DIFFERENT SOURCES OF INOCULUM TO THE BOKASHI PROVIDES DISTINCT EFFECTS ON THE SOIL QUALITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juliana Cristina Scotton

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Bokashi soil conditioner aims to assist in the resilience of natural microbiota and its associated functions. Currently, there are several formulations of this conditioner, however, little is known about the influence of the sources of inoculum on the quality of the same. This study objective was to evaluate the effects of different sources of bokashi inoculum on microbiological and physical attributes of the soil. The experiment was conducted in tubes designated as microcosms, incubated at 24 °C for 32 days, with 4 treatments and 10 replications: C - control; SI - bokashi bran without inoculum; IN1 - bokashi with forest inoculum; IN2 - bokashi with consortium inoculum. The microbiological parameters of colony forming units of fungi and bacteria, microbial biomass carbon, basal soil respiration, metabolic and microbial quotient were evaluated. Among the physical parameters evaluated were dispersed clay, geometric mean diameter and organic carbon. The data were submitted to ANOVA and the measurements compared by the Tukey test at 5%. The fungal density was significantly higher for SI and IN1, as compared to the other treatments. In regards to the bacteria, there was an increase for IN1, in comparison with the control. The IN1 treatment demonstrated higher microbial activity and higher C uptake in the soil. Regarding the physical attributes, there was greater clay dispersion for IN2 and greater GMD for C. The bokashi formulation with forest inoculum and cropping field provides higher microbiological quality to the soil under controlled conditions.

Increasing Biogas Production Rate from Cattle Manure Using Rumen Fluid as Inoculums

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Budiyono Budiyono

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Normal 0 false false false IN X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 In this study, rumen fluid of animal ruminant was used as inoculums to increase biogas production rate from cattle manure at mesophilic condition. A series of laboratory experiments using 400 ml biodigester were performed in batch operation mode. Given 100 grams of fresh cattle manure (M was fed to each biodigester and mixed with rumen fluid (R and tap water (W in several ratio resulting six different M:W:R ratio contents i.e. 1:1:0; 1:0.75:0.25; 1:0.5:0.5; 1:0.25:0.75; and 1:0:1 (correspond to 0; 12.5; 25, 37.5; 50, and 100 % rumen, respectively and six different total solid (TS contents i.e. 2.6, 4.6, 6.2, 7.4, 9.2, 12.3, and 18.4 %. The operating temperatures were at room temperature. The results showed that the rumen fluid inoculated to biodigester significantly effected the biogas production. Rumen fluid inoculums caused biogas production rate and efficiency increase more than two times in compare to manure substrate without rumen fluid inoculums. The best performance for biogas production was the digester with rumen fluid and TS content in the range of 25-50 % and 7.4 and 9.2 %, respectively. These results suggest that, based on TS content effects to biogas yield, rumen fluid inoculums exhibit the similar effect with other inoculums. Increasing rumen content will also increase biogas production. Due to the optimum total solid (TS content for biogas production between 7-9 % (or correspond to more and less manure and total liquid 1:1, the rumen fluid content of 50 % will give the best performance for biogas production. The future work will be carried out to study the dynamics of biogas production if both the rumen fluid inoculums and manure are fed in the continuous system Normal 0 false false false IN X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Doi: 10.12777/ijse.6.1.31-38 [How to cite this article: Budiyono, Widiasa, I.N., Johari, S. and Sunarso. (2014. Increasing Biogas

Hairy nightshade as a potential Potato leafroll virus (Luteoviridae: Polerovirus) inoculum source in Pacific Northwest potato ecosystems.

Science.gov (United States)

Srinivasan, R; Alvarez, J M

2008-09-01

Hairy nightshade, Solanum sarrachoides, is a solanaceous weed found abundantly in Pacific Northwest potato ecosystems. It serves as a reservoir for one of the important potato viruses, Potato leafroll virus (PLRV) (Luteoviridae: Polerovirus), and its most important vector, the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Homoptera: Aphididae). Laboratory research indicated an increased green peach aphid settling and performance on S. sarrachoides than on potato. It also revealed that green peach aphids transmitted PLRV more efficiently from S. sarrachoides to potato than from potato to potato. To test the efficiency of S. sarrachoides as an inoculum source in the field, a two season (2004 and 2005) trial was conducted at Kimberly, Idaho. Two inoculum sources, PLRV-infected potato and PLRV-infected S. sarrachoides, were compared in this trial. Green peach aphid density and temporal and spatial PLRV spread were monitored at weekly intervals. Higher densities of green peach aphids were observed on plots with S. sarrachoides and inoculum sources (PLRV-infected S. sarrachoides and potato) than on plots without S. sarrachoides and inoculum sources. PLRV infection in plots with PLRV-infected S. sarrachoides was similar to or slightly higher than in plots with PLRV-infected potato as an inoculum source. Temporal and spatial PLRV spread was similar in plots with either inoculum source. Thus, S. sarrachoides is as efficient as or a better PLRV inoculum source than potato.

The Growth of Root Rot Disease on Pepper Seed Applied by Trichoderma Harzianum Inoculum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Sofian

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Normal 0 false false false IN X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Root rot disease on pepper caused by Phytophthora capsici is one of the most important diseases on pepper. The using of antagonistic fungus of Trichoderma harzianum as a biological control agent of the pathogen is one of the important alternatives in controlling P. capsici without causing negative effects on the environment. The objectives of the research were to study about the ability of T. harzianum inoculum application in inhibiting the development of root-rot disease, influenced the growth of pepper seed, to studythe effective length time application of T. harzianum inoculum in inhibiting the development of root rot disease, and increased the growth of pepper seedlings. This research was arranged in a completely randomized design, with five treatments of length time application of T. harzianum inoculum i.e. control treatment without applicationtime of T. harzianum inoculum (K, application time of T. harzianum inoculum for 0 week (S0, application time of T. harzianum inoculum for 1 week (S1, application time of T. harzianum inoculum for two weeks (S2, application time of T. harzianum inoculum for three weeks (S3, and application time of T. harzianum inoculum for 4 weeks (S4 before planting. Each treatment was repeated15 times. The observed parameterswere disease percentage, the inhibition of antagonistic fungus, disease infection rate, plant height, number of leaves, wet and dry weight of plant, stem and leaves on pepper seed, and P. capsici population density. The result showed that application time of T. harzianum inoculumfor 4 weeks (S4 before planting is the most effective time in inhibiting the development of root rot disease than the other treatment sand also had significant effect on increasing the growth of pepper seed. The antagonism test showed that T. harzianum could inhibit P. capsiciin vitro. This result proves that application time of T. harzianum inoculums

Effect of storage duration on frozen inoculum to be used for the in vitro gas production technique in rabbit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonino Nizza

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The present study aimed to investigate the effect of storage duration of frozen inoculum on fermentation parametersobtained with the in vitro gas production technique. Two non-predigested diets differing in chemical composition andespecially crude fibre content (low fibre diet: 13.8%; high-fibre diet: 22.6% were ground to pass a 1 mm screen andsubjected to fermentation with the same inoculum frozen for different periods: after 1 month (inoculum 1, after 2months (inoculum 2 and after 3 months (inoculum 3. The inoculum used was obtained from the caecal content of 75-day-old NZW rabbits. After defrosting, the caecal content was diluted with the medium 1:1 (V/V and squeezed throughsix layers of gauze to obtain the inoculum. The substrate affected several fermentation parameters. In particular, thehigh-fibre diet had lower potential and cumulative gas production (A = ml/g 220 vs 256; P vs 221; P acids (mmol/g 56.2 vs 49.8; P P values of degraded organic matter (62.4%, 62.7% and 62.7% respectively for inocula 1, 2 and 3 and similarproduction of VFA (54.0, 52.2 and 52.8 mmol/g, respectively for inocula 1, 2 and 3. This research showed it is possibleto use frozen inoculum for at least 3 months and in this time interval obtain the same parameters of in vitro fermentation.

Activation of inoculum microorganism from dairy cattle feces

Science.gov (United States)

Ayuningtyas, Widya D.; Ridwan, Roni; Joni, I. M.; Marlina, E. T.; Harlia, Ellin

2018-02-01

Coal produces Coal Bed Methane (CBM) which is formed both biogenically and thermogenically. Lignite is not utilized optimally because it has low heat content and productivity time limit that decreases CBM production. In order to utilize lignite waste, adding inoculum consortium microorganism from dairy cattle waste as starter for biogas process can be a solution. This study aimed to produce inoculum consortium microorganism as biogas starter from dairy cattle feces through in vitro activation process by Theoudorou modification method. The research used complete randomized design with 3 replications. The treatments were blank (R0), 100% concentrate (R1), 70% concentrate+30% grass (R2), 70% grass+30% concentrate (R3) and 100% grass (R4). All treatments were added by buffer solution and feces with ratio of 2:1 into 100 ml serum injection bottle with anaerobic conditions. The parameters observed were gas production, pH and gas kinetics (orskov's equation) for 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 24 and 48 hours. The results showed that the treatment had significant effect (P <0.05) on the observed parameters. The highest total gas production was for R2 and R3 treatments with total production of 91.17 ml and 101.17 ml, pH (6.62 and 6.57), maximum gas production (94.03 and 97.62 ml), speed of gas production (0.066 and 0.084 ml/hour). There is not a significant difference for both the treatments. The source of inoculum consortium microorganisms for biogas starter selected based on the observed parameters and potential availability of proteolytic and fibrocytic microorganisms is R2 (70% concentrate +30% grass).

Selection of inoculum size and Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain for ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

SAM

2014-07-02

Jul 2, 2014 ... The aim of this work was to select an inoculum concentration and a ... (UFPEDA 1238 and UFPEDA 1334) were used to ferment a culture medium containing .... quantified by HPLC (Agilent HP 1100, Germany) in an Aminex.

Development of a robust, versatile, and scalable inoculum train for the production of a DNA vaccine.

