects of a group music intervention on anxiety and agitation of institutionalized older adults with dementia. A total of 60 participants were randomly assigned to an experimental or a control group. The experimental group received a 30-min music intervention using percussion instruments with familiar music in a group setting in mid afternoon twice weekly for 6 weeks, whereas the control group received usual care with no music intervention. The Rating of Anxiety in Dementia scale was used to assess anxiety, and Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory was used to assess agitation at baseline, week 4 and week 6. Repeated measures analysis of covariance indicated that older adults who received a group music intervention had a significantly lower anxiety score than those in the control group while controlling for pre-test score and cognitive level (F = 8.98, p = 0.004). However, the reduction of agitation between two groups was not significantly different. Anxiety and agitation are common in older adults with dementia and have been reported by caregivers as challenging care problems. An innovative group music intervention using percussion instruments with familiar music as a cost-effective approach has the potential to reduce anxiety and improve psychological well-being of those with dementia. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  6. Verbal De-escalation of the Agitated Patient: Consensus Statement of the American Association for Emergency Psychiatry Project BETA De-escalation Workgroup.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richmond, Janet S; Berlin, Jon S; Fishkind, Avrim B; Holloman, Garland H; Zeller, Scott L; Wilson, Michael P; Rifai, Muhamad Aly; Ng, Anthony T

    2012-02-01

    Agitation is an acute behavioral emergency requiring immediate intervention. Traditional methods of treating agitated patients, ie, routine restraints and involuntary medication, have been replaced with a much greater emphasis on a noncoercive approach. Experienced practitioners have found that if such interventions are undertaken with genuine commitment, successful outcomes can occur far more often than previously thought possible. In the new paradigm, a 3-step approach is used. First, the patient is verbally engaged; then a collaborative relationship is established; and, finally, the patient is verbally de-escalated out of the agitated state. Verbal de-escalation is usually the key to engaging the patient and helping him become an active partner in his evaluation and treatment; although, we also recognize that in some cases nonverbal approaches, such as voluntary medication and environment planning, are also important. When working with an agitated patient, there are 4 main objectives: (1) ensure the safety of the patient, staff, and others in the area; (2) help the patient manage his emotions and distress and maintain or regain control of his behavior; (3) avoid the use of restraint when at all possible; and (4) avoid coercive interventions that escalate agitation. The authors detail the proper foundations for appropriate training for de-escalation and provide intervention guidelines, using the "10 domains of de-escalation."

  7. Relationship between respiratory quotient, nitrification, and nitrous oxide emissions in a forced aerated composting process

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tsutsui, Hirofumi, E-mail: jm-tsutsuih@kochi-u.ac.jp [Research and Education Faculty, Natural Sciences Cluster, Agriculture Unit, Kochi University, B200 Monobe, Nankoku, Kochi (Japan); Japan Science and Technology Agency, CREST (Japan); Fujiwara, Taku [Research and Education Faculty, Natural Sciences Cluster, Agriculture Unit, Kochi University, B200 Monobe, Nankoku, Kochi (Japan); Japan Science and Technology Agency, CREST (Japan); Inoue, Daisuke [Department of Health Science, School of Allied Health Sciences, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Sagamihara-Minami, Kanagawa (Japan); Japan Science and Technology Agency, CREST (Japan); Ito, Ryusei [Department of Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Kita-13, Nishi-8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido (Japan); Japan Science and Technology Agency, CREST (Japan); Matsukawa, Kazutsugu [Research and Education Faculty, Multidisciplinary Science Cluster, Life and Environmental Medicine Science Unit, Kochi University, B200 Monobe, Nankoku, Kochi (Japan); Japan Science and Technology Agency, CREST (Japan); Funamizu, Naoyuki [Department of Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Kita-13, Nishi-8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido (Japan); Japan Science and Technology Agency, CREST (Japan)

    2015-08-15

    Highlights: • RQ can be an indicator of N{sub 2}O emission in forced aerated composting process. • Emission of N{sub 2}O with nitrification was observed with RQ decrease. • Mass balances demonstrated the RQ decrease was caused by nitrification. • Conversion ratio of oxidized ammonia and total N to N{sub 2}O were ∼2.7%. - Abstract: We assessed the relationship between respiratory quotient (RQ) and nitrification and nitrous oxide (N{sub 2}O) emission in forced aerated composting using lab-scale reactors. Relatively high RQ values from degradation of readily degradable organics initially occurred. RQ then stabilized at slightly lower values, then decreased. Continuous emission of N{sub 2}O was observed during the RQ decrease. Correlation between nitrification and N{sub 2}O emission shows that the latter was triggered by nitrification. Mass balances demonstrated that the O{sub 2} consumption of nitrification (∼24.8 mmol) was slightly higher than that of CO{sub 2} emission (∼20.0 mmol), indicating that the RQ decrease was caused by the occurrence of nitrification. Results indicate that RQ is a useful index, which not only reflects the bioavailability of organics but also predicts the occurrence of nitrification and N{sub 2}O emission in forced aerated composting.

  8. Bacterial structure of aerobic granules is determined by aeration mode and nitrogen load in the reactor cycle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cydzik-Kwiatkowska, Agnieszka

    2015-04-01

    This study investigated how the microbial composition of biomass and kinetics of nitrogen conversions in aerobic granular reactors treating high-ammonium supernatant depended on nitrogen load and the number of anoxic phases in the cycle. Excellent ammonium removal and predomination of full nitrification was observed in the reactors operated at 1.1 kg TKN m(-3) d(-1) and with anoxic phases in the cycle. In all reactors, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria predominated, comprising between 90.14% and 98.59% of OTUs. Extracellular polymeric substances-producing bacteria, such as Rhodocyclales, Xanthomonadaceae, Sphingomonadales and Rhizobiales, were identified in biomass from all reactors, though in different proportions. Under constant aeration, bacteria capable of autotrophic nitrification were found in granules, whereas under variable aeration heterotrophic nitrifiers such as Pseudomonas sp. and Paracoccus sp. were identified. Constant aeration promoted more even bacteria distribution among taxa; with 1 anoxic phase, Paracoccus aminophilus predominated (62.73% of OTUs); with 2 phases, Corynebacterium sp. predominated (65.10% of OTUs). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Comparison of the lysis-centrifugation and agitated biphasic blood culture systems for detection of fungemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murray, P R

    1991-01-01

    Although the detection of fungemia has been improved by the use of vented or biphasic blood culture bottles, the best recovery and earliest detection have been reported in the Isolator lysis-centrifugation system. It was recently demonstrated that improved detection of both bacteria and fungi was accomplished by mechanically agitating blood culture bottles for the first 24 h of incubation. In this study the detection of fungemia by use of the Isolator system was compared with that of an agitated biphasic system. A total of 182 fungi were isolated from blood specimens inoculated into both culture systems. No difference in the overall recovery of fungi or individual species of yeasts was observed between the two systems. However, all seven isolates of Histoplasma capsulatum were recovered in the Isolator system only. The time required to detect fungemia with each of the two systems was also compared. No statistically significant difference was observed. From the data collected during this 18-month study, it can be concluded that the overall recovery and time of detection of yeasts are equivalent in the lysis-centrifugation system and the agitated biphasic blood culture system. The lysis-centrifugation system is still superior for the detection of filamentous fungi such as H. capsulatum. PMID:1993772

  10. Passive aeration composting of chicken litter: effects of aeration pipe orientation and perforation size on losses of compost elements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogunwande, Gbolabo A; Osunade, James A

    2011-01-01

    A passive aeration composting study was undertaken to investigate the effects of aeration pipe orientation (PO) and perforation size (PS) on some physico-chemical properties of chicken litter (chicken manure + sawdust) during composting. The experimental set up was a two-factor completely randomised block design with two pipe orientations: horizontal (Ho) and vertical (Ve), and three perforation sizes: 15, 25 and 35 mm diameter. The properties monitored during composting were pile temperature, moisture content (MC), pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total carbon (C(T)), total nitrogen (N(T)) and total phosphorus (P(T)). Moisture level in the piles was periodically replenished to 60% for efficient microbial activities. The results of the study showed that optimum composting conditions (thermophilic temperatures and sanitation requirements) were attained in all the piles. During composting, both PO and PS significantly affected pile temperature, moisture level, pH, C(T) loss and P(T) gain. EC was only affected by PO while N(T) was affected by PS. Neither PO nor PS had a significant effect on the C:N ratio. A vertical pipe was effective for uniform air distribution, hence, uniform composting rate within the composting pile. The final values showed that PO of Ve and PS of 35 mm diameter resulted in the least loss in N(T). The PO of Ho was as effective as Ve in the conservation of C(T) and P(T). Similarly, the three PSs were equally effective in the conservation of C(T) and P(T). In conclusion, the combined effects of PO and PS showed that treatments Ve35 and Ve15 were the most effective in minimizing N(T) loss. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Measuring a critical stress for continuous prevention of marine biofouling accumulation with aeration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menesses, Mark; Belden, Jesse; Dickenson, Natasha; Bird, James

    2017-10-01

    When cleaning the hull of a ship, significant shear stresses are needed to remove established biofouling organisms. Given that there exists a link between the amount of time that fouling accumulates and the stress required to remove it, it is not surprising that more frequent grooming requires less shear stress. Yet, it is unclear if there is a minimum stress needed to prevent the growth of macrofouling in the limit of continuous grooming. This manuscript shows that single bubble stream aeration provides continuous grooming and prevents biofouling accumulation in regions where the average wall stress exceeds ~0.01 Pa. This value was found by comparing observations of biofouling growth from field studies with complementary laboratory measurements that probe the associated flow fields. These results suggest that aeration and other continuous grooming systems must exceed a wall stress of 0.01 Pa to prevent macrofouling accumulation.

  12. Aeration Strategies To Mitigate Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Single-Stage Nitritation/Anammox Reactors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Domingo Felez, Carlos; Mutlu, A. Gizem; Jensen, Marlene Mark

    2014-01-01

    Autotrophic nitrogen removal is regarded as a resource efficient process to manage nitrogen-rich residual streams. However, nitrous oxide emissions of these processes are poorly documented and strategies to mitigate emissions unknown. In this study, two sequencing batch reactors performing single...... was noted when the duration of aeration was increased while decreasing air flow rate (10.9 +/- 3.2% Delta N2O/Delta TN). The extant ammonium oxidation activity (mgNH(4)(+)-N/gVSS.min) positively correlated with the specific N2O production rate (mgN(2)O-N/gVSS.min) of the systems. Operating under conditions......-stage nitritation/anammox were operated under different aeration strategies, gradually adjusted over six months. At constant but limiting oxygen loading, synthetic reject water was fed (0.75g-N/L.d) and high nitrogen removal efficiencies (83 +/- 5 and 88 +/- 2%) obtained. Dynamics of liquid phase nitrous (N2O...

  13. THE INFLUENCE OF A HALLOYSITE ADDITIVE ON THE PERFORMANCE OF AUTOCLAVED AERATED CONCRETE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Z. Owsiak

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the results from the tests of autoclaved aerated concrete with halloysite as a cement additive. Good pozzolanic properties make it a suitable material to be used as a partial replacement of a portion of cement. Basic physical and mechanical properties of the composites with various mineral content are discussed. The compressive strength test results indicate an increase in strength of the AAC containing 2.5 % and 5 % halloysite relative to the reference specimen. Thermal conductivity and density values remained at the same level. Observations of the microstructure in the scanning electron microscope confirmed the results from the XRD tests. Anhydrite was observed in addition to tobermorite. The results from the tests of the autoclaved aerated concretes in which halloysite was incorporated as 7.5 % and 10 % cement replacement showed an increase in compressive strength, density and thermal conductivity values.