Science.gov (United States)

Okonkowski, J; Kizer-Bentley, L; Listner, K; Robinson, D; Chartrain, M

2005-01-01

For many microbial fermentation processes, the inoculum train can have a substantial impact on process performance in terms of productivity, profitability, and process control. In general, it is understood that a well-characterized and flexible inoculum train is essential for future scale-up and implementation of the process in a pilot plant or manufacturing setting. A fermentation process utilizing E. coli DH5 for the production of plasmid DNA carrying the HIV gag gene for use as a vaccine is currently under development in our laboratory. As part of the development effort, we evaluated inoculum train schemes that incorporate one, two, or three stages. In addition, we investigated the effect of inoculum viable-cell concentrations, either thawed or actively growing, over a wide range (from 2.5 x 10(4) to 1.0 x 10(8) viable cells/mL or approximately 0.001% to 4% of final working volume). The various inoculum trains were evaluated in terms of final plasmid yield, process time, reproducibility, robustness, and feasibility at large scale. The results of these studies show that final plasmid yield remained in the desired range, despite the number of stages or inoculation viable-cell concentrations comprising the inoculum train. On the basis of these observations and because it established a large database, the first part of these investigations supports an exceptional flexibility in the design of scalable inoculum trains for this DNA vaccine process. This work also highlighted that a slightly higher level of process reproducibility, as measured by the time for the culture to reach mid-exponential growth, was observed when using actively growing versus frozen cells. It also demonstrated the existence of a viable-cell concentration threshold for the one-stage process, since we observed that inoculation of the production stage with very low amounts of viable cells from a frozen source could lead to increased process sensitivity to external factors such as variation in the

The Study Of Metalworking Fluids Biodegradability By Indirect Measurement Of Bacterial Inoculum Respiration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gerulová Kristína

2015-06-01

Full Text Available An apparatus for measuring biodegradability of metalworking fluids (MWFs was constructed according to (1, based on the Zahn-Wellens test which enables a continuous determination of CO2 production by the change in conductivity of absorption solution. Results obtained from the testing of 8 different MWFs by this modified method were compared to those obtained in standardized OECD 302 B. The comparison showed better description of bacterial inoculum activity in tested solution; lag phase was easy to indicate. Tested emulsion achieved the level of primary degradability 39.7 – 40.8 %, and semi-synthetics 19.1 – 43.5%. The samples of synthetics where the degradation level reached 43.9 - 58.6 % were identified as the most degradable metalworking fluids.

Fermentation of Ammonia Fiber Expansion Treated and Untreated Barley Straw in a Rumen Simulation Technique Using Rumen Inoculum from Cattle with Slow versus Fast Rate of Fiber Disappearance.

Science.gov (United States)

Griffith, Candace L; Ribeiro, Gabriel O; Oba, Masahito; McAllister, Tim A; Beauchemin, Karen A

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of rumen inoculum from heifers with fast vs. slow rate of in situ fiber digestion on the fermentation of complex versus easily digested fiber sources in the forms of untreated and Ammonia Fiber Expansion (AFEX) treated barley straw, respectively, using an artificial rumen simulation technique (Rusitec). In situ fiber digestion was measured in a previous study by incubating untreated barley straw in the rumen of 16 heifers fed a diet consisting of 700 g/kg barley straw and 300 g/kg concentrate. The two heifers with fastest rate of digestion (Fast ≥ 4.18% h -1 ) and the two heifers with the slowest rate of digestion (Slow ≤ 3.17% h -1 ) were chosen as inoculum donors for this study. Two Rusitec apparatuses each equipped with eight fermenters were used in a completely randomized block design with two blocks (apparatus) and four treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments (Fast or Slow rumen inoculum and untreated or AFEX treated straw). Fast rumen inoculum and AFEX straw both increased ( P 0.05) methane production per gram of digested material for both untreated and AFEX straw, and reduced (interaction, P < 0.05) acetate: propionate ratio for untreated straw. Greater relative populations of Ruminococcus albus ( P < 0.05) and increased microbial N production ( P = 0.045) were observed in Fast rumen inoculum. AFEX straw in Fast inoculum had greater total bacterial populations than Slow, but for untreated straw this result was reversed (interaction, P = 0.013). These findings indicate that differences in microbial populations in rumen fluid contribute to differences in the capacity of rumen inoculum to digest fiber.

Reactor performances and microbial communities of biogas reactors: effects of inoculum sources.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Sheng; Liu, Yafeng; Zhang, Shicheng; Luo, Gang

2016-01-01

Anaerobic digestion is a very complex process that is mediated by various microorganisms, and the understanding of the microbial community assembly and its corresponding function is critical in order to better control the anaerobic process. The present study investigated the effect of different inocula on the microbial community assembly in biogas reactors treating cellulose with various inocula, and three parallel biogas reactors with the same inoculum were also operated in order to reveal the reproducibility of both microbial communities and functions of the biogas reactors. The results showed that the biogas production, volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations, and pH were different for the biogas reactors with different inocula, and different steady-state microbial community patterns were also obtained in different biogas reactors as reflected by Bray-Curtis similarity matrices and taxonomic classification. It indicated that inoculum played an important role in shaping the microbial communities of biogas reactor in the present study, and the microbial community assembly in biogas reactor did not follow the niche-based ecology theory. Furthermore, it was found that the microbial communities and reactor performances of parallel biogas reactors with the same inoculum were different, which could be explained by the neutral-based ecology theory and stochastic factors should played important roles in the microbial community assembly in the biogas reactors. The Bray-Curtis similarity matrices analysis suggested that inoculum affected more on the microbial community assembly compared to stochastic factors, since the samples with different inocula had lower similarity (10-20 %) compared to the samples from the parallel biogas reactors (30 %).

Anaerobic biodegradability of Category 2 animal by-products: methane potential and inoculum source.

Science.gov (United States)

Pozdniakova, Tatiana A; Costa, José C; Santos, Ricardo J; Alves, M M; Boaventura, Rui A R

2012-11-01

Category 2 animal by-products that need to be sterilized with steam pressure according Regulation (EC) 1774/2002 are studied. In this work, 2 sets of experiments were performed in mesophilic conditions: (i) biomethane potential determination testing 0.5%, 2.0% and 5.0% total solids (TS), using sludge from the anaerobic digester of a wastewater treatment plant as inoculum; (ii) biodegradability tests at a constant TS concentration of 2.0% and different inoculum sources (digested sludge from a wastewater treatment plant; granular sludge from an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor; leachate from a municipal solid waste landfill; and sludge from the slaughterhouse wastewater treatment anaerobic lagoon) to select the more adapted inoculum to the substrate in study. The higher specific methane production was of 317 mL CH(4)g(-1) VS(substrate) for 2.0% TS. The digested sludge from the wastewater treatment plant led to the lowest lag-phase period and higher methane potential rate. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of inoculum type and bulk dissolved oxygen concentration on achieving partial nitrification by entrapped-cell-based reactors.

Science.gov (United States)

Rongsayamanont, Chaiwat; Limpiyakorn, Tawan; Khan, Eakalak

2014-07-01

An entrapment of nitrifiers into gel matrix is employed as a tool to fulfill partial nitrification under non-limiting dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations in bulk solutions. This study aims to clarify which of these two attributes, inoculum type and DO concentration in bulk solutions, is the decisive factor for partial nitrification in an entrapped-cell based system. Four polyvinyl alcohol entrapped inocula were prepared to have different proportions of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) and nitrite-oxidizing activity. At a DO concentration of 3 mg l(-1), the number of active NOB cells in an inoculum was the decisive factor for partial nitrification enhancement. However, when the DO concentration was reduced to 2 mg l(-1), all entrapped cell inocula showed similar degrees of partial nitrification. The results suggested that with the lower bulk DO concentration, the preparation of entrapped cell inocula is not useful as the DO level becomes the decisive factor for achieving partial nitrification. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inoculum of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for production systems: science meets business

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Gianinazzi, S.; Vosátka, Miroslav

2004-01-01

Roč. 82, - (2004), s. 1264-1271 ISSN 0008-4026 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z6005908 Keywords : Inoculum production * mycorrhiza applications Subject RIV: EF - Botanics Impact factor: 1.194, year: 2004

The water kefir grain inoculum determines the characteristics of the resulting water kefir fermentation process.

Science.gov (United States)

Laureys, D; De Vuyst, L

2017-03-01

To investigate the influence of the water kefir grain inoculum on the characteristics of the water kefir fermentation process. Three water kefir fermentation processes were started with different water kefir grain inocula and followed as a function of time regarding microbial species diversity, community dynamics, substrate consumption profile and metabolite production course. The inoculum determined the water kefir grain growth, the viable counts on the grains, the time until total carbohydrate exhaustion, the final metabolite concentrations and the microbial species diversity. There were always 2-10 lactic acid bacterial cells for every yeast cell and the majority of these micro-organisms was always present on the grains. Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus hilgardii, Lactobacillus nagelii and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were always present and may be the key micro-organisms during water kefir fermentation. Low water kefir grain growth was associated with small grains with high viable counts of micro-organisms, fast fermentation and low pH values, and was not caused by the absence of exopolysaccharide-producing lactic acid bacteria. The water kefir grain inoculum influences the microbial species diversity and characteristics of the fermentation process. A select group of key micro-organisms was always present during fermentation. This study allows a rational selection of a water kefir grain inoculum. © 2016 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Effect of mushroom ( Pleurotus tuber-regium ) inoculums on crude ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Pollution of soils by crude oil in Niger-Delta of Nigeria has brought untold hardship to the inhabitants of the region. This study was carried out in 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 to determine the effect of Pleurotus tuber-regium (mushroom) inoculums on crude oil polluted soil on stover and grain yields and as well as cob length ...

Biochemical methane potential (BMP) of artichoke waste: the inoculum effect.

Science.gov (United States)

Fabbri, Andrea; Serranti, Silvia; Bonifazi, Giuseppe

2014-03-01

The aim of this work was to investigate anaerobic digestibility of artichoke waste resulting from industrial transformation. A series of batch anaerobic digestion tests was performed in order to evaluate the biochemical methane potential of the matrix in respect of the process. A comparison of the different performances of the laboratory-scale reactors operating in mesophilic conditions and utilizing three different values of the inoculum/substrate ratio was carried out. The best performance was achieved with an inoculum/substrate ratio of 2. Artichoke-processing byproducts showed a classical organic waste decomposition behaviour: a fast start-up phase, an acclimation stage, and a final stabilization phase. Following this approach, artichoke waste reached chemical oxygen demand removal of about 90% in 40 days. The high methane yield (average 408.62 mL CH4 gvs (-1) voltatile solids), makes artichoke waste a good product to be utilized in anaerobic digestion plants for biogas production.

[In vitro simulation of rabbit cecal fermentation in a semi- continuous flow fermentor. II. Effect of inoculum type].

Science.gov (United States)

Adjiri, D; Bouillier-Oudot, M; Lebas, F; Candau, M

1992-01-01

Two Rusitec fermentors were operated under identical conditions. One was seeded with an inoculum of rabbit caecal contents, and the other with bovine rumen contents. The fermentation substrate was rabbit feed that had been digested with amylase and pepsin. The substrate constituents (organic matter, OM and NDF) were lost in 48 h at a significantly higher rate in the presence of rumen inoculum (OM: +10%, NDF: +15%). The pHs of the 2 fermentors were similar at pH 6.6. The fermentors produced similar amounts of protein nitrogen per 24 h, after 6 d of adaptation. Volatile fatty acid production was slightly higher in the presence of rumen inoculum. The fermentor inoculated with rumen contents produced a higher percentage of propionic acid (25%) than of butyric acid (7%), while fermentation with rabbit caecal contents gave the opposite ratio (C3/C4 = 0.81). Consequently, only the rabbit caecal inoculum provided the fermentation profile characteristic of the species.