  14. Comparative study on the reactivity of Fe/Cu bimetallic particles and zero valent iron (ZVI) under different conditions of N2, air or without aeration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiong, Zhaokun; Lai, Bo; Yang, Ping; Zhou, Yuexi; Wang, Juling; Fang, Shuping

    2015-10-30

    In order to further compare the degradation capacity of Fe(0) and Fe/Cu bimetallic system under different aeration conditions, the mineralization of PNP under different aeration conditions has been investigated thoroughly. The results show that the removal of PNP by Fe(0) or Fe/Cu system followed the pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics. Under the optimal conditions, the COD removal efficiencies obtained through Fe(0) or Fe/Cu system under different aeration conditions followed the trend that Fe/Cu (air)>Fe/Cu (N2: 0-30 min, air: 30-120 min)>control-Fe (air)>Fe/Cu (without aeration)>Fe/Cu (N2)>control-Fe (N2). It revealed that dissolved oxygen (DO) could improve the mineralization of PNP, and Cu could enhance the reactivity of Fe(0). In addition, the degradation of PNP was further analyzed by using UV-vis, FTIR and GC/MS, and the results suggest that Fe/Cu bimetallic system with air aeration could completely break the benzene ring and NO2 structure of PNP and could generate the nontoxic and biodegradable intermediate products. Meanwhile, most of these intermediate products were further mineralized into CO2 and H2O, which brought about a high COD removal efficiency (83.8%). Therefore, Fe/Cu bimetallic system with air aeration would be a promising process for toxic refractory industry wastewater. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Effects of aromatherapy on agitation and related caregiver burden in patients with moderate to severe dementia: A pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turten Kaymaz, Tugce; Ozdemir, Leyla

    We examined the effects of aromatherapy on agitation in patients with dementia and evaluated related caregiver burden. Patients and their caregivers from two hospitals in Turkey were selected and divided into an intervention group (n = 14) and a control group (n = 14). Patients were stratified according to their dementia phase and intake of antipsychotic medication. The intervention group received aromatherapy via massage and inhalation at home for 4 weeks. The control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI) and the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI). At 2 and 4 weeks, the NPI scores were significantly lower in the intervention group (p aromatherapy, agitation, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and caregiver distress significantly reduced, and aromatherapy prevented caregiver burden increase. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. [Agitation in people with dementia : Scoping review and putting the phenomenon into perspective using the comfort theory and the concept of attachment].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schaub, Corinne; Morin, Diane; von Gunten, Armin

    2016-06-01

    Agitation in hospitalized demented patients is troublesome and disruptive for both patients and caregivers. The literature indicates that agitation is strongly related to physical or psychological discomfort and its recent definition includes the additional relation to emotional distress. Hospitalization associated with major cognitive difficulties further activates the need for attachment and security to which caregivers must pay attention. This synthesis review first deals with the evidence related to agitation in people with dementia and its relationship with discomfort. A description of the difficulties with which caregivers must cope follows. The need to primarily use nonpharmacological approaches during agitation to meet the underlying needs causing discomfort is then developed. Recommended approaches generally involve a relational contact, even if facing the risk of mobilizing frequently unsecured and anxious attachment patterns in this population. A conceptual positioning supported by the Kolcaba comfort theory will position this knowledge. A particular point of this theory, based on previous experiences of patients, will be analyzed based on attachment characteristics of people with dementia.

  17. Effects of mix ratio, moisture content and aeration rate on sulfur odor emissions during pig manure composting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zang, Bing; Li, Shuyan; Michel, Frederick; Li, Guoxue; Luo, Yuan; Zhang, Difang; Li, Yangyang

    2016-10-01

    Sulfur compounds in swine manure can cause odor emissions during composting if conditions are not conducive to their rapid oxidation and degradation. In this study, the effects of controllable composting process variables on sulfur odor emissions were investigated. These included pig manure to corn stalk mix ratio (0.7:1, 1.5:1 and 2.2:1dw basis), initial moisture content (60%, 65%, 70% and 75%) and aeration rate (1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0m(3)m(-3)h(-1)). The compounds measured were carbonyl sulfide, carbon disulfide, hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, ethyl mercaptan, diethyl sulfide, dimethyl sulfide (Me2S) and dimethyl disulfide (Me2SS). The results showed that total sulfur losses ranged from 3.9% to 18.3% after 26days of composting. Me2S and Me2SS were the primary (>59.61%) sulfur compounds released during this period. After turning, emission rates of both Me2S and Me2SS increased. Emissions of the other six sulfur compounds were low and inconsistent during composting. Within the compost, feedstock mix ratio significantly influenced the concentration of Me2SS, while aeration rate significantly affected Me2S concentration (pMoisture content did not have a significant effect on the concentrations of either of these two compounds. Concentrations of sulfur odor compounds were the lowest at the highest aeration rate. Therefore, high aeration rates during the thermophilic phase, especially after turning, are recommended to minimize sulfur odors produced during swine manure composting. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. A Trade Study of Two Membrane-Aerated Biological Water Processors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allada, Ram; Lange, Kevin; Vega. Leticia; Roberts, Michael S.; Jackson, Andrew; Anderson, Molly; Pickering, Karen

    2011-01-01

    Biologically based systems are under evaluation as primary water processors for next generation life support systems due to their low power requirements and their inherent regenerative nature. This paper will summarize the results of two recent studies involving membrane aerated biological water processors and present results of a trade study comparing the two systems with regards to waste stream composition, nutrient loading and system design. Results of optimal configurations will be presented.

  19. The Role of Inhaled Loxapine in the Treatment of Acute Agitation in Patients with Psychiatric Disorders: A Clinical Review

    OpenAIRE

    de Berardis, Domenico; Fornaro, Michele; Orsolini, Laura; Iasevoli, Felice; Tomasetti, Carmine; de Bartolomeis, Andrea; Serroni, Nicola; Valchera, Alessandro; Carano, Alessandro; Vellante, Federica; Marini, Stefano; Piersanti, Monica; Perna, Giampaolo; Martinotti, Giovanni; Di Giannantonio, Massimo

    2017-01-01

    Loxapine is a first generation antipsychotic, belonging to the dibenzoxazepine class. Recently, loxapine has been reformulated at a lower dose, producing an inhaled powder that can be directly administered to the lungs to treat the agitation associated with psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Thus, the aim of this narrative and clinical mini-review was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of inhaled loxapine in the treatment of acute agitation in patients w...

  20. Protocol for the management of psychiatric patients with psychomotor agitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vieta, Eduard; Garriga, Marina; Cardete, Laura; Bernardo, Miquel; Lombraña, María; Blanch, Jordi; Catalán, Rosa; Vázquez, Mireia; Soler, Victòria; Ortuño, Noélia; Martínez-Arán, Anabel

    2017-09-08

    Psychomotor agitation (PMA) is a state of motor restlessness and mental tension that requires prompt recognition, appropriate assessment and management to minimize anxiety for the patient and reduce the risk for escalation to aggression and violence. Standardized and applicable protocols and algorithms can assist healthcare providers to identify patients at risk of PMA, achieve timely diagnosis and implement minimally invasive management strategies to ensure patient and staff safety and resolution of the episode. Spanish experts in PMA from different disciplines (psychiatrists, psychologists and nurses) convened in Barcelona for a meeting in April 2016. Based on recently issued international consensus guidelines on the standard of care for psychiatric patients with PMA, the meeting provided the opportunity to address the complexities in the assessment and management of PMA from different perspectives. The attendees worked towards producing a consensus for a unified approach to PMA according to the local standards of care and current local legislations. The draft protocol developed was reviewed and ratified by all members of the panel prior to its presentation to the Catalan Society of Psychiatry and Mental Health, the Spanish Society of Biological Psychiatry (SEPB) and the Spanish Network Centre for Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM) for input. The final protocol and algorithms were then submitted to these organizations for endorsement. The protocol presented here provides guidance on the appropriate selection and use of pharmacological agents (inhaled/oral/IM), seclusion, and physical restraint for psychiatric patients suspected of or presenting with PMA. The protocol is applicable within the Spanish healthcare system. Implementation of the protocol and the constituent algorithms described here should ensure the best standard of care of patients at risk of PMA. Episodes of PMA could be identified earlier in their clinical course and patients could be managed in

  1. Odorous gaseous emissions as influence by process condition for the forced aeration composting of pig slaughterhouse sludge

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Blazy, V., E-mail: vincent.blazy@irstea.fr [Irstea, UR GERE, 17 Avenue de Cucillé, CS 64427, F-35044 Rennes (France); Guardia, A. de, E-mail: amaury.de-guardia@irstea.fr [Irstea, UR GERE, 17 Avenue de Cucillé, CS 64427, F-35044 Rennes (France); Benoist, J.C; Daumoin, M. [Irstea, UR GERE, 17 Avenue de Cucillé, CS 64427, F-35044 Rennes (France); Lemasle, M.; Wolbert, D. [Laboratoire Sciences Chimiques de Rennes - équipe Chimie et Ingénierie des Procédés, UMR 6226 CNRS, ENSCR, Avenue du Général Leclerc, 35700 Rennes (France); Barrington, S., E-mail: suzellebarrington@sympatico.ca [Irstea, UR GERE, 17 Avenue de Cucillé, CS 64427, F-35044 Rennes (France); Concordia University, Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1455 de Maisonneuve, Montréal, QC H3G 1M8 (Canada)

    2014-07-15

    Highlights: • The gaseous emissions produced by various composting process conditions were characterized and quantified. • Nine compounds were potentially odorous: TMA, NH{sub 3}, 2-pentanone, 1-propanol-2-methyl, acetophenone and sulphur forms. • The tested composting process conditions reduced odour emissions by a factor of 5–10. • A reduction of 10{sup 5} to 10{sup 6} is required to reach an odour threshold limit at peak event emissions. • Both aeration rate and bulking agent had the most impact on reducing odour emissions. - Abstract: Compost sustainability requires a better control of its gaseous emissions responsible for several impacts including odours. Indeed, composting odours have stopped the operation of many platforms and prevented the installation of others. Accordingly, present technologies collecting and treating gases emitted from composting are not satisfactory and alternative solutions must be found. Thus, the aim of this paper was to study the influence of composting process conditions on gaseous emissions. Pig slaughterhouse sludge mixed with wood chips was composted under forced aeration in 300 L laboratory reactors. The process conditions studied were: aeration rate of 1.68, 4.03, 6.22, 9.80 and 13.44 L/h/kg of wet sludge; incorporation ratio of 0.55, 0.83 and 1.1 (kg of wet wood chips/kg of wet sludge), and; bulking agent particles size of <10, 10 < 20 and 20 < 30 mm. Out-going gases were sampled every 2 days and their composition was analysed using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Fifty-nine compounds were identified and quantified. Dividing the cumulated mass production over 30 days of composting, by odour threshold, 9 compounds were identified as main potential odour contributors: hydrogen sulphide, trimethylamine, ammonia, 2-pentanone, 1-propanol-2-methyl, dimethyl sulphide, dimethyl disulphide, dimethyl trisulphide and acetophenone. Five gaseous compounds were correlated with both aeration rate and

  2. Odorous gaseous emissions as influence by process condition for the forced aeration composting of pig slaughterhouse sludge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blazy, V.; Guardia, A. de; Benoist, J.C; Daumoin, M.; Lemasle, M.; Wolbert, D.; Barrington, S.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • The gaseous emissions produced by various composting process conditions were characterized and quantified. • Nine compounds were potentially odorous: TMA, NH 3 , 2-pentanone, 1-propanol-2-methyl, acetophenone and sulphur forms. • The tested composting process conditions reduced odour emissions by a factor of 5–10. • A reduction of 10 5 to 10 6 is required to reach an odour threshold limit at peak event emissions. • Both aeration rate and bulking agent had the most impact on reducing odour emissions. - Abstract: Compost sustainability requires a better control of its gaseous emissions responsible for several impacts including odours. Indeed, composting odours have stopped the operation of many platforms and prevented the installation of others. Accordingly, present technologies collecting and treating gases emitted from composting are not satisfactory and alternative solutions must be found. Thus, the aim of this paper was to study the influence of composting process conditions on gaseous emissions. Pig slaughterhouse sludge mixed with wood chips was composted under forced aeration in 300 L laboratory reactors. The process conditions studied were: aeration rate of 1.68, 4.03, 6.22, 9.80 and 13.44 L/h/kg of wet sludge; incorporation ratio of 0.55, 0.83 and 1.1 (kg of wet wood chips/kg of wet sludge), and; bulking agent particles size of <10, 10 < 20 and 20 < 30 mm. Out-going gases were sampled every 2 days and their composition was analysed using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Fifty-nine compounds were identified and quantified. Dividing the cumulated mass production over 30 days of composting, by odour threshold, 9 compounds were identified as main potential odour contributors: hydrogen sulphide, trimethylamine, ammonia, 2-pentanone, 1-propanol-2-methyl, dimethyl sulphide, dimethyl disulphide, dimethyl trisulphide and acetophenone. Five gaseous compounds were correlated with both aeration rate and bulking agent