A rapid culture system uninfluenced by an inoculum effect increases reliability and convenience for drug susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Yong-Gyun; Kim, Hyejin; Lee, Sangyeop; Kim, Suyeoun; Jo, EunJi; Kim, Eun-Geun; Choi, Jungil; Kim, Hyun Jung; Yoo, Jungheon; Lee, Hye-Jeong; Kim, Haeun; Jung, Hyunju; Ryoo, Sungweon; Kwon, Sunghoon

2018-06-05

The Disc Agarose Channel (DAC) system utilizes microfluidics and imaging technologies and is fully automated and capable of tracking single cell growth to produce Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) drug susceptibility testing (DST) results within 3~7 days. In particular, this system can be easily used to perform DSTs without the fastidious preparation of the inoculum of MTB cells. Inoculum effect is one of the major problems that causes DST errors. The DAC system was not influenced by the inoculum effect and produced reliable DST results. In this system, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of the first-line drugs were consistent regardless of inoculum sizes ranging from ~10 3 to ~10 8 CFU/mL. The consistent MIC results enabled us to determine the critical concentrations for 12 anti-tuberculosis drugs. Based on the determined critical concentrations, further DSTs were performed with 254 MTB clinical isolates without measuring an inoculum size. There were high agreement rates (96.3%) between the DAC system and the absolute concentration method using Löwenstein-Jensen medium. According to these results, the DAC system is the first DST system that is not affected by the inoculum effect. It can thus increase reliability and convenience for DST of MTB. We expect that this system will be a potential substitute for conventional DST systems.

Anaerobic biodigestion of sugarcane vinasse under mesophilic conditions using manure as inoculum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Eduardo de Farias Silva

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Sugarcane vinasse is one of the most polluting residues produced by Brazilian ethanol industries, mainly because of its harmful effects on the environmental, such as high organic matter load and acidity. Anaerobic digestion is a highly efficient wastewater treatment method that could potentially be used to treat sugarcane vinasse. This study examined the anaerobic biodigestion of sugarcane vinasse in mesophilic conditions (30 - 45°C by varying the inoculum concentration (0.5 to 5.5% and pH (6 - 8. Changes of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD, total solids content, and yield and composition of biogas after the biodigestion of the vinasse were assessed. The vinasse was efficiently digested under mesophilic anaerobic conditions over a 23-day Hydraulic Retention Time (HRT and a 5-day acidogenic phase with a consequent reduction of COD (54 - 83% and total solids (52 - 87%. Statistical analyses at a confidence level of 95% suggested that temperature, pH and inoculum concentration did not influence on the anaerobic biodigestion of the vinasse. The optimal operating parameters were found to be temperatures of 30 - 35°C, inoculum concentration of 0.5% and pH of 6 - 7. The results emphasize the promising use of the treated sugarcane vinasse as a biofertilizer for agriculture, indicating that the anaerobic digestion process is an excellent alternative for Brazilian ethanol industries.

Effect of Verticillium dahliae soil inoculum levels on spinach seed infection

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sapkota, Rumakanta; Olesen, Merete Halkjær; Deleuran, Lise Christina

2016-01-01

Verticillium dahliae is a soilborne pathogen and a threat to spinach seed production. The aim of this study was to understand the relation between V. dahliae soil inoculum and infection in harvested seed. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used for quantification of the pathogen. Semifield...... experiments in which spinach was grown in soils with different inoculum levels enabled us to determine a threshold level for V. dahliae DNA of 0.003 ng/g of soil for seed infection to occur. Soils from production fields were sampled in 2013 and 2014 during and before planting, as well as the harvested seed....... Seed from plants grown in infested soils were infected with V. dahliae in samples from both the semifield and open-field experiments. Lower levels of pathogen were found in seed from spinach grown in soils with a scattered distribution of V. dahliae (one or two positive of three soil subsamples) than...

Fermentation of Ammonia Fiber Expansion Treated and Untreated Barley Straw in a Rumen Simulation Technique using Rumen Inoculum from Cattle with Slow Versus Fast Rate of Fiber Disappearance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karen Ann Beauchemin

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of rumen inoculum from heifers with fast vs. slow rate of in situ fiber digestion on the fermentation of complex versus easily digested fiber sources in the forms of untreated and Ammonia Fiber Expansion (AFEX treated barley straw, respectively, using an artificial rumen simulation technique (Rusitec. In situ fiber digestion was measured in a previous study by incubating untreated barley straw in the rumen of sixteen heifers fed a diet consisting of 700 g/kg barley straw and 300 g/kg concentrate. The two heifers with fastest rate of digestion (Fast > 4.18 % h-1 and the two heifers with the slowest rate of digestion (Slow 0.05 methane per gram of digested material for both untreated and AFEX straw, and reduced (interaction, P < 0.05 acetate: propionate ratio for untreated straw. Greater relative populations of Ruminococcus albus (P < 0.05 and increased microbial N production (P = 0.045 were observed in Fast rumen inoculum. AFEX straw in Fast inoculum had greater total bacterial populations than Slow, but for untreated straw this result was reversed (interaction, P = 0.013. These findings indicate that differences in microbial populations in rumen fluid contribute to differences in the capacity of rumen inoculum to digest fiber.

Use of disposable reactors to generate inoculum cultures for E. coli production fermentations.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahajan, Ekta; Matthews, Timothy; Hamilton, Ryan; Laird, Michael W

2010-01-01

Disposable technology is being used more each year in the biotechnology industry. Disposable bioreactors allow one to avoid expenses associated with cleaning, assembly and operations, as well as equipment validation. The WAVE bioreactor is well established for Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) production, however, it has not yet been thoroughly tested for E. coli production because of the high oxygen demand and temperature maintenance requirements of that platform. The objective of this study is to establish a robust process to generate inoculum for E. coli production fermentations in a WAVE bioreactor. We opted not to evaluate the WAVE system for production cultures because of the high cell densities required in our current E. coli production processes. Instead, the WAVE bioreactor 20/50 system was evaluated at laboratory scale (10-L) to generate inoculum with target optical densities (OD(550)) of 15 within 7-9 h (pre-established target for stainless steel fermentors). The maximum settings for rock rate (40 rpm) and angle (10.5) were used to maximize mass transfer. The gas feed was also supplemented with additional oxygen to meet the high respiratory demand of the culture. The results showed that the growth profiles for the inoculum cultures were similar to those obtained from conventional stainless steel fermentors. These inoculum cultures were subsequently inoculated into 10-L working volume stainless steel fermentors to evaluate the inocula performance of two different production systems during recombinant protein production. The results of these production cultures using WAVE inocula showed that the growth and recombinant protein production was comparable to the control data set. Furthermore, an economic analysis showed that the WAVE system would require less capital investment for installation and operating expenses would be less than traditional stainless steel systems. (c) 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers

Cefazolin high-inoculum effect in methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus from South American hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Rincón, Sandra; Reyes, Jinnethe; Carvajal, Lina Paola; Rojas, Natalia; Cortés, Fabián; Panesso, Diana; Guzmán, Manuel; Zurita, Jeannete; Adachi, Javier A; Murray, Barbara E; Nannini, Esteban C; Arias, Cesar A

2013-12-01

Clinical failures with cefazolin have been described in high-inoculum infections caused by methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) producing type A β-lactamase. We investigated the prevalence of the cefazolin inoculum effect (InE) in MSSA from South American hospitals, since cefazolin is used routinely against MSSA due to concerns about the in vivo efficacy of isoxazolyl penicillins. MSSA isolates were recovered from bloodstream (n = 296) and osteomyelitis (n = 68) infections in two different multicentre surveillance studies performed in 2001-02 and 2006-08 in South American hospitals. We determined standard-inoculum (10(5)cfu/mL) and high-inoculum (10(7) cfu/mL) cefazolin MICs. PFGE was performed on all isolates that exhibited a cefazolin InE. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and sequencing of part of blaZ were performed on representative isolates. The overall prevalence of the cefazolin InE was 36% (131 isolates). A high proportion (50%) of MSSA isolates recovered from osteomyelitis infections exhibited the InE, whereas it was observed in 33% of MSSA recovered from bloodstream infections. Interestingly, Ecuador had the highest prevalence of the InE (45%). Strikingly, 63% of MSSA isolates recovered from osteomyelitis infections in Colombia exhibited the InE. MLST revealed that MSSA isolates exhibiting the InE belonged to diverse genetic backgrounds, including ST5, ST8, ST30 and ST45, which correlated with the prevalent methicillin-resistant S. aureus clones circulating in South America. Types A (66%) and C (31%) were the most prevalent β-lactamases. Our results show a high prevalence of the cefazolin InE associated with type A β-lactamase in MSSA isolates from Colombia and Ecuador, suggesting that treatment of deep-seated infections with cefazolin in those countries may be compromised.

Effect of pH and inoculum size on pentachlorophenol degradation ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The success of this depends on finding strains able to degrade PCP in a changeable environment. The aim of this work was to study the influence of pH of the medium and the effect of inoculum size on pentachlorophenol degradation by Pseudomonas sp. A study of PCP degradation kinetics was performed to assess such ...

Effect of inoculum-substrate ratio on acclimatization of pharmaceutical effluent in an anaerobic batch reactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Muruganandam, B; Saravanane, R; Lavanya, M; Sivacoumar, R

2008-07-01

Anaerobic treatment has gained tremendous success over the past two decades for treatment of industrial effluents. Over the past 30 years, the popularity of anaerobic wastewater treatment has increased as public utilities and industries have utilized its considerable benefits. Low biomass production, row nutrient requirements and the energy production in terms of methane yield are the significant advantages over aerobic treatment process. Due to the disadvantages reported in the earlier investigations, during the past decade, anaerobic biotechnology now seems to become a stable process technology in respect of generating a high quality effluent. The objective of the present experimental study was to compare the biodegradability of recalcitrant effluent (pharmaceutical effluent) for various inoculum-substrate ratios. The batch experiments were conducted over 6 months to get effect of ratio of inoculum-substrate on the acclimatization of pharmaceutical effluent. The tests were carried out in batch reactors, serum bottles, of volume 2000 mL and plastic canes of 10000 mL. Each inoculum was filled with a cow dung, sewage and phosphate buffer. The batch was made-up of diluted cow dung at various proportions of water and cow dung, i.e., 1:1 and 1:2 (one part of cow dung and one part of water by weight for 1:1). The bottles were incubated at ambient temperature (32 degrees C-35 degrees C). The bottles were closed tightly so that the anaerobic condition is maintained. The samples were collected and biodegradability was measured once in four days. The bottles were carefully stirred before gas measurement. The substrate was added to a mixture of inoculum and phosphate nutrients. The variations in pH, conductivity, alkalinity, COD, TS, TVS, VSS, and VFA were measured for batch process. The biogas productivity was calculated for various batches of inoculum-substrate addition and conclusions were drawn for expressing the biodegradability of pharmaceutical effluent on

Effect of Trichoderma on horticultural seedlings' growth promotion depending on inoculum and substrate type.

Science.gov (United States)

Marín-Guirao, J I; Rodríguez-Romera, P; Lupión-Rodríguez, B; Camacho-Ferre, F; Tello-Marquina, J C

2016-10-01

The biostimulant effect of Trichoderma spp. on horticultural crops are highly variable. Thus, practical use of Trichoderma sp. requires feasible formulated products and suitable substrates. This study evaluates the survival and the growth-promotion effect of a Trichoderma saturnisporum rice formulation compared with a nonformulated conidia suspension (seven treatments in total), on tomato, pepper and cucumber seedlings grown in two substrates: (i) rich in organic matter (OM) and (ii) mineral substrate without OM. The results showed beneficial effects on seedling growth in the OM-rich substrate when T. saturnisporum rice formulation (mainly at maximum concentration) was applied, but the effects were opposite when the mineral substrate without OM was used. The effects were closely linked to the level of inoculum in the substrate, which was greater upon application of the formulated inoculum as opposed to the nonformulated one. The use of rice to prepare the inoculum of T. saturnisporum seems to be promising for seedling growth in the nursery when it is applied in a substrate that is rich in organic matter, but it must be considered that under certain conditions of food shortage, Trichoderma sp. could show pathogenicity to seedlings. This study provides evidence of the complexity inherent in the use of micro-organisms in agriculture, while also confirming that the activity of the biofertilizers based on Trichoderma depends on the type of inoculum and its concentration, as well as the properties of the medium in which the fungi develop. Further studies assessing the effectiveness or possible pathogenicity of Trichoderma in different soils under greenhouse conditions must be addressed. © 2016 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Fermentation of Rice Straw Uses Mix Inoculum of Anaerobe Facultative Bacteria Isolate from Buffalo Rumen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sasongko, W. T.; Irawan Sugoro

2004-01-01

Rice straw quality could be increased as feed by fermentation which has been mixed with bacteria inoculum from buffalo rumen. This experiment used rice straw from Atomita 4, four treatments and one control, i.e. A (rice straw, molasses 5 %, urea 5 %, and inoculum 10 %), B (rice straw, molasses 5 %, and urea 5 %), C (rice straw, molasses 5 %, and inoculum 10 %), D (rice straw and molasses 5 %), and K (control) have been used in this experiment. The parameters were digestibility of dry matter and organic matter, VFA, ammonia and in vitro gas production. The result, showed that the highest gas production, dry matter and organic matter digestibility occurred on A i.e. 17.48 ml/200 mg, 57.78%, and 52.39 %. The highest ammonia occurred on D (32.99 mg/100 ml) and the highest VFA occurred on C (12.36 mmol/100 ml). The concentration of ammonia and VFA of A significant to treatment of D and C). It may be concluded that the A treatment is the best and have potency to be develop. (author)

Effects of sludge inoculum and organic feedstock on active microbial communities and methane yield during anaerobic digestion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David eWilkins

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Anaerobic digestion (AD is a widespread microbial technology used to treat organic waste and recover energy in the form of methane (biogas. While most AD systems have been designed to treat a single input, mixtures of digester sludge and solid organic waste are emerging as a means to improve efficiency and methane yield. We examined laboratory anaerobic cultures of AD sludge from two sources amended with food waste, xylose, and xylan at mesophilic temperatures, and with cellulose at meso- and thermophilic temperatures, to determine whether and how the inoculum and substrate affect biogas yield and community composition. All substrate and inoculum combinations yielded methane, with food waste most productive by mass. Pyrosequencing of transcribed bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA showed that community composition varied across substrates and inocula, with differing ratios of hydrogenotrophic/acetoclastic methanogenic archaea associated with syntrophic partners. While communities did not cluster by either inoculum or substrate, additional sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene in the source sludge revealed that the bacterial communities were influenced by their inoculum. These results suggest that complete and efficient AD systems could potentially be assembled from different microbial inocula and consist of taxonomically diverse communities that nevertheless perform similar functions.

Comparison of buffalo rumen liquor and buffalo faeces as inoculum for the in vitro gas production technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Piccolo

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The in vitro gas production technique (IVGPT, Theodorou et al., 1994 requires a rumen liquor (RL inoculum, as the other methods utilising a microbial fermentation approach to feedstuff evaluation. However, the RL is collected either from animals fitted with rumen cannula or at slaughtering. This raises a number of practical, economical and ethical problems, thus several studies have been carried out to test alternative inocula. To this aim faeces (FA have been demonstrated to have high potentiality for the Tilley and Terry (1963 technique (El Saher et al., 1987; Akther et al., 1999; Cone et al., 2002. Mauricio et al. (2001, evaluating the forages fermentative characteristics by IVGPT, found lower potential gas production and longer lag times for bovine FA compared to RL as inoculum. Aim of present paper was to compare buffalo RL and FA as inoculum for IVGPT.

Influence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculum produced on-farm and phosphorus on growth and nutrition of native woody plant species from Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luis Claudio Goetten

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Mycorrhizal fungus inoculum produced on-farm can be used during production of woody plant seedlings to reduce costs associated with purchase of commercial inoculant and fertilization. This study aimed to test the efficiency of a mycorrhizal inoculant produced on-farm to promote growth and nutrition of woody species in combination with different levels of phosphorus. Plants were submitted to different treatments of phosphorus (0, 40 and 80 mg P/dm3 and mycorrhizal inoculation (uninoculated, and inoculation with Rhizophagus clarus [Rc] or Claroideoglomus etunicatum [Ce]. Species included were Luehea divaricata, Centrolobium robustum, Schinus terebinthifolius, Garcinia gardneriana, Cedrella fissilis, and Lafoensia pacari. The inoculum was produced using the on-farm methodology. Mycorrhizal colonization of plants inoculated with Rc and Ce ranged from 44.8 to 74.8%, except forGarcinia gardneriana. Inoculation treatment increased plant height and stem diameter of Luehea divaricata, Centrolobium robustum and Cedrella fissilis while phosphorus, inoculation and the interaction affected these parameters for G. gardneriana and Lafoensia pacari. Shoot biomass increased significantly with inoculation treatment in four species. For most species, mycorrhizal fungus inoculation and the addition of phosphorus increased the shoot phosphorus content. Mycorrhizal fungus inoculum produced on-farm successfully colonized tree seedlings and improved growth and/or nutrition under nursery conditions, producing seedlings useful for revegetation of degraded lands.

Synergism of cattle and bison inoculum on ruminal fermentation and select bacterial communities in an artificial rumen (Rusitec fed barley straw

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniela B Oss

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This study evaluated the effect of increasing the proportion of bison relative to cattle inoculum on fermentation and microbial populations within an artificial rumen (Rusitec. The experiment was a completely randomized design with a factorial treatment structure (proportion cattle:bison inoculum; 0:100, 33:67, 67:33 and 100:0 replicated in two Rusitec apparatuses (n=8 fermenters. The experiment was 15 d with 8 d of adaptation and 7 d of sampling. Fermenters were fed a diet of 70:30 barley straw:concentrate (DM basis. True digestibility of DM was determined after 48 h of incubation from d 13-15, and daily ammonia (NH3 and volatile fatty acid (VFA production were measured on d 9-12. Protozoa counts were determined at d 9, 11, 13 and 15 and particle-associated bacteria (PAB from d 13-15. Select bacterial populations in the PAB were measured using RT-qPCR. Fermenter was considered the experimental unit and day of sampling as a repeated measure. Increasing the proportion of bison inoculum resulted in a quadratic effect (P0.05. Increasing bison inoculum linearly increased (P<0.05 concentrate aNDF disappearance, total and concentrate N disappearance as well as total daily VFA and acetate production. A positive quadratic response (P<0.05 was observed for daily NH3-N, propionate, butyrate, valerate, isovalerate and isobutyrate production, as well as the acetate:propionate ratio. Increasing the proportion of bison inoculum linearly increased (P<0.05 total protozoa numbers. No effects were observed on pH, total gas and methane production, microbial N synthesis, or copies of 16S rRNA associated with total bacteria, Selenomonas ruminantium or Prevotella bryantii. Increasing bison inoculum had a quadratic effect (P<0.05 on Fibrobacter succinogenes, and tended to linearly (P<0.10 increase Ruminococcus flavefaciens and decrease (P<0.05 Ruminococcus albus copy numbers. In conclusion, bison inoculum increased the degradation of feed protein and fibre. A mixture

Production of native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculum under different environmental conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yamir Torres-Arias

Full Text Available Abstract In order to obtain an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF native inoculum from Sierra de Moa and determine the most appropriate conditions for its big scale production, four light and temperature combinations were tested in three plant species (Calophyllum antillanum, Talipariti elatum and Paspalum notatum. Growth and development parameters, as well as the mycorrhizal functioning of the seedlings were evaluated. The natural light treatment under high temperatures (L-H was the most suitable for the growth and development of the three plant species, showing the highest total biomass values, mainly of root, and a positive root-shoot ratio balance. This treatment also promoted higher values of root mycorrhizal colonization, external mycelium and AMF spore density. A total of 38 AMF species were identified among the plants and environmental conditions tested. Archaeospora sp.1, Glomus sp.5, Glomus brohultii and G. glomerulatum were observed in all the treatments. The L-H condition can be recommended for native inoculum production, as it promotes a better expression of the AM symbiosis and an elevated production of mycorrhizal propagules.

Efficacy of Daptomycin Monotherapy and In Combination with β-lactams for Daptomycin-Susceptible Enterococcus faecium Harboring LiaSR Substitutions: Influence of The Inoculum Effect.

Science.gov (United States)

Kebriaei, Razieh; Rice, Seth A; Singh, Kavindra V; Stamper, Kyle C; Dinh, An Q; Rios, Rafael; Diaz, Lorena; Murray, Barbara E; Munita, Jose M; Tran, Truc T; Arias, Cesar A; Rybak, Michael J

2018-05-14

Enterococcus faecium that harbor LiaFSR substitutions but are phenotypically susceptible to daptomycin (DAP) by current breakpoints are problematic since predisposition to resistance may lead to therapeutic failure. Using a simulated endocardial vegetation (SEV) PK/PD model, we investigated DAP regimens (6, 8 and 10 mg/kg/day) as monotherapy and in combination with ampicillin (AMP), ceftaroline (CPT) or ertapenem (ERT) against E. faecium HOU503, a DAP-susceptible strain that harbors common LiaS and LiaR substitutions found in clinical isolates (T120S and W73C, respectively). Of interest, the efficacy of DAP monotherapy, at any dose regimen, was dependent on the size of the inoculum. At an inoculum of ∼10 9 CFU/g, DAP doses of 6-8 mg/kg/d were not effective and led to significant regrowth with emergence of resistant derivatives. In contrast, at an inoculum of ∼10 7 , marked reductions in bacterial counts were observed with DAP 6 mg/kg/d with no resistance. The inoculum effect was confirmed in a rat model using humanized DAP exposures. Combinations of DAP with AMP, CPT or ERT demonstrated enhanced eradication and reduced potential for resistance allowing for de-escalation of the DAP dose. Persistence of the LiaRS substitutions were identified in DAP-resistant isolates recovered from the SEV model and in DAP-resistant derivatives of an initially DAP-susceptible clinical isolate of E. faecium (HOU668) harboring LiaSR substitutions and recovered from a patient with a recurrent bloodstream infection. Our results provide novel data for the use of DAP monotherapy and combinations for recalcitrant E. faecium infections and paves the way for testing these approaches in humans. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.