  3. Characterization of a continuous agitated cell reactor for oxygen dependent biocatalysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toftgaard Pedersen, Asbjørn; de Carvalho, Teresa Melo; Sutherland, Euan; Rehn, Gustav; Ashe, Robert; Woodley, John M

    2017-06-01

    Biocatalytic oxidation reactions employing molecular oxygen as the electron acceptor are difficult to conduct in a continuous flow reactor because of the requirement for high oxygen transfer rates. In this paper, the oxidation of glucose to glucono-1,5-lactone by glucose oxidase was used as a model reaction to study a novel continuous agitated cell reactor (ACR). The ACR consists of ten cells interconnected by small channels. An agitator is placed in each cell, which mixes the content of the cell when the reactor body is shaken by lateral movement. Based on tracer experiments, a hydrodynamic model for the ACR was developed. The model consisted of ten tanks-in-series with back-mixing occurring within and between each cell. The back-mixing was a necessary addition to the model in order to explain the observed phenomenon that the ACR behaved as two continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTRs) at low flow rates, while it at high flow rates behaved as the expected ten CSTRs in series. The performance of the ACR was evaluated by comparing the steady state conversion at varying residence times with the conversion observed in a stirred batch reactor of comparable size. It was found that the ACR could more than double the overall reaction rate, which was solely due to an increased oxygen transfer rate in the ACR caused by the intense mixing as a result of the spring agitators. The volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient, k L a, was estimated to be 344 h -1 in the 100 mL ACR, opposed to only 104 h -1 in a batch reactor of comparable working volume. Interestingly, the large deviation from plug flow behavior seen in the tracer experiments was found to have little influence on the conversion in the ACR, since both a plug flow reactor (PFR) model and the backflow cell model described the data sufficiently well. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 1222-1230. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  4. Modelling of the Bubble Size Distribution in an Aerated Stirred Tank: Theoretical and Numerical Comparison of Different Breakup Models

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kálal Zbyněk

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available The main topic of this study is the mathematical modelling of bubble size distributions in an aerated stirred tank using the population balance method. The air-water system consisted of a fully baffled vessel with a diameter of 0.29 m, which was equipped with a six-bladed Rushton turbine. The secondary phase was introduced through a ring sparger situated under the impeller. Calculations were performed with the CFD software CFX 14.5. The turbulent quantities were predicted using the standard k-ε turbulence model. Coalescence and breakup of bubbles were modelled using the MUSIG method with 24 bubble size groups. For the bubble size distribution modelling, the breakup model by Luo and Svendsen (1996 typically has been used in the past. However, this breakup model was thoroughly reviewed and its practical applicability was questioned. Therefore, three different breakup models by Martínez-Bazán et al. (1999a, b, Lehr et al. (2002 and Alopaeus et al. (2002 were implemented in the CFD solver and applied to the system. The resulting Sauter mean diameters and local bubble size distributions were compared with experimental data.

  5. Evaluation of design factors for a cascade aerator to enhance the efficiency of an oxidation pond for ferruginous mine drainage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oh, Chamteut; Ji, Sangwoo; Cheong, Youngwook; Yim, Giljae; Hong, Ji-Hye

    2016-10-01

    This research focused on the optimum design of a cascade aerator to enhance the efficiency of an oxidation pond in a passive treatment system for remediating ferruginous mine drainage. For this purpose, various aeration experiments with aerators of different drop heights (0-4 m) and formations (types A and B) were executed on mine drainage. Type A simply drops the mine drainage into the oxidation pond while type B sprays the mine drainage and retains it for 8 min in each step. The efficiency enhancement of the oxidation pond was strongly dependent on the increase in pH and DO of the mine drainage discharged into the pond. The water quality improved with the increase in drop height but especially showed better effect with type B. The reasons for this result were attributed to the increase of contact surface and retention time of the mine drainage. The cascade aerator, therefore, should be designed to be as high as possible with the assistance of spraying form and retention time of the mine drainage to maximize the efficiency of the oxidation pond. These effects could be evaluated by calculating required areas of the oxidation pond for 95% of Fe(2+) oxidation.

  6. Functioning of microbial complexes in aerated layers of a highmoor peat bog

    Science.gov (United States)

    Golovchenko, A. V.; Bogdanova, O. Yu.; Stepanov, A. L.; Polyanskaya, L. M.; Zvyagintsev, D. G.

    2010-09-01

    Monitoring was carried out using the luminescent-microscopic method of the abundance parameters of different groups of microorganisms in a monolith and in the mixed layers of a highmoor peat bog (oligotrophic residual-eutrophic peat soil) in a year-long model experiment. The increase of the aeration as a result of mixing of the layers enhanced the activity of the soil fungi. This was attested to by the following changes: the increase of the fungal mycelium length by 6 times and of the fungal biomass by 4 times and the double decrease of the fraction of spores in the fungal complex. The response of the fungal complex to mixing was different in the different layers of the peat bog. The maximal effect was observed in the T1 layer and the minimal one in the T2 layer. The emission of CO2 in the mixed samples was 1.5-2 times higher than that from the undisturbed peat samples. In contrast with the fungi, the bacteria and actinomycetes were not affected by the aeration of the highmoor layers.

  7. Individualized music played for agitated patients with dementia: analysis of video-recorded sessions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ragneskog, H; Asplund, K; Kihlgren, M; Norberg, A

    2001-06-01

    Many nursing home patients with dementia suffer from symptoms of agitation (e.g. anxiety, shouting, irritability). This study investigated whether individualized music could be used as a nursing intervention to reduce such symptoms in four patients with severe dementia. The patients were video-recorded during four sessions in four periods, including a control period without music, two periods where individualized music was played, and one period where classical music was played. The recordings were analysed by systematic observations and the Facial Action Coding System. Two patients became calmer during some of the individualized music sessions; one patient remained sitting in her armchair longer, and the other patient stopped shouting. For the two patients who were most affected by dementia, the noticeable effect of music was minimal. If the nursing staff succeed in discovering the music preferences of an individual, individualized music may be an effective nursing intervention to mitigate anxiety and agitation for some patients.

  8. Settlement determination of operating moisture of autoclaved aerated concrete in different climatic zones

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pastushkov Pavel Pavlovich

    Full Text Available In the process of operation of buildings the moisture state of enveloping structures materials is changing depending on their construction features, properties of the material, temperature and moisture conditions in the premises, climatic conditions of the construction area. Moisture mode determines the operational properties of the enveloping structures of a building. It directly influences the thermal characteristics of enveloping structure and energy efficiency of the applied materials. The analysis of the methods for calculation of moisture behavior of enclosing structures is carried out. The research relevance of operational moisture of AAC is substantiated. Experimental studies and results of the sorption moisturizing and water vapor permeability of leading marks of aerated concrete are carried out. The authors offer the results of numerical calculations of the moisture behavior of aerated concrete in the walls with mark D400 with facade thermal insulation composite systems - with external plaster layers for different climatic zones of construction.

  9. Influence of addition of calcium sulfate dihydrate on drying of autoclaved aerated concrete

    Science.gov (United States)

    Małaszkiewicz, Dorota; Chojnowski, Jacek

    2017-11-01

    The quality of the autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) strongly depends on the chemical composition of the raw materials, as well as on the process of the hydrothermal reaction during autoclaving. Performance parameters depend on material structure: fine micron-scale matrix porosity generated by the packing of thin tobermorite plates and coarse aeration pores arising from the foaming of wet mix. In this study the binder varied in calcium sulfate dihydrate (CaSO4ṡ2H2O) content. Five series of AAC specimens were produced, with gypsum content 0; 0.55; 1.15; 2.3 and 3.5% of dry mass respectively. AAC units were produced in UNIPOL technology. The study presents experimental results of AAC moisture stabilization. The initial moisture content was determined directly after autoclaving. Slower drying process was observed for samples containing over 2% of gypsum. Whereas other performance parameters, compressive and tensile strength, as well as water absorption and capillary rise, were significantly better comparing to the reference AAC samples.

  10. Effects of ketamine and midazolam on emergence agitation after sevoflurane anaesthesia in children receiving caudal block: a randomized trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ayse Ozcan

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Background and objectives: Emergence agitation is a common postanaesthetic problem in children after sevoflurane anaesthesia. We aimed to compare the effects of ketamine and midazolam administered intravenously, before the end of surgery, for prevention of emergence agitation in children who received caudal block for pain relief under sevoflurane anaesthesia. Methods: 62 American Society of Anesthesiologists patient classification status I children, aged 2–7 years, scheduled for inguinal hernia repair, circumcision or orchidopexy were enrolled to the study. Anaesthesia was induced with sevoflurane 8% in a mixture of 50% oxygen and nitrous oxide. After achieving adequate depth of anaesthesia, a laryngeal mask was placed and then caudal block was performed with 0.75 mL kg−1, 0.25% bupivacaine. At the end of the surgery, ketamine 0.25 mg kg−1, midazolam 0.03 mg kg−1 and saline were given to ketamine, midazolam and control groups, respectively. Agitation was assessed using Paediatric Anaesthesia Emergence Delirium scale and postoperative pain was evaluated with modified Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Pain Scale. Results and conclusions: Modified Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Pain Scale scores were found higher in control group than in ketamine and midazolam groups. Paediatric Anaesthesia Emergence Delirium scores were similar between groups. Modified Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Pain Scale and Paediatric Anaesthesia Emergence Delirium scores showed a significant decrease by time in all groups during follow-up in postanaesthesia care unit. The present study resulted in satisfactory Paediatric Anaesthesia Emergence Delirium scores which are below 10 in all groups. As a conclusion, neither ketamine nor midazolam added to caudal block under sevoflurane anaesthesia did show further effect on emergence agitation. In addition, pain relief still seems to be the major factor in preventing emergence agitation after

  11. Effects of Aeration Treatment on γ-Aminobutyric Acid Accumulation in Germinated Tartary Buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuanxin Guo

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available To explore the optimum condition of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA accumulation in germinated tartary buckwheat, effects of some factors including aeration treatment, physiological indexes, air flow rate, culture temperature, and pH value of cultivating solution under hypoxia on GABA in germinated tartary buckwheat were investigated. The results showed that the dark cultures with distilled water at 30°C, 2 days, and aeration stress with 1.0 L/min air flow rate at 30°C were optimal for GABA accumulation. Under these conditions, the predicted content of GABA was up to 371.98 μg/g DW. The analysis of correlation indicated that there was a significant correlation (P<0.01 between GABA accumulation and physiological indexes. Box-Behnken experimental analysis revealed that optimal conditions with aeration treatment for GABA accumulation in germinated tartary buckwheat were air flow rate of 1.04 L/min, culture temperature of 31.25°C, and a pH value of 4.21. Under these conditions, the GABA content was predicted as high as 386.20 μg/g DW, which was close to the measured value (379.00±9.30 μg/g DW. The variance analysis and validation test suggested that this established regression model could predict GABA accumulation in tartary buckwheat during germination.

  12. Brief psychosocial therapy for the treatment of agitation in Alzheimer disease (the CALM-AD trial).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ballard, Clive; Brown, Richard; Fossey, Jane; Douglas, Simon; Bradley, Paul; Hancock, Judith; James, Ian A; Juszczak, Edmund; Bentham, Peter; Burns, Alistair; Lindesay, James; Jacoby, Robin; O'Brien, John; Bullock, Roger; Johnson, Tony; Holmes, Clive; Howard, Robert

    2009-09-01

    Good practice guidelines state that a psychological intervention should usually precede pharmacotherapy, but there are no data evaluating the feasibility of psychological interventions used in this way. At the first stage of a randomized blinded placebo-controlled trial, 318 patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) with clinically significant agitated behavior were treated in an open design with a psychological intervention (brief psychosocial therapy [BPST]) for 4 weeks, preceding randomization to pharmacotherapy. The therapy involved social interaction, personalized music, or removal of environmental triggers. Overall, 318 patients with AD completed BPST with an improvement of 5.6 points on the total Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI; mean [SD], 63.3 [16.0] to 57.7 [18.4], t = 4.8, df = 317, p 95% of patients. More detailed evaluation of outcome was completed for the 198 patients with AD from these centers, who experienced a mean improvement of 6.6 points on the total CMAI (mean [SD], 62.2 [14.3] to 55.6 [15.8], t = 6.5, df = 197, p < 0.0001). Overall, 43% of participants achieved a 30% improvement in their level of agitation. The specific attributable benefits of BPST cannot be determined from an open trial. However, the BPST therapy was feasible and was successfully delivered according to an operationalized manual. The encouraging outcome indicates the need for a randomized controlled trial of BPST.

  13. The extent of the influence and flux estimation of volatile mercury from the aeration pool in a typical coal-fired power plant equipped with a seawater flue gas desulfurization system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun, Lumin; Feng, Lifeng; Yuan, Dongxing; Lin, Shanshan; Huang, Shuyuan; Gao, Liangming; Zhu, Yong

    2013-01-01

    Before being discharged, the waste seawater from the flue gas desulfurization system of coal-fired power plants contains a large amount of mercury, and is treated in aeration pools. During this aeration process, part of the mercury enters the atmosphere, but only very limited impact studies concerning this have been carried out. Taking a typical Xiamen power plant as an example, the present study targeted the elemental mercury emitted from the aeration pool. Concentrations of dissolved gaseous mercury as high as 1.14 ± 0.17 ng·L −1 were observed in the surface waste seawater in the aeration pool, and gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) as high as 10.94 ± 1.89 ng·m −3 was found in the air above the pool. To investigate the area affected by this GEM through air transfer, the total mercury in the dust and topsoil samples around the aeration pool were analyzed. Much higher values were found compared to those at a reference site. Environmental factors other than solar radiation had limited influence on the concentrations of the mercury species in the pool. A simulation device was built in our laboratory to study the flux of mercury from the aeration pool into the air. The results showed that more than 0.59 kg of mercury was released from the aeration pool every year, occupying 0.3% of the total mercury in the waste seawater. The transfer of mercury from water to air during the aeration pool and its environmental influence should not be ignored. - Highlights: ► High concentration of volatile mercury was observed in the aeration pool. ► More than 0.3% of total discharged Hg emitted from the pool into the air. ► Higher aeration rate resulted in more mercury emitted into the air. ► The dust and topsoil around the pool were polluted with the mercury

  14. Effects of Aeration of Sawdust Cultivation Bags on Hyphal Growth of Lentinula edodes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Hwa-Yong; Ham, Eun-Ju; Yoo, Young-Jin; Kim, Eui-Sung; Shim, Kyu-Kwang; Kim, Myung-Kon; Koo, Chang-Duck

    2012-09-01

    The effects of aeration through lid filters on the hyphal growth of Lentinula edodes (oak mushroom) in sawdust cultivation bags were investigated. The aeration treatment levels were traditional 27 mm hole cotton plugs, cotton balls and combinations of seven hole sizes × two hole positions (up and under) in the lids covering plastic bags containing 1.4 kg sawdust medium at 63% moisture that had been autoclaved for one hour and inoculated with sawdust spawn of L. edodes strain 921. Aeration treatment effects were measured based on the CO(2) concentration at the 15th wk, as well as the hyphal growth rate and degree of weight loss of bags every 14 days for 15 wk. In bags with traditional cotton plugs, the CO(2) concentration was 3.8 ± 1.3%, daily mean hyphal growth was 2.3 ± 0.6 mm and daily mean weight loss was 0.84 ± 0.26 g. In the bags with 15 mm diameter holes, the CO(2) concentration was 6.0 ± 1.6%, daily hyphal growth was 2.8 ± 0.2 mm and daily weight loss was 0.86 ± 0.4 g. The bags with 15 mm holes had a higher CO(2) concentration and lower water loss than bags with other hole sizes, but the hyphal growth was not significantly different from that of other bags. The weight loss of bags increased proportionally relative to the lid hole sizes. Taken together, these results indicate that traditional cotton plugs are economically efficient, but 15 mm hole lids are the most efficient at maintaining hyphal growth and controlling water loss while allowing CO(2) emissions.

  15. Modeling and simulation of the bubble-induced flow in wine fermentation vessels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Schmidt Dominik

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Detailed flow pattern analyses regarding wine fermentations conducted without mechanical agitation are limited to lab-scale investigations, as industrial size measurements are expensive and difficult to realize. Computational fluid dynamic (CFD methods can offer an alternative and more flexible approach to gain insight into such bubble induced fluid flows. Therefore, the aim of this study was to transfer the findings of existing research onto a CFD model capable of capturing the three- dimensional flow pattern in industrial scale wine fermentation vessels. First results were obtained by using an extended version of the OpenFOAM® (v.2.2.x solver multiphaseEulerFoam for modeling the gas-liquid two phase system. With parameters from the most vigorous phase of wine fermentation a fully developed, unsteady flow regime could be established after approx. 120 s of real time. Thereby the groundwork for further evaluations of e.g. mixing efficiency or cooling equipment optimizations with CFD methods is laid.

  16. Automatic system for quantification and visualization of lung aeration on chest computed tomography images: the Lung Image System Analysis - LISA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Felix, John Hebert da Silva; Cortez, Paulo Cesar; Holanda, Marcelo Alcantara

    2010-01-01

    High Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) is the exam of choice for the diagnostic evaluation of lung parenchyma diseases. There is an increasing interest for computational systems able to automatically analyze the radiological densities of the lungs in CT images. The main objective of this study is to present a system for the automatic quantification and visualization of the lung aeration in HRCT images of different degrees of aeration, called Lung Image System Analysis (LISA). The secondary objective is to compare LISA to the Osiris system and also to specific algorithm lung segmentation (ALS), on the accuracy of the lungs segmentation. The LISA system automatically extracts the following image attributes: lungs perimeter, cross sectional area, volume, the radiological densities histograms, the mean lung density (MLD) in Hounsfield units (HU), the relative area of the lungs with voxels with density values lower than -950 HU (RA950) and the 15th percentile of the least density voxels (PERC15). Furthermore, LISA has a colored mask algorithm that applies pseudo-colors to the lung parenchyma according to the pre-defined radiological density chosen by the system user. The lungs segmentations of 102 images of 8 healthy volunteers and 141 images of 11 patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) were compared on the accuracy and concordance among the three methods. The LISA was more effective on lungs segmentation than the other two methods. LISA's color mask tool improves the spatial visualization of the degrees of lung aeration and the various attributes of the image that can be extracted may help physicians and researchers to better assess lung aeration both quantitatively and qualitatively. LISA may have important clinical and research applications on the assessment of global and regional lung aeration and therefore deserves further developments and validation studies. (author)

  17. Improvement of Hydraulic and Water Quality Renovation Functions by Intermittent Aeration of Soil Treatment Areas in Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David V. Kalen

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available We tested intermittent aeration of the soil treatment area (STA of onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS for its ability to restore and maintain STA hydraulic flow and improve the water quality functions of conventional OWTS. Evaluation was conducted on hydraulically-failed conventional OWTS at three state-owned medical group homes in Washington County, RI, USA. Testing was conducted in two phases, with Phase I (before intermittent soil aeration (ISA comprising the first 6 months of the study, and Phase II (during ISA the remaining 7 months. Intermittent soil aeration restored STA hydraulic function in all three systems despite a marked reduction in the STA total infiltrative surface. Soil pore water was collected from 30 and 90 cm below the STA during both phases and analyzed for standard wastewater parameters. Although the STA infiltrative surface was reduced—and the contaminant load per unit of area increased—after installation of the ISA system, no differences were observed between phases in concentration of total N, NO3, total P, or dissolved organic carbon (DOC. Apparent removal rates—which do not account for dilution or differences in infiltrative area—for total N, total P, and DOC remained the same or improved during Phase II relative to the pre-operation phase. Furthermore, intermittent soil aeration enhanced actual removal rates —which do account for dilution and differences in infiltrative area. The effects of ISA on actual removal of contaminants from STE increased with increasing hydraulic load—a counterintuitive phenomenon, but one that has been previously observed in laboratory studies. The results of our study suggest that intermittent soil aeration can restore and maintain hydraulic flow in the STA and enhance carbon and nutrient removal in conventional OWTS.

  18. Automatic system for quantification and visualization of lung aeration on chest computed tomography images: the Lung Image System Analysis - LISA

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Felix, John Hebert da Silva; Cortez, Paulo Cesar, E-mail: jhsfelix@gmail.co [Universidade Federal do Ceara (UFC), Fortaleza, CE (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia de Teleinformatica; Holanda, Marcelo Alcantara [Universidade Federal do Ceara (UFC), Fortaleza, CE (Brazil). Hospital Universitario Walter Cantidio. Dept. de Medicina Clinica

    2010-12-15

    High Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) is the exam of choice for the diagnostic evaluation of lung parenchyma diseases. There is an increasing interest for computational systems able to automatically analyze the radiological densities of the lungs in CT images. The main objective of this study is to present a system for the automatic quantification and visualization of the lung aeration in HRCT images of different degrees of aeration, called Lung Image System Analysis (LISA). The secondary objective is to compare LISA to the Osiris system and also to specific algorithm lung segmentation (ALS), on the accuracy of the lungs segmentation. The LISA system automatically extracts the following image attributes: lungs perimeter, cross sectional area, volume, the radiological densities histograms, the mean lung density (MLD) in Hounsfield units (HU), the relative area of the lungs with voxels with density values lower than -950 HU (RA950) and the 15th percentile of the least density voxels (PERC15). Furthermore, LISA has a colored mask algorithm that applies pseudo-colors to the lung parenchyma according to the pre-defined radiological density chosen by the system user. The lungs segmentations of 102 images of 8 healthy volunteers and 141 images of 11 patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) were compared on the accuracy and concordance among the three methods. The LISA was more effective on lungs segmentation than the other two methods. LISA's color mask tool improves the spatial visualization of the degrees of lung aeration and the various attributes of the image that can be extracted may help physicians and researchers to better assess lung aeration both quantitatively and qualitatively. LISA may have important clinical and research applications on the assessment of global and regional lung aeration and therefore deserves further developments and validation studies. (author)

  19. Confusion and Agitation after a Recent Kidney Transplantation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hussein Magdi

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available A 51-year-old man, who received a living related transplant from his wife and anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG as induction therapy, developed delayed graft function after transplantation. One day after he received an i.v. dose of ganciclovir, the patient developed hallucinations, confusion and agitation, which worsened the following day. CT-scan of the brain and cerebrospinal fluid were unremarkable. Ganciclovir-induced encepha-lopathy was considered the most likely reason for the patient′s neurological condition, since he recovered completely a few days after discontinuation of this drug. Since anti-CMV prophylactic treatment is now widely used after transplantation, a high index of suspicion is required to diagnose ganciclovir (or acyclovir induced neurotoxicity.

  20. NATURAL RESOURCE ABUNDANCE, EXPLOITATION AND AGITATION FOR RESOURCE CONTROL IN NIGERIA’S NIGER DELTA: A MARXIAN ANALYSIS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ogaboh AGBA

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Prolonged agitation for resource control in Nigeria’s Niger Delta has attracted increasing attention of academia and policy makers. Key issues are involved-fiscal federalism principles, resource control agitation strategies/intensities and politico-philosophical bases within constitutional and theoretical frameworks, past and present governments’ efforts aimed at resolving agitations by Niger Delta peoples for resource control have been examined from various traditional disciplinary perspectives in social sciences and humanities. This study explains conflicting postures of resources control, and dynamics of the struggle by applying fragments of the revolutionary Marxist ideology/ frameworks comprising Gramscian, Dialectical Materialism and the Frankfort School’s Critical Social and Neo-Marxist (conflict theoretical perspectives espoused by Lewis Coser and C. Wright Mills. We argue that sections of Nigeria’s laws (the Constitution, and 1978 Land Use Act that vested absolute land ownership/control authority on Nigeria’s Federal Government, among other obnoxious laws that promote marginalization of particular oppressed sections/strata of Nigeria’s population thereby provoking persistent conflicts, such laws are overdue for amendment. We recommend, among others, that: non-exploitative variety of federalism applied in Scandinavia (Norway, Switzerland, etc. should be implemented in Nigeria.