Impact of relative humidity, inoculum carrier and size, and native microbiota on Salmonella ser. Typhimurium survival in baby lettuce.

Science.gov (United States)

López-Gálvez, Francisco; Gil, Maria Isabel; Allende, Ana

2018-04-01

The effects of relative humidity (RH), fluctuating climate conditions, inoculum size and carrier on the survival of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium on baby lettuce in environmental test chambers were studied. Buffered peptone water (BPW), distilled water (DW), and irrigation water (IW) were compared as inoculum carriers. Additionally, survival of Salmonella in suspensions prepared using filtered and unfiltered IW was assessed. Salmonella Typhimurium survived better on baby lettuce plants at high RH independently of the inoculum size. When lettuce plants were grown under fluctuating environmental conditions, Salmonella survival was similar under both RH conditions. Regarding the inoculum carrier, the inoculated microorganism survived better on lettuce plants when BPW was used as carrier both at high and low RH. Survival rate of Salmonella in IW was affected by the presence of native microbiota. Native microbiota present in IW did not affect survival of Salmonella or the levels of mesophilic bacteria on the baby lettuce leaves. The information obtained in the present study contributes to the knowledge on the effect of environmental conditions on pathogenic bacteria survival on growing edible plants. These results are useful when selecting the methodology to carry out experimental studies on the survival of microbial pathogens under different pre-harvest conditions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of carbon source and inoculum type on anaerobic biomass adhesion on polyurethane foam in reactors fed with acid mine drainage.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez, Renata P; Zaiat, Marcelo

2011-04-01

This paper analyzes the influence of carbon source and inoculum origin on the dynamics of biomass adhesion to an inert support in anaerobic reactors fed with acid mine drainage. Formic acid, lactic acid and ethanol were used as carbon sources. Two different inocula were evaluated: one taken from an UASB reactor and other from the sediment of a uranium mine. The values of average colonization rates and the maximum biomass concentration (C(max)) were inversely proportional to the number of carbon atoms in each substrate. The highest C(max) value (0.35 g TVS g(-1) foam) was observed with formic acid and anaerobic sludge as inoculum. Maximum colonization rates (v(max)) were strongly influenced by the type of inoculum when ethanol and lactic acid were used. For both carbon sources, the use of mine sediment as inoculum resulted in a v(max) of 0.013 g TVS g(-1) foam day(-1), whereas 0.024 g TVS g(-1) foam day(-1) was achieved with anaerobic sludge. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A test system to quantify inoculum in runoff from Phytophthora ramorum-infected plant roots

Science.gov (United States)

Nina. Shishkoff

2010-01-01

Foliar hosts of Phytophthora ramorum are often susceptible to root infection, but the epidemiological significance of such infections is unknown. We used a standardized test system to study inoculum in runoff from root-infected Viburnum tinus cuttings.

Inoculum development by using activated sludge to remove hydrogen sulphide (H2S through biofiltration*

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alejandra Mora

2005-07-01

Full Text Available Different activated sludges were used for developing an inoculum able to degrade hydrogen sulphide in a pilot scale biofiltration plant using two different support materials: sugarcane bagasse and this bagasse mixed with pumice stone. Adapting and selecting microbial species which degrade hydrogen sulphide (H2S was aided by adding nutrients plus a specific substrate to the activated sludge. Population variation was monitored within the different trophic groups in the biofiter medium during pilot scale plant operation, a general trend towards sulphur-oxidising bacteria (SOB growth being observed as was a decrease in heterotrophic bacteria, molds and yeasts. The activated sludge which showed the highest substrate degradation speed was selected for standardising inoculum preparation; the different nutritional mediums were evaluated during this process. Measuring some variables for controlling the process led to choosing the pH for determining the proper point of inoculum adaptation for this specific substrate. The inoculation procedure and support characteristics in terms of establishing and developing the microbial species increased biofilter removal efficiency by up to 99% from start-up. Key words: biofilter, activated sludge, adapted microorganisms, sulphur-oxidising bacteria, respirometry. Este artículo es el resultado de un proyecto cofinanciado por Colciencias y desarrollado por un grupo de investigadores vinculados al proyecto a través de las entidades Corporación

In Vitro Fermentation of Porcine Milk Oligosaccharides and Galacto-oligosaccharides Using Piglet Fecal Inoculum

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Difilippo, Elisabetta; Pan, Feipeng; Logtenberg, Madelon; Willems, Rianne H A M; Braber, Saskia; Fink-Gremmels, Johanna; Schols, Henk A; Gruppen, Harry

In this study, the in vitro fermentation by piglet fecal inoculum of galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) and porcine milk oligosaccharides (PMOs) was investigated to identify possible preferences for individual oligosaccharide structures by piglet microbiota. First, acidic PMOs and GOS with degrees of

Controle do inóculo inicial para redução dos danos pela podridão: 'olho-de-boi' em macieiras Control of initial inoculum for reducing losses by bulls' eye rot on apples

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosa Maria Valdebenito-Sanhueza

2010-12-01

Full Text Available O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o impacto da redução do inóculo no controle da podridão-'olho-de-boi' (POB causada por Cryptosporiopsis sp. em maçãs e minimização de perdas. Os experimentos foram realizados em Vacaria-RS, nos ciclos 2006/07 e 2007/08. Na fase de dormência de macieiras Pink Lady®, foram aplicados os seguintes tratamentos erradicantes (dose p.i.: calda sulfocálcica (3,0%; oxicloreto de cobre (0,5%; hidróxido de cobre (0,3%; óxido cuproso (0,3% e testemunha sem pulverização. A redução do inóculo foi avaliada em solução oriunda da lavagem de ramos, gemas floríferas e frutos, semeados em meio semisseletivo. Na colheita, a incidência da POB foi avaliada em quatro categorias de frutos: caídos sob a área de projeção da copa; nas plantas; infecções latentes, e após três meses de armazenamento em câmara frigorífica. Houve relação linear positiva entre os níveis de inóculo de Cryptosporiopsis sp. em gemas e os danos por POB (R² = 0,948; P = 0,001. O uso da calda sulfocálcica possibilitou a maior redução de inóculo nas gemas, com redução em 50% dos danos totais ocasionados por POB na safra de 2006/07. Nos frutos, o inóculo apresentou um incremento linear ao longo do ciclo, sendo relativamente maior em 2007/08, onde os tratamentos erradicantes possibilitaram controle superior a 40% nos danos com benefício econômico pela redução do inóculo.Aiming to evaluate strategies for the control of bull's eye rot (BER based on the reduction of initial inoculum the following fungicide treatments were applied in experimental plots established in both 2006/07 and 2007/07 seasons in Vacaria location, southern Brazil, during the plant dormancy period: lime sulfur (3,0%; b copper oxychloride (0,5%; c copper hydroxide (0,3%; and cuprous oxide (0,3%. The check treatment consisted of non sprayed plots. Branches of one and two years and floral buds were sampled and the associated inoculum recovered with a

The presence of hydrogenotrophic methanogens in the inoculum improves methane gas production in microbial electrolysis cells.

KAUST Repository

Siegert, Michael; Li, Xiu-Fen; Yates, Matthew D; Logan, Bruce E

2014-01-01

High current densities in microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) result from the predominance of various Geobacter species on the anode, but it is not known if archaeal communities similarly converge to one specific genus. MECs were examined here on the basis of maximum methane production and current density relative to the inoculum community structure. We used anaerobic digester (AD) sludge dominated by acetoclastic Methanosaeta, and an anaerobic bog sediment where hydrogenotrophic methanogens were detected. Inoculation using solids to medium ratio of 25% (w/v) resulted in the highest methane production rates (0.27 mL mL(-1) cm(-2), gas volume normalized by liquid volume and cathode projected area) and highest peak current densities (0.5 mA cm(-2)) for the bog sample. Methane production was independent of solid to medium ratio when AD sludge was used as the inoculum. 16S rRNA gene community analysis using pyrosequencing and quantitative PCR confirmed the convergence of Archaea to Methanobacterium and Methanobrevibacter, and of Bacteria to Geobacter, despite their absence in AD sludge. Combined with other studies, these findings suggest that Archaea of the hydrogenotrophic genera Methanobacterium and Methanobrevibacter are the most important microorganisms for methane production in MECs and that their presence in the inoculum improves the performance.

In Vitro Fermentation of Porcine Milk Oligosaccharides and Galacto-oligosaccharides Using Piglet Fecal Inoculum

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Difilippo, Elisabetta; Pan, Feipeng; Logtenberg, Madelon; Willems, Rianne; Braber, Saskia; Fink-Gremmels, Johanna; Schols, Henk A.; Gruppen, Harry

2016-01-01

In this study, the in vitro fermentation by piglet fecal inoculum of galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) and porcine milk oligosaccharides (PMOs) was investigated to identify possible preferences for individual oligosaccharide structures by piglet microbiota. First, acidic PMOs and GOS with degrees of

On-farm production of arbuscular mycorrhizal funus inoculum in compost and vermiculite mixtures: results of on-farm demonstrations and impact of compost microbiological quality

Science.gov (United States)

The sustainability and profitability of many agricultural systems can be enhanced through the utilization of inoculum of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Inocula are commercially available, but inoculum can also be produced on-farm in mixtures of compost and vermiculite with a nurse host plant. Demon...

Simultaneous heavy metals removal and municipal sewage sludge dewaterability improvement in bioleaching processes by various inoculums.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Chaohong; Zhu, Nengwu; Shang, Ru; Kang, Naixin; Wu, Pingxiao

2015-11-01

The heavy metals content and dewaterability of municipal sewage sludge (MSS) are important parameters affecting its subsequent disposal and land application. Six kinds of inoculums were prepared to examine the characteristics of heavy metals removal and MSS dewaterability improvement in bioleaching processes. The results showed that Cu, Zn and Cd bioleaching efficiencies (12 days) were 81-91, 87-93 and 81-89%, respectively, which were significantly higher than those of Fe-S control (P bioleaching boosted by the prepared inoculums could also significantly enhance MSS dewaterability (P bioleaching for heavy metals removal and dewaterability improvement. It also suggested that the synergy of sulfur/ferrous-oxidizing bacteria (SFOB) enriched from AMD and the cooperation of exogenous and indigenous SFOB significantly promoted bioleaching efficiencies.

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of 230 Helicobacter pylori strains: importance of medium, inoculum, and incubation time

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hartzen, S H; Andersen, L P; Bremmelgaard, A

1997-01-01

No standardized method of susceptibility testing for Helicobacter pylori is currently available, so before a large agar dilution study comprising 230 H. pylori strains belonging to more than 80 genetically different groups was initiated, we performed a relatively small preliminary study....../spot) as the inoculum and 72 h as the incubation time. A modest inoculum effect was noted for amoxicillin and metronidazole. By the methodology derived from our preliminary study, the susceptibilities of 230 H. pylori strains to six antibiotics were subsequently determined. The results were generally in accord...... with those of others, and apart from metronidazole, the MIC of which for approximately 25% of the strains tested was >8 microg/ml, resistance was low in Denmark. The situation might, however, quickly change when and if the number of indications for antibiotic therapy for H. pylori infections increase...