  1. Effects on Symptoms of Agitation and Depression in Persons With Dementia Participating in Robot-Assisted Activity: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jøranson, Nina; Pedersen, Ingeborg; Rokstad, Anne Marie Mork; Ihlebæk, Camilla

    2015-10-01

    To examine effects on symptoms of agitation and depression in nursing home residents with moderate to severe dementia participating in a robot-assisted group activity with the robot seal Paro. A cluster-randomized controlled trial. Ten nursing home units were randomized to either robot-assisted intervention or a control group with treatment as usual during 3 intervention periods from 2013 to 2014. Ten adapted units in nursing homes in 3 counties in eastern Norway. Sixty residents (67% women, age range 62-95 years) in adapted nursing home units with a dementia diagnosis or cognitive impairment (Mini-Mental State Examination score lower than 25/30). Group sessions with Paro took place in a separate room at nursing homes for 30 minutes twice a week over the course of 12 weeks. Local nurses were trained to conduct the intervention. Participants were scored on baseline measures (T0) assessing cognitive status, regular medication, agitation (BARS), and depression (CSDD). The data collection was repeated at end of intervention (T1) and at follow-up (3 months after end of intervention) (T2). Mixed models were used to test treatment and time effects. Statistically significant differences in changes were found on agitation and depression between groups from T0 to T2. Although the symptoms of the intervention group declined, the control group's symptoms developed in the opposite direction. Agitation showed an effect estimate of -5.51, CI 0.06-10.97, P = .048, and depression -3.88, CI 0.43-7.33, P = .028. There were no significant differences in changes on either agitation or depression between groups from T0 to T1. This study found a long-term effect on depression and agitation by using Paro in activity groups for elderly with dementia in nursing homes. Paro might be a suitable nonpharmacological treatment for neuropsychiatric symptoms and should be considered as a useful tool in clinical practice. Copyright © 2015 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care

  2. 40 CFR 63.173 - Standards: Agitators in gas/vapor service and in light liquid service.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... all times greater than the agitator stuffing box pressure; or (ii) Equipped with a barrier fluid... closed-loop system that purges the barrier fluid into a process stream. (2) The barrier fluid is not in...

  3. 40 CFR 65.109 - Standards: Agitators in gas/vapor service and in light liquid service.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... startup, shutdown, or malfunction) greater than the agitator stuffing box pressure; or (B) Equipped with a...-loop system that purges the barrier fluid into a process stream. (ii) The barrier fluid is not in light...

  4. Development of Process Control Methodology for Tracking the Quality and Safety of Pain, Agitation, and Sedation Management in Critical Care Units.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walsh, Timothy S; Kydonaki, Kalliopi; Lee, Robert J; Everingham, Kirsty; Antonelli, Jean; Harkness, Ronald T; Cole, Stephen; Quasim, Tara; Ruddy, James; McDougall, Marcia; Davidson, Alan; Rutherford, John; Richards, Jonathan; Weir, Christopher J

    2016-03-01

    To develop sedation, pain, and agitation quality measures using process control methodology and evaluate their properties in clinical practice. A Sedation Quality Assessment Tool was developed and validated to capture data for 12-hour periods of nursing care. Domains included pain/discomfort and sedation-agitation behaviors; sedative, analgesic, and neuromuscular blocking drug administration; ventilation status; and conditions potentially justifying deep sedation. Predefined sedation-related adverse events were recorded daily. Using an iterative process, algorithms were developed to describe the proportion of care periods with poor limb relaxation, poor ventilator synchronization, unnecessary deep sedation, agitation, and an overall optimum sedation metric. Proportion charts described processes over time (2 monthly intervals) for each ICU. The numbers of patients treated between sedation-related adverse events were described with G charts. Automated algorithms generated charts for 12 months of sequential data. Mean values for each process were calculated, and variation within and between ICUs explored qualitatively. Eight Scottish ICUs over a 12-month period. Mechanically ventilated patients. None. The Sedation Quality Assessment Tool agitation-sedation domains correlated with the Richmond Sedation Agitation Scale score (Spearman ρ = 0.75) and were reliable in clinician-clinician (weighted kappa; κ = 0.66) and clinician-researcher (κ = 0.82) comparisons. The limb movement domain had fair correlation with Behavioral Pain Scale (ρ = 0.24) and was reliable in clinician-clinician (κ = 0.58) and clinician-researcher (κ = 0.45) comparisons. Ventilator synchronization correlated with Behavioral Pain Scale (ρ = 0.54), and reliability in clinician-clinician (κ = 0.29) and clinician-researcher (κ = 0.42) comparisons was fair-moderate. Eight hundred twenty-five patients were enrolled (range, 59-235 across ICUs), providing 12,385 care periods for evaluation (range 655

  5. Positive effect of reduced aeration rate on growth and stereospecificity of DL-malic acid consumption by Azospirillum brasilense: improving the shelf life of a liquid inoculant formulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carrasco-Espinosa, Karen; García-Cabrera, Ramsés I; Bedoya-López, Andrea; Trujillo-Roldán, Mauricio A; Valdez-Cruz, Norma A

    2015-02-10

    Azospirillum brasilense has significance as a growth promoter in plants of commercial interest. Two industrial native strains (Start and Calf), used as a part of an inoculant formulation in Mexico during the last 15 years, were incubated in laboratory-scale pneumatic bioreactors at different aeration rates. In both strains, the positive effect of decreased aeration was observed. At the lowest (0.1 vvm, air volume/liquid volume×minute), the highest biomass were obtained for Calf (7.8 × 10(10)CFU/ml), and Start (2.9 × 10(9)CFU/ml). These were higher in one magnitude order compared to cultures carried out at 0.5 vvm, and two compared to those at 1.0 vvm. At lower aeration, both stereoisomeric forms of malic acid were consumed, but at higher aeration, just L-malate was consumed. A reduction in aeration allows an increase of the shelf life and the microorganism saved higher concentrations of polyhydroxybutyrate. The selected fermentation conditions are closely related to those prevalent in large-scale bioreactors and offer the possibility of achieving high biomass titles with high shelf life at a reduced costs, due to the complete use of a carbon source at low aeration of a low cost raw material as DL-malic acid mixture in comparison with the L-malic acid stereoisomer. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Fe(II) oxidation kinetics and Fe hydroxyphosphate precipitation upon aeration of anaerobic (ground)water

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Grift, B.; Griffioen, J.; Behrends, T.; Wassen, M.J.; Schot, P.P.; Osté, Leonard

    2015-01-01

    Exfiltration of anaerobic Fe-rich groundwater into surface water plays an important role in controlling the transport of phosphate (P) from agricultural areas to the sea. Previous laboratory and field studies showed that Fe(II) oxidation upon aeration leads to effective immobilization of dissolved P

  7. Enhanced Production of carboxymethylcellulase by a marine bacterium, Bacillus velezensis A-68, by using rice hulls in pilot-scale bioreactor under optimized conditions for dissolved oxygen.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Wa; Kim, Hye-Jin; Chung, Chung-Han; Lee, Jin-Woo

    2014-09-01

    The optimal conditions for the production of carboxymethylcellulase (CMCase) by Bacillus velezensis A-68 at a flask scale have been previously reported. In this study, the parameters involved in dissolved oxygen in 7 and 100 L bioreactors were optimized for the pilot-scale production of CMCase. The optimal agitation speed and aeration rate for cell growth of B. velezensis A-68 were 323 rpm and 1.46 vvm in a 7 L bioreactor, whereas those for the production of CMCase were 380 rpm and 0.54 vvm, respectively. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) implied that the highly significant factor for cell growth was the aeration rate, whereas that for the production of CMCase was the agitation speed. The optimal inner pressures for cell growth and the production of CMCase by B. velezensis A-68 in a 100 L bioreactor were 0.00 and 0.04 MPa, respectively. The maximal production of CMCase in a 100 L bioreactor under optimized conditions using rice hulls was 108.1 U/ml, which was 1.8 times higher than that at a flask scale under previously optimized conditions.

  8. Patient preferences for medicine administration for acute agitation: results from an internet-based survey of patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia in two Nordic countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jørgensen, Tine Rikke; Emborg, Charlotte; Dahlen, Karianne; Bøgelund, Mette; Carlborg, Andreas

    2018-01-01

    The objective was to elicit patient preferences for medicine administration method in the management of acute agitation episodes among patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. The patients' experiences of acute agitation episodes and their management of episodes were also explored. Data were collected via an anonymous, internet-based survey of residents in Denmark or Sweden with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder (October 2014 to December 2014). Inclusion criteria were having a diagnosis of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, and being above 18 years of age. The questionnaire included questions about preferences for medication attributes, experiences with pharmacological treatment for agitation and involvement in treatment plans. A total of 237 diagnosed patients (61 with schizophrenia; 176 with bipolar disorder) completed the questionnaire. Agitation episodes were experienced by 90% of the respondents. In total, 83% of the respondents reported having received treatment with tablets. When patients were presented with the attributes of an inhalation method, respondents stated that the fast onset of action, low risk of adverse reactions and least invasive form of drug delivery were positive attributes of treatment with inhalation. Inhalation is a new delivery route for treatment of acute agitation in patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. Inhalation is the preferred treatment method for acute agitation among Danish and Swedish patients with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.

  9. Litter aeration and spread of Salmonella in broilers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bodí, Sara González; Garcia, Arantxa Villagra; García, Santiago Vega; Orenga, Clara Marín

    2013-08-01

    Litter quality in the poultry sector is one of the main parameters of health, productivity, and animal welfare. Therefore, innovative management methods have been developed to improve the quality of litter. One of them is litter aeration (LA) by tumbling. However, there is little information related to the effect of this technique on the spreading of pathogens of public health importance such as Salmonella. In this context, the objective of this study was to determine the epidemiology of Salmonella in poultry farms, when serial LA were implemented during the rearing cycle of broilers. For this purpose, an experimental broiler farm with 3 identical rooms was used in the study. Two rooms were assigned to the LA treatment, and the other one served as the control room. Environmental samples were taken in poultry houses after LA in 4 consecutive weeks at the end of the cycle. All samples collected were analyzed according to the standards of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 6579:2002, Annex D). The results of this study showed that in the control and treated rooms, the percentage of positive samples for Salmonella decreased in the first 3 LA sessions (LA 1, LA 2, and LA 3). However, in the last LA session of rearing (LA 4), the percentage of positive samples increased from 8.2 to 33.2% in the control room instead the treated rooms where the positive samples decreased (P = 0.017). Thus, the aeration of the litter as litter management technique in poultry broiler production does not increase the shedding or the spread of Salmonella throughout broiler houses. In addition, it could be an effective technique to reduce the infective pressure of this bacterium in several areas of the farm or in certain moments of the rearing period with more risk of multiplication and spreading of Salmonella.