Pre-acclimation of a wastewater inoculum to cellulose in an aqueous–cathode MEC improves power generation in air–cathode MFCs

KAUST Repository

Cheng, Shaoan

2011-01-01

Cellulose has been used in two-chamber microbial fuel cells (MFCs), but power densities were low. Higher power densities can be achieved in air-cathode MFCs using an inoculum from a two-chamber, aqueous-cathode microbial electrolysis cell (MEC). Air-cathode MFCs with this inoculum produced maximum power densities of 1070mWm-2 (cathode surface area) in single-chamber and 880mWm-2 in two-chamber MFCs. Coulombic efficiencies ranged from 25% to 50%, and COD removals were 50-70% based on total cellulose removals of 60-80%. Decreasing the reactor volume from 26 to 14mL (while maintaining constant electrode spacing) decreased power output by 66% (from 526 to 180mWm-2) due to a reduction in total mass of cellulose added. These results demonstrate that air-cathode MFCs can produce high power densities with cellulose following proper acclimation of the inoculum, and that organic loading rates are important for maximizing power densities from particulate substrates. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

Impact of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus versus a mixed microbial inoculum on the transcriptome reprogramming of grapevine roots.

Science.gov (United States)

Balestrini, Raffaella; Salvioli, Alessandra; Dal Molin, Alessandra; Novero, Mara; Gabelli, Giovanni; Paparelli, Eleonora; Marroni, Fabio; Bonfante, Paola

2017-07-01

Grapevine, cultivated for both fruit and beverage production, represents one of the most economically important fruit crops worldwide. With the aim of better understanding how grape roots respond to beneficial microbes, a transcriptome sequencing experiment has been performed to evaluate the impact of a single arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal species (Funneliformis mosseae) versus a mixed inoculum containing a bacterial and fungal consortium, including different AM species, on Richter 110 rootstock. Results showed that the impact of a single AM fungus and of a complex microbial inoculum on the grapevine transcriptome differed. After 3 months, roots exclusively were colonized after the F. mosseae treatment and several AM marker genes were found to be upregulated. The mixed inoculum led only to traces of colonization by AM fungi, but elicited an important transcriptional regulation. Additionally, the expression of genes belonging to categories such as nutrient transport, transcription factors, and cell wall-related genes was significantly altered in both treatments, but the exact genes affected differed in the two conditions. These findings advance our understanding about the impact of soil beneficial microbes on the root system of a woody plant, also offering the basis for novel approaches in grapevine cultivation.

Content of sugar, organic acids and ethanol in fermented milk beverages obtained with different types of kombucha inoculum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iličić Mirela D.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to examine the influence of different types and concentration of kombucha inoculum on content of sugar, organic acids and ethanol in the fermented beverages produced from milk of 0.9% fat content. Three different kombucha inoculums, cultivated on black tea with addition of sucrose: standard inoculum - 10% (w/w and 15% (w/w, concentrated by microfiltration- 10% (w/w and 15% (w/w, and concentrated by evaporation - 1.5% (w/w and 3.0% (w/w, were applied in the manufacture of fermented milk. Contents of lactose, galactose, glucose, fructose, organic acids, and ethanol in the kombuha fermented milk beverages were determined by the enzyme tests. It was found that the lactose content varied from 3.30 to 4.0 g/100g. All samples showed higher content glucose than fructose. The content of L-lactic acid in the samples ranged from 0.4 to 0.7 g/100g, while significantly lower level of D-lactic and acetic acid were determined in all samples of kombucha fermented milk (<0.06g/100g.[Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. 46009

Long-term effect of inoculum pretreatment on fermentative hydrogen production by repeated batch cultivations: homoacetogenesis and methanogenesis as competitors to hydrogen production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Luo, Gang; Karakashev, Dimitar Borisov; Xie, Li

2011-01-01

Long-term effects of inoculum pretreatments(heat, acid, loading-shock) on hydrogen production from glucose under different temperatures (378C, 558C) and initial pH (7 and 5.5) were studied by repeated batch cultivations. Results obtained showed that it was necessary to investigate the long......-term effect of inoculum pretreatment on hydrogen production since pretreatments may just temporarily inhibit the hydrogen consuming processes. After long-term cultivation, pretreated inocula did not enhance hydrogen production compared to untreated inocula under mesophilic conditions (initial pH 7 and pH 5.......5) and thermophilic conditions (initial pH 7). However, pretreatment could inhibit lactate production and lead to higher hydrogen yield under thermophilic conditions at initial pH 5.5. The results further demonstrated that inoculum pretreatment could not permanently inhibit either methanogenesis or homoacetogenesis...

Reducing Physical Violence Toward Primary School Students With Disabilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Devries, Karen; Kuper, Hannah; Knight, Louise; Allen, Elizabeth; Kyegombe, Nambusi; Banks, Lena Morgon; Kelly, Susan; Naker, Dipak

2018-03-01

We tested whether the Good School Toolkit reduces physical violence from peers and school staff toward students with and without disabilities in Ugandan primary schools. We conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial, with data collected via cross-sectional surveys in 2012 and 2014. Forty-two primary schools in Luwero District, Uganda, were randomly assigned to receive the Good School Toolkit for 18 months, or to a waitlisted control group. The primary outcome was past week physical violence from school staff, measured by primary 5, 6, and 7 students' (aged 11-14 years) self-reports using the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Child Abuse Screening Tool-Child Institutional. Disability was assessed through the six Short Set Washington Group questions on functioning. Analyses were by intention to treat. At endline, 53% of control group students with no functional difficulties reported violence from peers or school staff, versus 84% of students with a disability. Prevalence of past week physical violence from school staff was lower in intervention schools than in the control schools after the intervention, in students with no functional difficulties (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = .41, 95% confidence interval [CI .26-.65]), students with some functional difficulties (aOR = .36, 95% CI .21-.63), and students with disabilities (aOR = .29, 95% CI .14-.59). The intervention also reduced violence from peers in young adolescents, with no evidence of a difference in effect by disability status. The Good School Toolkit is an effective intervention to reduce violence perpetrated by peers and school staff against young adolescents with disabilities in Ugandan primary schools. Copyright © 2017 The Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Susceptibility screening of hyphae-forming fungi with a new, easy, and fast inoculum preparation method.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmalreck, Arno; Willinger, Birgit; Czaika, Viktor; Fegeler, Wolfgang; Becker, Karsten; Blum, Gerhard; Lass-Flörl, Cornelia

2012-12-01

In vitro susceptibility testing of clinically important fungi becomes more and more essential due to the rising number of fungal infections in patients with impaired immune system. Existing standardized microbroth dilution methods for in vitro testing of molds (CLSI, EUCAST) are not intended for routine testing. These methods are very time-consuming and dependent on sporulating of hyphomycetes. In this multicentre study, a new (independent of sporulation) inoculum preparation method (containing a mixture of vegetative cells, hyphae, and conidia) was evaluated. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of amphotericin B, posaconazole, and voriconazole of 180 molds were determined with two different culture media (YST and RPMI 1640) according to the DIN (Deutsches Institut für Normung) microdilution assay. 24 and 48 h MIC of quality control strains, tested per each test run, prepared with the new inoculum method were in the range of DIN. YST and RPMI 1640 media showed similar MIC distributions for all molds tested. MIC readings at 48 versus 24 h yield 1 log(2) higher MIC values and more than 90 % of the MICs read at 24 and 48 h were within ± 2 log(2) dilution. MIC end point reading (log(2 MIC-RPMI 1640)-log(2 MIC-YST)) of both media demonstrated a tendency to slightly lower MICs with RPMI 1640 medium. This study reports the results of a new, time-saving, and easy-to-perform method for inoculum preparation for routine susceptibility testing that can be applied for all types of spore-/non-spore and hyphae-forming fungi.

Influence of inoculum density on population dynamics and dauer juvenile yields in liquid culture of biocontrol nematodes Steinernema carpocapsae and S. feltiae (Nematoda: Rhabditida).

Science.gov (United States)

Hirao, Ayako; Ehlers, Ralf-Udo

2010-01-01

For improvement of mass production of the rhabditid biocontrol nematodes Steinernema carpocapsae and Steinernema feltiae in monoxenic liquid culture with their bacterial symbionts Xenorhabdus nematophila and Xenorhabdus bovienii, respectively, the effect of the initial nematode inoculum density on population development and final concentration of dauer juveniles (DJs) was investigated. Symbiotic bacterial cultures are pre-incubated for 1 day prior to inoculation of DJs. DJs are developmentally arrested and recover development as a reaction to food signals provided by their symbionts. After development to adults, the nematodes produce DJ offspring. Inoculum density ranged from 1 to 10 x 10(3) DJ per milliliter for S. carpocapsae and 1 to 8 x 10(3) DJs per milliliter for S. feltiae. No significant influence of the inoculum density on the final DJ yields in both nematode species was recorded, except for S. carpocapsae cultures with a parental female density 300 for S. carpocapsae and almost 200 for S. feltiae. The compensative adaptation of fecundity to nematode population density is responsible for the lack of an inoculum (or parental female) density effect on DJ yields. At optimal inoculation density of S. carpocapsae, offspring were produced by the parental female population, whereas S. feltiae always developed a F1 female population, which contributed to the DJ yields and was the reason for a more scattered distribution of the yields. The F1 female generation was accompanied by a second peak in X. bovienii density. The optimal DJ inoculum density for S. carpocapsae is 3-6 x 10(3) DJs per milliliter in order to obtain >10(3) parental females per milliliter. Density-dependent effects were neither observed on the DJ recovery nor on the sex ratio in the parental adult generation. As recovery varied between different batches, assessment of the recovery of inoculum DJ batches is recommended. S. feltiae was less variable in DJ recovery usually reaching >90%. The

Enhancing anaerobic digestion of food waste through biochemical methane potential assays at different substrate: inoculum ratios.