  10. Research on the Efficiency of Drinking Water Aeration Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrius Styra

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available A number of modern iron removal systems used in individual houses do not work properly. One of the reasons could be inappropriate work of the aeration system. Therefore, the aim of this research is to analyze three types of jet pumps used in individual houses in Lithuania and compare the amount of sucked oxygen with demand for dissolved oxygen the amount of which is calculated. When summarizing the results of research, it was discovered that the ejector worked unstable when flow was low, and therefore stable operation require additional pressure.Article in Lithuanian

  11. Characterizing the flow of stirred vessels with anchor type impellers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S.M.C. Peixoto

    2000-12-01

    Full Text Available Despite its importance in chemical industries, there are few works which studies anchor type impellers and only a fraction of the works investigate these systems under a computational approach. The great majority refers to turbine impellers, specially Rushton turbines, under turbulent flow. Anchor impellers are used specially for highly viscous flow, typical of polymer reactions. The viscosity is normally in the range 1000-10000 cp. Since this range of viscosity describe highly viscous flows, the reactions for anchor agitated systems are normally carried out under laminar flow. This work presents a detailed computational fluid dynamics (CFD approach to study the behaviour of stirred vessels using anchor impellers. The axial plane of the tank, which is being modelled, is divided into small control volumes, which collectively is referred to as the mesh, or grid. In each of these cells the momentum balance, energy and mass conservation, which describes the model, are rewritten algebraically using the finite volumes method to relate such variables as velocity, pressure and temperature to values in neighbouring cells. The equations are then solved numerically, and the results yield the flow corresponding to the model. Since the geometry of a vessel with anchor impellers strictly calls for a three dimensional method, an approximation is made to account for the effect of the blades (Kuncewics, 1992. The main objective of this work is to give a detailed description of the flow generated by this axial impeller with a view to indicate ways in which the design and operation of these systems can be improved.

  12. Aeration to degas CO2, increase pH, and increase iron oxidation rates for efficient treatment of net alkaline mine drainage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kirby, C.S.; Dennis, A.; Kahler, A.

    2009-01-01

    Passive treatment systems for mine drainage use no energy other than gravity, but they require greater area than active treatment systems. Researchers are considering 'hybrid' systems that have passive and active components for increased efficiency, especially where space limitations render passive-only technology ineffective. Flow-through reactor field experiments were conducted at two large net-alkaline anthracite mine discharges in central Pennsylvania. Assuming an Fe removal rate of 20 g m -2 day -1 and Fe loading from field data, 3.6 x 10 3 and 3.0 x 10 4 m 2 oxidation ponds would be required for the passive treatment of Site 21 and Packer 5 discharges, respectively. However, only a small area is available at each site. This paper demonstrates aeration to drive off CO 2 , increase pH, and increase Fe(II) oxidation rates, enabling treatment within a small area compared to passive treatment methods, and introduces a geochemical model to accurately predict these rates as well as semi-passive treatment system sizing parameters. Both net-alkaline discharges were suboxic with a pH of ∼5.7, Fe(II) concentration of ∼16 mg L -1 , and low Mn and Al concentrations. Flow rates were ∼4000 L min -1 at Site 21 and 15,000 L min -1 at Packer 5. Three-h aeration experiments with flow rates scaled to a 14-L reactor resulted in pH increases from 5.7 to greater than 7, temperature increases from 12 to 22 deg. C, dissolved O 2 increases to saturation with respect to the atmosphere, and Fe(II) concentration decreases from 16 to -1 . A 17,000-L pilot-scale reactor at Site 21 produced similar results although aeration was not as complete as in the smaller reactor. Two non-aerated experiments at Site 21 with 13 and 25-h run times resulted in pH changes of ≤0.2 and Fe(II) concentration decreases of less than 3 mg L -1 . An Fe(II) oxidation model written in a differential equation solver matched the field experiments very well using field-measured pH, temperature, dissolved O 2

  13. Model-based evaluation of the role of Anammox on nitric oxide and nitrous oxide productions in membrane aerated biofilm reactor

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ni, Bing-Jie; Smets, Barth F.; Yuan, Zhiguo

    2013-01-01

    A multispecies one-dimensional biofilm model considering nitric oxide (NO) and nitrous oxide (N2O) productions for membrane aerated biofilm reactor (MABR) that remove nitrogen autotrophically through aerobic ammonia oxidation followed by Anammox is used to study the role of Anammox activity...... on the total nitrogen (TN) removal and the productions of NO and N2O. The model is applied to evaluate how periodic aeration as a control parameter reduces NO and N2O production but maintains high TN removal in MABR. The simulation results show over 3.5% of the removed TN could be attributed to NO and N2O...... production in MABR under the operational conditions optimal for TN removal (72%). An analysis of factors governing the Anammox activity in MABR shows that enhancing Anammox activity not only helps to achieve a high level of nitrogen removal but also reduces NO and N2O productions. Comparison of aeration...

  14. Removal of Iron and Manganese Using Cascade Aerator and Limestone Roughing Filter

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohd Sanusi Azrin

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Combination between oxidation and filtration can be used for removing iron and manganese from groundwater especially when the concentrations of these metals were high. This study focused on the effectiveness of the cascade aerator and the size of the limestone filter media to remove iron and manganese from groundwater. Water samples used for this study were collected from orphanage home, Rumah Nur Kasih, Taiping. Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM has provided a tube well of 15 m depth and 150 mm diameter for the orphanage home. However, the water cannot be used for domestic consumption due to high amount of iron and manganese at 6.48 and 1.9 mg/L which exceeded the drinking water standard of 0.3 and 0.1 mg/L respectively. Using laboratory physical model, the study has shown that the removals of iron and manganese have reduce the concentration until 0.17 and 0.2 mg/L respectively. Thus, the results from this study which utilize cascade aerator and limestone roughing filter could be implemented on site for the community to use the ground water for domestic purposes.

  15. Measuring information processing in a client with extreme agitation following traumatic brain injury using the Perceive, Recall, Plan and Perform System of Task Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nott, Melissa T; Chapparo, Christine

    2008-09-01

    Agitation following traumatic brain injury is characterised by a heightened state of activity with disorganised information processing that interferes with learning and achieving functional goals. This study aimed to identify information processing problems during task performance of a severely agitated adult using the Perceive, Recall, Plan and Perform (PRPP) System of Task Analysis. Second, this study aimed to examine the sensitivity of the PRPP System to changes in task performance over a short period of rehabilitation, and third, to evaluate the guidance provided by the PRPP in directing intervention. A case study research design was employed. The PRPP System of Task Analysis was used to assess changes in task embedded information processing capacity during occupational therapy intervention with a severely agitated adult in a rehabilitation context. Performance is assessed on three selected tasks over a one-month period. Information processing difficulties during task performance can be clearly identified when observing a severely agitated adult following a traumatic brain injury. Processing skills involving attention, sensory processing and planning were most affected at this stage of rehabilitation. These processing difficulties are linked to established descriptions of agitated behaviour. Fluctuations in performance across three tasks of differing processing complexity were evident, leading to hypothesised relationships between task complexity, environment and novelty with information processing errors. Changes in specific information processing capacity over time were evident based on repeated measures using the PRPP System of Task Analysis. This lends preliminary support for its utility as an outcome measure, and raises hypotheses about the type of therapy required to enhance information processing in people with severe agitation. The PRPP System is sensitive to information processing changes in severely agitated adults when used to reassess performance

  16. A systematic review of the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of sensory, psychological and behavioural interventions for managing agitation in older adults with dementia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Livingston, Gill; Kelly, Lynsey; Lewis-Holmes, Elanor; Baio, Gianluca; Morris, Stephen; Patel, Nishma; Omar, Rumana Z; Katona, Cornelius; Cooper, Claudia

    2014-06-01

    Agitation is common, persistent and distressing in dementia and is linked with care breakdown. Psychotropic medication is often ineffective or harmful, but the evidence regarding non-pharmacological interventions is unclear. We systematically reviewed and synthesised the evidence for clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions for reducing agitation in dementia, considering dementia severity, the setting, the person with whom the intervention is implemented, whether the effects are immediate or longer term, and cost-effectiveness. We searched twice using relevant search terms (9 August 2011 and 12 June 2012) in Web of Knowledge (incorporating MEDLINE); EMBASE; British Nursing Index; the Health Technology Assessment programme database; PsycINFO; NHS Evidence; System for Information on Grey Literature; The Stationery Office Official Documents website; The Stationery National Technical Information Service; Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature; and The Cochrane Library. We also searched Cochrane reviews of interventions for behaviour in dementia, included papers' references, and contacted authors about 'missed' studies. We included quantitative studies, evaluating non-pharmacological interventions for agitation in dementia, in all settings. We rated quality, prioritising higher-quality studies. We separated results by intervention type and agitation level. As we were unable to meta-analyse results except for light therapy, we present a qualitative evidence synthesis. In addition, we calculated standardised effect sizes (SESs) with available data, to compare heterogeneous interventions. In the health economic analysis, we reviewed economic studies, calculated the cost of effective interventions from the effectiveness review, calculated the incremental cost per unit improvement in agitation, used data from a cohort study to evaluate the relationship between health and social care costs and health-related quality

  17. Modeling of mixing in stirred bioreactors 4. mixing time for aerated bacteria, yeasts and fungus broths

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cascaval Dan

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available The mixing time for bioreactors depends mainly on the rheoiogicai properties of the broths, the biomass concentration and morphology, mixing system characteristics and fermentation conditions. For quantifying the influence of these factors on the mixing efficiency for stirred bioreactors, aerated broths of bacteria (P. shermanii, yeasts (S. cerevisiae and fungi (P. chrysogenum, free mycelia and mycelial aggregates of different concentrations have been investigated using a laboratory bioreactor with a double turbine impeller. The experimental data indicated that the influence of the rotation speed, aeration rate and stirrer positions on the mixing intensity strongly differ from one system to another and must be correlated with the microorganism characteristics, namely: the biomass concentration and morphology. Moreover, compared with non-aerated broths, variations of the mixing time with the considered parameters are very different, due to the complex flow mechanism of gas-liquid dispersions. By means of the experimental data and using a multiregression analysis method some mathematical correlations for the mixing time of the general form: tm = a1*Cx2+a2*Cx+a3*IgVa+a4-N2+a5-N+a6/a7*L2+a8*L+a9 were established. The proposed equations offer good agreement with the experiments, the average deviation being ±6.7% - ±9.4 and are adequate for the flow regime Re < 25,000.

  18. A randomized, controlled cross-over trial of dermally-applied lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) oil as a treatment of agitated behaviour in dementia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Connor, Daniel W; Eppingstall, Barbara; Taffe, John; van der Ploeg, Eva S

    2013-11-13

    Lavender essential oil shows evidence of sedative properties in neurophysiological and animal studies but clinical trials of its effectiveness as a treatment of agitation in people with dementia have shown mixed results. Study methods have varied widely, however, making comparisons hazardous. To help remedy previous methodological shortcomings, we delivered high grade lavender oil in specified amounts to nursing home residents whose agitated behaviours were recorded objectively. 64 nursing home residents with frequent physically agitated behaviours were entered into a randomized, single-blind cross-over trial of dermally-applied, neurophysiologically active, high purity 30% lavender oil versus an inactive control oil. A blinded observer counted the presence or absence of target behaviours and rated participants' predominant affect during each minute for 30 minutes prior to exposure and for 60 minutes afterwards. Lavender oil did not prove superior to the control oil in reducing the frequency of physically agitated behaviours or in improving participants' affect. Studies of essential oils are constrained by their variable formulations and uncertain pharmacokinetics and so optimal dosing and delivery regimens remain speculative. Notwithstanding this, topically delivered, high strength, pure lavender oil had no discernible effect on affect and behaviour in a well-defined clinical sample. Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN 12609000569202).

  19. The effect of magnesium sulphate infusion on the incidence and severity of emergence agitation in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy using sevoflurane anaesthesia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdulatif, M; Ahmed, A; Mukhtar, A; Badawy, S

    2013-10-01

    This randomised, controlled, double-blind study investigated the effects of intra-operative magnesium sulphate administration on the incidence of emergence agitation in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy using sevoflurane anaesthesia. Seventy children were randomly allocated to receive a 30 mg.kg(-1) bolus of intravenous magnesium sulphate after induction of anaesthesia followed by a continuous infusion of 10 mg.kg(-1).h(-1) or an equal volume of saline 0.9%. All children received titrated sevoflurane anaesthesia adjusted to maintain haemodynamic stability. The Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium scale and the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Score were used for the assessment of postoperative emergence agitation and pain, respectively. Emergence agitation was more common in the control group than in the magnesium group (23 (72%) and 12 (36%), respectively (p = 0.004)), with a relative risk of 0.51 (95% CI 0.31-0.84), an absolute risk reduction of 0.35 (95% CI 0.10-0.54), and number needed to treat of 3 (95% CI 2-9). Postoperative pain scores were comparable in the two groups. Magnesium sulphate reduces the incidence and severity of emergence agitation in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy using sevoflurane anaesthesia and is not associated with increased postoperative side-effects or delayed recovery. © 2013 The Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland.

  20. High Pressure Oxydesulphurisation of Coal—Effect of Oxidizing Agent, Solvent, Shear and Agitator Configuration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Moinuddin Ghauri

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The ambient temperature high pressure oxydesulphurisation technique was investigated to reduce the sulphur content. Prince of Wales coal was chosen for this study. The focus of the study was to investigate the reduction of both pyritic and organic sulphur while changing the KMnO4/Coal ratio, agitation speed, agitator configuration, and shear. The effect of different concentrations of acetone as a solvent and effect of particle size on the sulphur removal was also studied by a series of experimental runs at ambient temperature. Heating value recovery was found to be increased with the decreased KMnO4/Coal ratio and with decreased acetone concentration. It was found that sulphur removal was enhanced with the increase in shear using a turbine impeller. The effect of particle size was more significant on the pyritic sulphur removal as compared to the organic sulphur removal while heating value recovery was found to increase with decreased desulphurization tome for both, under atmospheric and high pressure.

  1. Evaluation of humic substances during co-composting of sewage sludge and corn stalk under different aeration rates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Shuyan; Li, Danyang; Li, Jijin; Li, Guoxue; Zhang, Bangxi

    2017-12-01

    Sewage sludge and corn stalk were co-composted under different aeration rates 0.12 (AR0.12), 0.24 (AR0.24), 0.36 (AR0.36)L·kg -1 DMmin -1 , respectively. Transformation of humic substance was evaluated by a series of chemical and spectroscopic methods to reveal compost humification. Results showed that aeration rate could significantly affect compost stability and humification process. Humic acid contents in AR0.24 were significantly higher than those in the other two treatments. The final humic acid/fulvic acid ratios in AR0.12, AR0.24 and AR0.36 treatment were 1.0, 1.9 and 0.8, respectively, corresponding to the final E 4 /E 6 of 4.7, 3.2 and 5.5. Moreover, compost in AR0.24 treatment had a high stability degree due to the low C/N atom ratio and high C/H atom ratio. However, it is noteworthy that composting could not significantly affect the structure of HA in a 35-day period. These results indicate that composting with the aeration rate of 0.24L·kg -1 DMmin -1 could accelerated the humification process. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. [A prospective cohort study of the risk factors of emergence agitation in pediatric after general anesthesia].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Hao; Tao, Fan; Wan, Hai-fang; Luo, Hong

    2012-05-08

    To evaluate risk factors associated with emergence agitation (EA) in pediatrics after general anesthesia. A prospective cohort study was conducted in 268 pediatric patients aged 2-9 years, who received general anesthesia for various operative procedures in our hospital between January 2008 and October 2011. The incidence of EA was assessed. Difficult parental-separation behavior, pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions, and adverse events were also recorded. Univariate and multivariate analysis were used to determine the factors associated with EA. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. One hundred and sixteen children (43.3%) had EA, with an average duration of 9.1 ± 6.6 minutes. EA associated with adverse events occurred in 35 agitated children (30.2%). From univariate analysis, factors associated with EA were difficult parental-separation behavior, preschool age (2 - 5 years), and general anesthesia with sevoflurane. However, difficult parental-separation behavior, and preschool age were the only factors significantly associated with EA in the multiple Logistic regression analysis with OR = 3.091 (95%CI: 1.688, 5.465, P < 0.01) and OR = 1.965 (95%CI: 1.112, 3.318, P = 0.024), respectively. The present study indicated that the incidence of EA was high in PACU. Preschool children and difficult parental-separation behavior were the predictive factors of emergence agitation.

  3. Selection of optimum conditions of medium acidity and aeration for submerget cultivation of Bacillus thuringiensis and Beauveria bassiana

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O. A. Dregval

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available The paper deals with the influence of medium pH and aeration rate on growth and sporulation of Bacillus thuringiensis and Вeauveria bassiana, which are main constituents of the complex microbial insecticide. It was established optimal medium pH for B. thuringiensis – 6.0 and for В. bassiana – 6.0–7.0. The maximum productivity of the studied microorganisms was observed in the same range of aeration – 7– 14 mmol O2/l/h. The selected conditions of cultivation are necessary for the production of complex biological insecticide based on the association of B. thuringiensis and B. bassiana.

  4. New aeration systems for higher efficiency in mine water treatment in the Lausitz region; Einsatz neuer Belueftungssysteme zur Effizienzsteigerung bei der Grubenwasserbehandlung in der Lausitz

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Janneck, E.; Glombitza, F. [G.E.O.S. Freiberg Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH, Freiberg (Germany); Schlee, K.; Arnold, I. [Vattenfall Europe Mining AG, Cottbus (Germany)

    2006-07-01

    The article presents experiences and results of the application of new aerator-systems in the mine water treatment. The processes of ferrous iron oxidation and sludge removal became more stable and efficiently by the application of the aerators. For the first time, spiral aerators were used in the Lower Lusatia lignite mining district to clean ferrous iron containing mine water. These devices lead to an enhanced iron oxidation rate under the existing conditions, where the oxygen diffusion is the rate determining step. Furthermore, the application caused increased throughput, optimal lime utilisation and better sludge thickening, which led to a higher efficiency of the mine water treatment. (orig.)

  5. Effect of Lorazepam With Haloperidol vs Haloperidol Alone on Agitated Delirium in Patients With Advanced Cancer Receiving Palliative Care: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hui, David; Frisbee-Hume, Susan; Wilson, Annie; Dibaj, Seyedeh S; Nguyen, Thuc; De La Cruz, Maxine; Walker, Paul; Zhukovsky, Donna S; Delgado-Guay, Marvin; Vidal, Marieberta; Epner, Daniel; Reddy, Akhila; Tanco, Kimerson; Williams, Janet; Hall, Stacy; Liu, Diane; Hess, Kenneth; Amin, Sapna; Breitbart, William; Bruera, Eduardo

    2017-09-19

    The use of benzodiazepines to control agitation in delirium in the last days of life is controversial. To compare the effect of lorazepam vs placebo as an adjuvant to haloperidol for persistent agitation in patients with delirium in the setting of advanced cancer. Single-center, double-blind, parallel-group, randomized clinical trial conducted at an acute palliative care unit at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Texas, enrolling 93 patients with advanced cancer and agitated delirium despite scheduled haloperidol from February 11, 2014, to June 30, 2016, with data collection completed in October 2016. Lorazepam (3 mg) intravenously (n = 47) or placebo (n = 43) in addition to haloperidol (2 mg) intravenously upon the onset of an agitation episode. The primary outcome was change in Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) score (range, -5 [unarousable] to 4 [very agitated or combative]) from baseline to 8 hours after treatment administration. Secondary end points were rescue neuroleptic use, delirium recall, comfort (perceived by caregivers and nurses), communication capacity, delirium severity, adverse effects, discharge outcomes, and overall survival. Among 90 randomized patients (mean age, 62 years; women, 42 [47%]), 58 (64%) received the study medication and 52 (90%) completed the trial. Lorazepam + haloperidol resulted in a significantly greater reduction of RASS score at 8 hours (-4.1 points) than placebo + haloperidol (-2.3 points) (mean difference, -1.9 points [95% CI, -2.8 to -0.9]; P haloperidol group required less median rescue neuroleptics (2.0 mg) than the placebo + haloperidol group (4.0 mg) (median difference, -1.0 mg [95% CI, -2.0 to 0]; P = .009) and was perceived to be more comfortable by both blinded caregivers and nurses (caregivers: 84% for the lorazepam + haloperidol group vs 37% for the placebo + haloperidol group; mean difference, 47% [95% CI, 14% to 73%], P = .007; nurses: 77% for the lorazepam

  6. Bathyphotometer bioluminescence potential measurements: A framework for characterizing flow agitators and predicting flow-stimulated bioluminescence intensity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Latz, Michael I.; Rohr, Jim

    2013-07-01

    Bathyphotometer measurements of bioluminescence are used as a proxy for the abundance of luminescent organisms for studying population dynamics; the interaction of luminescent organisms with physical, chemical, and biological oceanographic processes; and spatial complexity especially in coastal areas. However, the usefulness of bioluminescence measurements has been limited by the inability to compare results from different bathyphotometer designs, or even the same bathyphotometer operating at different volume flow rates. The primary objective of this study was to compare measurements of stimulated bioluminescence of four species of cultured dinoflagellates, the most common source of bioluminescence in coastal waters, using two different bathyphotometer flow agitators as a function of bathyphotometer volume flow rate and dinoflagellate concentration. For both the NOSC and BIOLITE flow agitators and each species of dinoflagellate tested, there was a critical volume flow rate, above which average bioluminescence intensity, designated as bathyphotometer bioluminescence potential (BBP), remained relatively constant and scaled directly with dinoflagellate cell concentration. At supra-critical volume flow rates, the ratio of BIOLITE to NOSC BBP was nearly constant for the same species studied, but varied between species. The spatial pattern and residence time of flash trajectories within the NOSC flow agitator indicated the presence of dominant secondary recirculating flows, where most of the bioluminescence was detected. A secondary objective (appearing in the Appendix) was to study the feasibility of using NOSC BBP to scale flow-stimulated bioluminescence intensity across similar flow fields, where the contributing composition of luminescent species remained the same. Fully developed turbulent pipe flow was chosen because it is hydrodynamically well characterized. Average bioluminescence intensity in a 2.54-cm i.d. pipe was highly correlated with wall shear stress and

  7. Effect of agitation rate on the production of antifungal metabolites by Streptomyces hygroscopicus in a lab-scale bioreactor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mitrović Ivana Ž.

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The application of antifungal compounds produced by microorganisms in the control of plant diseases caused by phytopathogenic fungi is a promising alternative to synthetic pesticides. Among phytopathogenic fungi, Alternaria alternata and Fusarium avenaceum are significant pathogens responsible for the storage rot of apple fruits. During storage, transport and marketing A. alternata and F. avenaceum can cause significant losses of apple fruits and their control is of great importance for the producers and consumers. In the present study, the effects of agitation rate on the production of antifungal methabolite( s by Streptomyces hygroscopicus in a 3-L lab-scale bioreactor (Biostat® Aplus, Sartorius AG, Germany against two isolates of A. alternata and two isolates of F. avenaceum were investigated. The cultivation of S. hygroscopicus was carried out at 27°C with agitation rates of 100 rpm and 200 rpm during 7 days. The aim was to analyze the bioprocess parameters of biofungicide production in a medium containing glycerol as a carbon source, and examine the effect of agitation rate on the production of antifungal metabolite(s. The in vitro antifungal activity of the produced metabolites against fungi from the genera Alternaria and Fusarium grown on potato dextrose agar medium was determined every 24 h using wells technique. In the experiments conducted in the bioreactor at different stirring speeds, it was found that the maximum production of antifungal metabolites occurred after 96 hours of cultivation. A higher consumption of nutrients and a larger inhibition zone diameter was registered in the experiment with an agitation rate of 200 rpm. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. TR-31002

  8. CHOICE THEORY OF CREEP DEFORMATION FOR EVALUATION OF LONG FINE-GRAINED AUTOCLAVED AERATED CONCRETE IN VIEW OF FACTORS CARBONIZATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. K-S. Bataev

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Experimental data on the effect of the age of autoclaved aerated concrete with and without carbonation factor to change its physical and mechanical characteristics, as well as by the amount of creep deformation and degree of reversibility. It was found that the solution of applied problems creep theory for structures of autoclaved aerated concrete, in accordance with their carbonation from the effects of atmospheric carbon dioxide, it is necessary to use the theory of elastic-creeping body on the basis of function creep measures in the form proposed by prof. S.V. Alexandrovsky. 

  9. 40 CFR 63.1009 - Agitators in gas and vapor service and in light liquid service standards.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ..., or malfunction) greater than the agitator stuffing box pressure; or (B) Equipped with a barrier fluid... purges the barrier fluid into a process stream. (ii) The barrier fluid is not in light liquid service...

  10. Effect of agitation speed on adsorption of imidacloprid on activated carbon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zahoor, M.