Science.gov (United States)

Hobbs, Shakira R; Landis, Amy E; Rittmann, Bruce E; Young, Michelle N; Parameswaran, Prathap

2018-01-01

Food waste has a high energy potential that can be converted into useful energy in the form of methane via anaerobic digestion. Biochemical Methane Potential assays (BMPs) were conducted to quantify the impacts on methane production of different ratios of food waste. Anaerobic digester sludge (ADS) was used as the inoculum, and BMPs were performed at food waste:inoculum ratios of 0.42, 1.42, and 3.0g chemical oxygen demand/g volatile solids (VS). The 1.42 ratio had the highest CH 4 -COD recovery: 90% of the initial total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD) was from food waste, followed by ratios 0.42 and 3.0 at 69% and 57%, respectively. Addition of food waste above 0.42 caused a lag time for CH 4 production that increased with higher ratios, which highlighted the negative impacts of overloading with food waste. The Gompertz equation was able to represent the results well, and it gave lag times of 0, 3.6 and 30days and maximum methane productions of 370, 910, and 1950mL for ratios 0.42, 1.42 and 3.0, respectively. While ratio 3.0 endured a long lag phase and low VSS destruction, ratio 1.42 achieved satisfactory results for all performance criteria. These results provide practical guidance on food-waste-to-inoculum ratios that can lead to optimizing methanogenic yield. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The 2010 spring drought reduced primary productivity in southwestern China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Li; Li Jing; Xiao Jingfeng; Wang Kun; Lei Liping; Guo Huadong

2012-01-01

Many parts of the world experience frequent and severe droughts. Summer drought can significantly reduce primary productivity and carbon sequestration capacity. The impacts of spring droughts, however, have received much less attention. A severe and sustained spring drought occurred in southwestern China in 2010. Here we examine the influence of this spring drought on the primary productivity of terrestrial ecosystems using data on climate, vegetation greenness and productivity. We first assess the spatial extent, duration and severity of the drought using precipitation data and the Palmer drought severity index. We then examine the impacts of the drought on terrestrial ecosystems using satellite data for the period 2000–2010. Our results show that the spring drought substantially reduced the enhanced vegetation index (EVI) and gross primary productivity (GPP) during spring 2010 (March–May). Both EVI and GPP also substantially declined in the summer and did not fully recover from the drought stress until August. The drought reduced regional annual GPP and net primary productivity (NPP) in 2010 by 65 and 46 Tg C yr −1 , respectively. Both annual GPP and NPP in 2010 were the lowest over the period 2000–2010. The negative effects of the drought on annual primary productivity were partly offset by the remarkably high productivity in August and September caused by the exceptionally wet conditions in late summer and early fall and the farming practices adopted to mitigate drought effects. Our results show that, like summer droughts, spring droughts can also have significant impacts on vegetation productivity and terrestrial carbon cycling. (letter)

Addition of Bacillus sp. inoculums in bedding for swine on a pilot scale: effect on microbial population and bedding temperature.

Science.gov (United States)

Corrêa, E K; Ulguim, R R; Corrêa, L B; Castilhos, D D; Bianchi, I; Gil-Turnes, C; Lucia, T

2012-10-01

Thermal and microbiological characteristics of beddings for swine were compared according to their depth and of addition of inoculums. Bedding was added to boxes at 0.25 (25D) and 0.50 m (50D), with three treatments: control (no inoculums); T1, with 250 g of Bacillus cereus var. toyoii at 8.4 × 10(7) CFU; and T2, with 250 g of a pool of B. subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus polymyxa at 8.4 × 10(7) CFU (250 g for 25D and 500 g for 50D). Mean temperatures were 28.5 ± 3.9 at the surface and 35.2 ± 8.9 inside the beddings. The most probable number (MPN) of thermophilic bacteria was higher for T1 and T2 than for the control (P<0.05). The MPN of thermophilic bacteria and fungi was greater for D50 than for D25 (P<0.05). The use of 25D without inoculums is recommended due to the reduction of thermophilic microbiota. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relation between ethyl alcohol production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae from Iraqi dates, pure sugar solution, and the amount of inoculum

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Benjamin, N.D.; Al-Talibi, A.A.; Abboud, A.R.

1975-01-01

An experiment was initiated to investigate the production of ethyl alcohol using Zahdi data extraction and pure sugar (sucrose) solutions in different concentrations as media and S. cerevisiae as a starter. Through this investigation the following facts have been found: 0.5% ammonium phosphate as a source of nutrient was satisfactory, date extraction of 25% and inoculum of 12% gave the highest yield of ethyl alcohol; however 15% of pure sucose solution gave the maximum yield with a slight difference when compared with 20%; increasing the inoculum shortened the time of fermentation with no effect on inhibitory phenomenon; the rate of alcohol production was associated with the rate of yeast proliferation.

Effects of inoculum source and co-digestion strategies on anaerobic digestion of residues generated in the treatment of waste vegetable oils.

Science.gov (United States)

Hidalgo, Dolores; Martín-Marroquín, Jesús M

2014-09-01

This work aims at selecting a suitable strategy to improve the performance of the anaerobic digestion of residues generated in the treatment of waste vegetable oils (WVO). Biochemical methane potential (BMP) assays were conducted at 35 °C to evaluate the effects of substrate mix ratio between a mixture of WVO residues (M) and pig manure (PM) co-digesting by using different inocula. Inoculum from an industrial digester fed with organic waste from hotels, restaurants and catering leftovers (HORECA) showed higher methanogenic activity (55.5 mLCH4 gVS(-1) d(-1)) than municipal wastewater treatment plant (mWWTP) inoculum (42.6 mL CH4 gVS(-1) d(-1)). Furthermore, the results showed that the resistance to WVO residues toxicity was higher for the HORECA sludge than for the mWWTP sludge. HORECA inoculum produced more biogas in all the assays. Moreover, the resulting biogas was of better quality, containing an average of 71.1% (SD = 1.6) methane compared to an average of 69.5% (SD = 1.2) methane for test with mWWTP sludge. The maximum degradation rate occurred at the higher PM mix ratio (M/PM:1/3), reaching 26.7 ± 4.3 mLCH4 gVS(-1) d(-1) for mWWTP inoculum, versus 42.0 ± 1,5 mLCH4 gVS(-1) d(-1) achieved for HORECA inoculum. A high reduction of volatile solids (between 70% and 81%) was obtained with both inocula at all M/PM ratios assayed (1/0, 1/3, 1/1 and 3/1 v/v) but, bearing in mind the operation of a full-scale anaerobic plant, the optimal scenario assayed corresponds to the ratio M/PM: 1/3 v/v where shorter lag periods will make it possible to operate at lower hydraulic retention times. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Aspergillus niger inoculum concentration upon the kinetics of starchy wastewater pretreatment in a tanks-in-series bioreactor under transitory conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Coulibaly

2007-12-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses the effects of three Aspergillus niger inoculum concentrations (0.12, 2.3 and 3.6 g/l upon the kinetics of starch pretreatment under aerobic and transitory conditions using a tanks-in-series reactor. A synthetic wastewater containing starch as model polysaccharide was fed into the reactor system to study this polymer transformation by Aspergillus niger. Starch and metabolites (oligosaccharides with a molecular weight lower than 1 kDa in the individual reactors were quantified respectively by the starch iodine complex (SIC and anthrone methods. Enzyme activities were characterised with API ZYM kits. Starch degradation and metabolite accumulation were both influenced by both fungal inoculum and reactor HRT. Starch degradation improved from 34 to 99% with a parallel in increase inoculum concentration from 0.12 to 3.6 g/l. An overall of 400 mg/l of metabolites accumulated in the reactor system. A. niger secreted both extracellular and cell-wall-bound enzymes among which amylases.

Effect of Substrate-Inoculum Ratio on the Biochemical Methane Potential of Municipal Biowastes

OpenAIRE

Parra-Orobio Brayan Alexis; Torres-Lozada Patricia; Marmolejo-Rebellón Luis Fernando; Cárdenas-Cleves Lina Marcela; Vásquez-Franco Carlos; Torres-López Wilmar Alexander; Ordoñez-Andrade José Abdón

2015-01-01

Biowastes are the predominant fraction of municipal solid waste (MSW) of developing countries. Biowastes are characterized by a high content of organic matter; characteristics which facilitates its transformation through biological processes such as anaerobic digestion (AD). Using biochemical methane potential (PBM) assays, in this study we evaluated the influence of substrate-inoculum (S/I) ratio on the AD of biowaste from MSW. The S/I ranged between 0.25 to 9 gSVsubstrate * ...

Utilization of inoculum of AM fungi produced on-farm for the production of Capsicum annuum: a summary of 7 years of field trials on a conventional vegetable farm

Science.gov (United States)

Utilization of arbuscular mycorrhizal [AM] fungus inoculum has been encouraged as a way for vegetable farmers to better utilize the AM symbiosis. On-farm systems can economically produce inoculum that has been shown to increase the yield of specific crops. We conducted seven years of field studies...

Resting spore formation of aphid-pathogenic fungus Pandora nouryi depends on the concentration of infective inoculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Zhi-Hong; Feng, Ming-Guang

2008-07-01

Resting spore formation of some aphid-pathogenic Entomophthorales is important for the seasonal pattern of their prevalence and survival but this process is poorly understood. To explore the possible mechanism involved in the process, Pandora nouryi (obligate aphid pathogen) interacted with green peach aphid Myzus persicae on cabbage leaves under favourable conditions. Host nymphs showered with primary conidia of an isolate (LC(50): 0.9-6.7 conidia mm(-2) 4-7 days post shower) from air captures in the low-latitude plateau of China produced resting spores (azygospores), primary conidia or both spore types. Surprisingly, the proportion of mycosed cadavers forming resting spores (P(CFRS)) increased sharply within the concentrations (C) of 28-240 conidia mm(-2), retained high levels at 240-1760, but was zero or extremely low at 0.3-16. The P(CFRS)-C relationship fit well the logistic equation P(CFRS) = 0.6774/[1 + exp(3.1229-0.0270C)] (r(2) = 0.975). This clarified for the first time the dependence of in vivo resting spore formation of P. nouryi upon the concentration of infective inoculum. A hypothesis is thus proposed that some sort of biochemical signals may exist in the host-pathogen interaction so that the fungal pathogen perceives the signals for prompt response to forthcoming host-density changes by either producing conidia for infecting available hosts or forming resting spores for surviving host absence in situ.

Effect of inoculum and molasses concentration as supplement to vinasse of distillery for the production of biomass of native Candida utilis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lady Cajo

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Vinasse is a residue of alcohol distilleries, rich in mineral salts and organic matter, whose use is limited and finally it is poured to the sewage system, causing pollution, nevertheless, can constitute a substrate for the production of biomass yeasts, used in the animal feed. In the present investigation was determined the effect of the concentration of the inoculum and the molasses as supplement of the vinasse, for the production of biomass of native Candida utilis. Yeasts were isolated of leaves of Zea mays L. "maize" in Sabouraud glucosade agar, were identified 40.23 % as C. utilis. Next, were cultivated in vinasse with 30 g/L of molasses, to 28 ºC, during 24 hours, the biomass was weighed and was selected C. utilis MKJ12, because it had the highest biomass value of 7.667 g/L. This yeast in concentration of 25, 50 and 75 mL/L of inoculum was cultivated in bioreactors Batch tank type containing 300 mL of vinasse with 10, 30, and 50 g/L of molasses, with downward air flow (1vvm, and incubation was 28 ºC during 20 hours. With 50 mL/L of inoculum and 50 g/L of molasses was determined the shortest generation time (2.88 h and the highest values in number of generations (6.95, specific rate of growth (0.35 h-1 , weight of biomass (11.78 g/L and percentage of protein (40.15 %. Feasibility was demonstrated of the production of C. utilis biomass with 5 mL of inoculum in vinasse supplemented by molasses.