    2011-01-01

    The adsorptive characteristics of imidacloprid on powdered activated carbon were described. The adsorption experiments were carried out as function of time, initial concentration and agitation speed. The equilibrium data fits well to Langmuir adsorption isotherm, while the kinetic data fits well to Pseudo second order kinetic model. The kinetic experiments were carried out at 200, 250, 300 and 350 rpm and it was found that the equilibrium time increases with increase in initial concentration and decreases with increase in agitation speed. This is due to the increased turbulence and as a consequence, the decrease boundary layer thickness around the adsorbent particles as a result of increasing the degree of mixing. At 300 rpm the adsorption capacity was maximum and beyond this there was no significant increase in adsorption capacity. Weber intra particle diffusion model was used to describe the adsorption mechanism. It was found that both the boundary layer and intra particle diffusion for both adsorbents played important role in the adsorption mechanisms of the adsorbate. The effects of temperature and pH on adsorption were also studied. It was found that the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent decreases with increase in temperature. There was no significant change in adsorption from pH 2 to 8, however at high pH a decrease in adsorption of imidacloprid on activated carbon was observed. (author)

  11. Primo vessel inside a lymph vessel emerging from a cancer tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Sungwoo; Ryu, Yeonhee; Cha, Jinmyung; Lee, Jin-Kyu; Soh, Kwang-Sup; Kim, Sungchul; Lim, Jaekwan

    2012-10-01

    Primo vessels were observed inside the lymph vessels near the caudal vena cava of a rabbit and a rat and in the thoracic lymph duct of a mouse. In the current work we found a primo vessel inside the lymph vessel that came out from the tumor tissue of a mouse. A cancer model of a nude mouse was made with human lung cancer cell line NCI-H460. We injected fluorescent nanoparticles into the xenografted tumor tissue and studied their flow in blood, lymph, and primo vessels. Fluorescent nanoparticles flowed through the blood vessels quickly in few minutes, and but slowly in the lymph vessels. The bright fluorescent signals of nanoparticles disappeared within one hour in the blood vessels but remained much longer up to several hours in the case of lymph vessels. We found an exceptional case of lymph vessels that remained bright with fluorescence up to 24 hours. After detailed examination we found that the bright fluorescence was due to a putative primo vessel inside the lymph vessel. This rare observation is consistent with Bong-Han Kim's claim on the presence of a primo vascular system in lymph vessels. It provides a significant suggestion on the cancer metastasis through primo vessels and lymph vessels. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  12. 40 CFR 63.1028 - Agitators in gas and vapor service and in light liquid service standards.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... agitator stuffing box pressure; or (B) Equipped with a barrier fluid degassing reservoir that is routed to... barrier fluid into a process stream. (ii) The barrier fluid is not in light liquid service. (iii) Each...

  13. Effect of auxotrophies on yeast performance in aerated fed-batch reactor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Landi, Carmine; Paciello, Lucia [Dept. Ingegneria Industriale, Universita di Salerno, Via Ponte Don Melillo, 84084 Fisciano, Salerno (Italy); Alteriis, Elisabetta de [Dept. Biologia Strutturale e Funzionale, Universita degli Studi di Napoli ' Federico II' , Via Cinthia, 80100 Napoli (Italy); Brambilla, Luca [Dept. Biotecnologie e Bioscienze, Universita Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza, 20126 Milano (Italy); Parascandola, Palma, E-mail: pparascandola@unisa.it [Dept. Ingegneria Industriale, Universita di Salerno, Via Ponte Don Melillo, 84084 Fisciano, Salerno (Italy)

    2011-10-28

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The paper contributes to fill the gap existing between the basic and applied research. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Mathematical model sheds light on the physiology of auxotrophic yeast strains. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Yeast behavior in fed-batch is influenced by biological and environmental determinants. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Process optimization would make possible the production of heterologous proteins which are not yet on the market. -- Abstract: A systematic investigation on the effects of auxotrophies on the performance of yeast in aerated fed-batch reactor was carried out. Six isogenic strains from the CEN.PK family of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, one prototroph and five auxotrophs, were grown in aerated fed-batch reactor using the same operative conditions and a proper nutritional supplementation. The performance of the strains, in terms of final biomass decreased with increasing the number of auxotrophies. Auxotrophy for leucine exerted a profound negative effect on the performance of the strains. Accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cells of the strain carrying four auxotrophies and its significant viability loss, were indicative of an oxidative stress response induced by exposure of cells to the environmental conditions. The mathematical model was fundamental to highlight how the carbon flux, depending on the number and type of auxotrophies, was diverted towards the production of increasingly large quantities of energy for maintenance.

  14. Effect of auxotrophies on yeast performance in aerated fed-batch reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Landi, Carmine; Paciello, Lucia; Alteriis, Elisabetta de; Brambilla, Luca; Parascandola, Palma

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: ► The paper contributes to fill the gap existing between the basic and applied research. ► Mathematical model sheds light on the physiology of auxotrophic yeast strains. ► Yeast behavior in fed-batch is influenced by biological and environmental determinants. ► Process optimization would make possible the production of heterologous proteins which are not yet on the market. -- Abstract: A systematic investigation on the effects of auxotrophies on the performance of yeast in aerated fed-batch reactor was carried out. Six isogenic strains from the CEN.PK family of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, one prototroph and five auxotrophs, were grown in aerated fed-batch reactor using the same operative conditions and a proper nutritional supplementation. The performance of the strains, in terms of final biomass decreased with increasing the number of auxotrophies. Auxotrophy for leucine exerted a profound negative effect on the performance of the strains. Accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cells of the strain carrying four auxotrophies and its significant viability loss, were indicative of an oxidative stress response induced by exposure of cells to the environmental conditions. The mathematical model was fundamental to highlight how the carbon flux, depending on the number and type of auxotrophies, was diverted towards the production of increasingly large quantities of energy for maintenance.

  15. Radiation-induced degradation of D-fructose in aerated condition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kito, Yukio; Kawakishi, Shunro; Namiki, Mitsuo

    1981-01-01

    Gamma-radiolysis of fructose in aqueous solution under aerated conditions formed various oxidized products, such as dicarbonyl hexoses, lower molecular aldoses and aldonic acids. Among these radiolytic products, D-arabinohexosulose (1, G = 2.2) and D-threo-2,5-hexodiulose (2, G = 1.5) were identified as major hexose derivatives, and D-threo-2,3-hexodiulose (3) and D-lyxo-hexos-5-ulose (4) as minor products. The radiolytic processes were found to be derived through fructose radicals, similarly to anaerobic radiolysis of fructose. The mechanism of radiolysis was proposed to be initiated by hydrogen abstraction with hydroxyl radical, followed by formation and degradation of fructose hydroperoxy radicals. (author)

  16. [New medical approach to out-of-hospital treatment of psychomotor agitation in psychiatric patients: a report of 14 cases].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cester-Martínez, Armando; Cortés-Ramas, José Antonio; Borraz-Clares, Diego; Pellicer-Gayarre, Marta

    2017-06-01

    This case series explored the usefulness of an inhaled dose of 9.1 mg of loxapine administered outside the hospital to treat psychomotor agitation related to schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or schizoaffective disorder. The Clinical Global Impression Scale and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (excitement component) were used to assess the effects of treatment in 14 patients. The treatment was useful in 12 patients, who showed significant improvement (Pagitation related to a psychiatric disorder. Mechanical restraint and parenteral medication can be avoided after use of this drug. Loxapine treatment shortens the agitation episode and attenuates the impact on the patient, facilitating ambulance transfer.

  17. Intramuscular olanzapine versus intramuscular aripiprazole for the treatment of agitation in patients with schizophrenia: A pragmatic double-blind randomized trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kittipeerachon, Mantana; Chaichan, Warawat

    2016-10-01

    To evaluate and compare the effectiveness and adverse effects of intramuscular (IM) olanzapine and IM aripiprazole for the treatment of agitated patients with schizophrenia in clinical practice. A 24-hour randomized double-blind study carried out at a psychiatric hospital in Thailand enrolled adult patients (18-65years old) with schizophrenia experiencing agitation. Patients received one dose of IM olanzapine or IM aripiprazole followed by routine oral psychotropic medications. Efficacy was primarily measured using the Excited Component of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS-EC). A total of 80 patients with a PANSS-EC score range of 22-35 entered the study, of whom 13% had a medical comorbidity and 40% a history of active substance abuse. The 40 patients receiving IM olanzapine showed greater improvement than the 40 patients receiving IM aripiprazole in PANSS-EC scores at 2h after the injection (p=0.002) but not at 24h. The two treatments were well tolerated. Patients receiving IM olanzapine experienced greater somnolence than those receiving IM aripiprazole. There were no clinically relevant changes in vital signs in either group. The results indicate that IM olanzapine and aripiprazole are similarly effective and well tolerated in the real-world treatment of agitation associated with schizophrenia over the first 24h. However, in the early hours, IM olanzapine may produce more sedation and reductions in agitation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. The improvement of thermal characteristics of autoclave aerated concrete for energy efficient high-rise buildings application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khavanov, Pavel; Fomina, Ekaterina; Kozhukhova, Natalia

    2018-03-01

    Nowadays, the problem of energy saving is very relevant. One of the ways to reduction energy consumption in construction materials production and construction of civil and industrial high-rise buildings is the application of claddings with heat-insulating performance. The concept of energy efficiency of high-rise buildings is closely related to environmental aspect and sustainability of applied construction materials; reducing service costs; energy saving and microclimate comfortability. A complexity of architectural and structural design as well as aesthetic characteristics of construction materials are also should be considered. The high interest focused on materials with combined properties. This work is oriented on the study of energy efficiency of buildings by improving heat-insulation and strength performance of autoclave aerated concrete. The applied method of sulfate activation of lime allows monitoring phase and structure formation in aerated concrete. The optimal mix design of aerated concrete with the compressive strength up to 8.5 MPa and decreased density up to 760 kg/m3 was proposed. Analysis of structure at macro-and microscale was performed as well as the criteria of an optimal porosity formation was considered a number, size, shape of pore and density of interior partition. SEM analysis and BET method were performed in this research work. The research results demonstrated the correlation between structure and vapor permeability resistance, also it was found that the increase of strength can lead to reduction of thermal conductivity.

  19. Effects of aeration and internal recycle flow on nitrous oxide emissions from a modified Ludzak-Ettinger process fed with glycerol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Kang; Suenaga, Toshikazu; Harper, Willie F; Hori, Tomoyuki; Riya, Shohei; Hosomi, Masaaki; Terada, Akihiko

    2015-12-01

    Nitrous oxide (N2O) is emitted from a modified Ludzak-Ettinger (MLE) process, as a primary activated sludge system, which requires mitigation. The effects of aeration rates and internal recycle flow (IRF) ratios on N2O emission were investigated in an MLE process fed with glycerol. Reducing the aeration rate from 1.5 to 0.5 L/min increased gaseous the N2O concentration from the aerobic tank and the dissolved N2O concentration in the anoxic tank by 54.4 and 53.4 %, respectively. During the period of higher aeration, the N2O-N conversion ratio was 0.9 % and the potential N2O reducers were predominantly Rhodobacter, which accounted for 21.8 % of the total population. Increasing the IRF ratio from 3.6 to 7.2 decreased the N2O emission rate from the aerobic tank and the dissolved N2O concentration in the anoxic tank by 56 and 48 %, respectively. This study suggests effective N2O mitigation strategies for MLE systems.

  20. Energy Dissipation Rate in an Agitated Crucible Containing Molten Metal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Tao; Shimasaki, Shin-ichi; Narita, Shunsuke; Taniguchi, Shoji

    2017-10-01

    The energy dissipation rate (EDR) is an important parameter for characterizing the behavior of inclusion coagulation in agitated molten metal. To clarify the inclusion coagulation mechanism, we review previous water model studies by particularly focusing on the relation between the impeller torque and the EDR of the fluid, which indicates the ratio of energy dissipated in the viscous medium to the energy inputted by the rotating impeller. In the present study, simulations coupled with experiments were performed to determine the relation between the torque and the effective EDR for water and liquid Al in crucibles with and without baffles.