Effect of inoculum sources on the enrichment of nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane-oxidizing bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Zhanfei; Cai, Chen; Shen, Lidong; Lou, Liping; Zheng, Ping; Xu, Xinhua; Hu, Baolan

2015-01-01

Nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation (n-damo) is a newly discovered biological process that couples anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) to nitrite reduction. In this study, three different inocula, methanogenic sludge, paddy soil, and freshwater sediment were used to enrich n-damo bacteria in three sequencing batch reactors (SBRs), and three n-damo enrichment cultures, C1, C2 and C3, were obtained, respectively. After 500 days of incubation, Methylomirabilis oxyfera-like bacteria and n-damo activities were observed in cultures C1, C2, and C3, and the specific activities were 0.8 ± 0.1, 1.4 ± 0.1, and 1.0 ± 0.1 μmol CH4 h(-1) g(-1) VSS, respectively. The copy numbers of 16S rRNA genes from cultures C1, C2, and C3 were 5.0 ± 0.4 × 10(8), 6.1 ± 0.1 × 10(9), and 1.0 ± 0.2 × 10(9) copies g(-1) dry weight, respectively. The results indicated that paddy soil is an excellent inoculum for n-damo bacterial enrichment. This work expanded the alternative source of n-damo inoculum and benefited the further research of n-damo process.

Microbial Production of Xylitol from Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch Hydrolysate: Effects of Inoculum and pH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.T.A.P. Kresnowati

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Considering its high content of hemicellulose, oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB lignocellulosic biomass waste from palm oil processing has the potential to be utilized as the raw material for the production of xylitol, a low calorie, low GI, and anti cariogenic alternative sugar with similar sweetness to sucrose. This research explored the possibility of converting EFB to xylitol via green microbial fermentation, in particular the effects of inoculum and initial pH on the fermentation performance. It was observed that the cell concentration in the inoculum and the initial pH affect cell growth and xylitol production. pH 5 was observed to give the best fermentation performance. Further, the fermentation tended to yield more xylitol at higher initial cell concentration. It was also observed that no growth or fermentation inhibitory compounds were found in the EFB hydrolysate obtained from enzymatic hydrolysis of EFB. Thus it can be used directly as substrate for xylitol fermentation.

Retention of Viability of Salmonella in Sucrose as Affected by Type of Inoculum, Water Activity, and Storage Temperature.

Science.gov (United States)

Beuchat, Larry R; Mann, David A; Kelly, Christine A; Ortega, Ynes R

2017-09-01

Outbreaks of salmonellosis have been associated with consumption of high-sugar, low-water activity (a w ) foods. The study reported here was focused on determining the effect of storage temperature (5 and 25°C) on survival of initially high and low levels of Salmonella in dry-inoculated sucrose (a w 0.26 ± 0.01 to 0.54 ± 0.01) and wet-inoculated sucrose (a w 0.24 ± 0.01 to 0.44 ± 0.04) over a 52-week period. With the exception of dry-inoculated sucrose at a w 0.26, Salmonella survived for 52 weeks in dry- and wet-inoculated sucrose stored at 5 and 25°C. Retention of viability was clearly favored in sucrose stored at 5°C compared with 25°C, regardless of level or type of inoculum or a w . Survival at 5°C was not affected by a w . Initial high-inoculum counts of 5.18 and 5.25 log CFU/g of dry-inoculated sucrose (a w 0.26 and 0.54, respectively) stored for 52 weeks at 5°C decreased by 0.56 and 0.53 log CFU/g; counts decreased by >4.18 and >4.25 log CFU/g in samples stored at 25°C. Inactivation rates in wet-inoculated sucrose were similar to those in dry-inoculated sucrose; however, a trend toward higher persistence of Salmonella in dry- versus wet-inoculated sucrose suggests there was a higher proportion of cells in the wet inoculum with low tolerance to osmotic stress. Survival patterns were similar in sucrose initially containing a low level of Salmonella (2.26 to 2.91 log CFU/g). The pathogen was recovered from low-inoculated sucrose stored at 5°C for 52 weeks regardless of type of inoculum or a w and from dry-inoculated sucrose (a w 0.54) and wet-inoculated sucrose (a w 0.24) stored at 25°C for 12 and 26 weeks, respectively. Results emphasize the importance of preventing contamination of sucrose intended for use as an ingredient in foods not subjected to a treatment that would be lethal to Salmonella.

Rotylenchulus reniformis on Greenhouse-grown Foliage Plants: Host Range and Sources of Inoculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Starr, J L

1991-10-01

Two sources of inoculum of reniform nematodes, Rotylenchulus reniformis, were identified for infestation of ornamental foliage plants in commercial greenhouses. These were water from a local canal system and rooted cuttings purchased from other sources. Eight ornamental plant species were identified as good hosts for the reniform nematode, with each species supporting a reniform population density equal to or greater than that supported by 'Rutgers' tomato and a reproduction factor of greater than 1.0. Nine other plant species were identified as poor hosts.

Induction of sporulation and the influence of time, temperature, and inoculum size on growth in two species of aquatic fungi (Saprolegniales)

Science.gov (United States)

Bailey, T.A.; Bradford, K.; Bland, C.E.

1990-01-01

Because the infective stage of most mycoses of aquatic organisms is the zoospore, we attempted to establish optimum conditions under which zoospores could be produced for use in antifungal testing. Optimum sporulation time, incubation time, inoculum size, and growth temperature were determined for each oftwo saprolegniaceous fungi, Achlya flagellata Coker and Saprolegnia hypogyna (Pringsheim) de Bary. Both species produced the largest number of zoospores after 18 hours (51.7 spores/ml for A. jlagellata and 848.0 spores/ml for S. hypogyna), and yielded maximum growth after 48 hours at 22 'C. The recommended test inoculum size for S. hypogyna (5,600 spores/ml was nearly three times that for A. flagellata (2,000 spores/ml),

Effect of seasonal abiotic conditions and field margin habitat on the activity of Pandora neoaphidis inoculum on soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Baverstock, J; Clark, S J; Pell, J K

2008-03-01

The ability of the aphid pathogenic fungus Pandora neoaphidis to remain active in the absence of a resting stage through a combination of continuous infection and as conidia deposited on soil was assessed alongside the potential for planted field margins to act as a refuge for the fungus. P. neoaphidis was able to infect the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, when maintained under controlled conditions that simulated those that occur seasonally in the UK. Although there was a significant inverse relationship between temperature and time-to-kill, with death occurring after 4.2, 6.9 and 13.6 days when maintained under fluctuating summer, autumn and winter temperatures, respectively, there were no additional statistically significant effects of photoperiod. The activity of inoculum on soil was indirectly assessed by baiting with A. pisum. Under controlled conditions P. neoaphidis remained active on soil and was able to infect aphids for up to 80 days. However, the percentage of aphids that became infected decreased from 76% on day 1 to 11% on day 80. Whereas there was little difference in the activity of conidia that had been maintained at 4 degrees C and 10 degrees C, activity at 18 degrees C was considerably reduced. Under field conditions the activity of inoculum was strongly influenced by season. On day 49 there was little or no activity during spring, summer or winter. However, during autumn a mean proportion of 0.08 aphids still became infected with P. neoaphidis. Margin type did not affect the activity of conidia nor was there a difference in activity between blocks that had regenerated naturally and those that had been planted. These results suggest that P. neoaphidis can infect aphids and remain active on soil under the abiotic conditions that occur seasonally in the UK and that this fungus may be able to persist annually without a resting stage.

Effect of different accellerators and inoculums used in fermentation on quality of dead chicken silage flour as feed ingredient for catfish

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Bakrie

2017-05-01

Full Text Available This research aimed at investigating the effect using molasses and cornmeal as additives with Lactobacillus sp. and Streptomyces sp. as inoculums during fermentation on the quality of silage flour made from dead chickens. The study was conducted using a completely randomized factorial design, consisting of 2 factors with 5 replications. The materials used were the newly dead chickens which were chopped and mixed thoroughly with all ingredients; then transferred into a 5 liters plastic box for fermentation. Observations were made after 3 weeks fermentation, including: a physical characteristics, b microbial contents, and c nutritional contents. The data were calculated using variance analysis utilizing computer program of SPSS version 21.0. It was found that based on the protein contents the Lactobacillus sp. (19.0% was better than the Streptomyces sp. (17.8% if combined with molasses and corn meal as the accelerators. However, the fat contents produced were relatively similar for both of the inoculums (mean of 37.8%. It can be concluded that in order to obtain a best fermented product in terms of the protein and fat content, the dead chicken should be fermented using molasses and cornmeal as the accelerator and Lactobacillus sp. as the inoculum.

assessment of injection of liquid rhizobial inoculum and traditional inoculation of soybean under furrow and drip irrigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janat, M.; Kurdali, F.

2008-01-01

Soybean in naturally N 2 -fixing legume, but it needs artificial inoculation with appropriate strains of rhizobia when introduced to land not previously cultivated to the crop. As soybean is being introduced to Syria, inoculation with Bradyrhizobium japonicum is essential to ensure effective biological nitrogen fixation by the crop. The question is: what is the most effective mean of inoculation?. As Syria is a water-short country, we examined the possibility of applying the rhizobial inoculant in irrigation system (Biofertigation) in contrast with the conventional seed pelleting application. In a 2 year experiment at a research station near Damascus, we compared seed pelleting of the inoculant under furrow and drip irrigation, with repeated inoculation by injection of a liquid culture rhizobial inoculum through the drip system. Drip irrigation enhanced N 2 fixation by soybean regardless of inoculation technique ad repeated inoculation. Injection of the liquid rhizobial inoculum through drip irrigation system was shown to enhances the acquisition of atmospheric N 2 and improve N 2 fixation by soybean.(author)

Biodegradation of hydrocarbon mixtures in surface waters at environmentally relevant levels - Effect of inoculum origin on kinetics and sequence of degradation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Birch, Heidi; Hammershøj, Rikke Høst; Comber, Mike

2017-01-01

Biodegradation is a dominant removal process for many organic pollutants, and biodegradation tests serve as tools for assessing their environmental fate within regulatory risk assessment. In simulation tests, the inoculum is not standardized, varying in microbial quantity and quality, thereby...... potentially impacting the observed biodegradation kinetics. In this study we investigated the effect of inoculum origin on the biodegradation kinetics of hydrocarbons for five inocula from surface waters varying in urbanization and thus expected pre-exposure to petroleum hydrocarbons. A new biodegradation...... method for testing mixtures of hydrophobic chemicals at trace concentrations was demonstrated: Aqueous solutions containing 9 hydrocarbons were generated by passive dosing and diluted with surface water resulting in test systems containing native microorganisms exposed to test substances at ng...

Effect of inoculum density and soil tillage on the development and severity of rhizoctonia root rot.

Science.gov (United States)

Schroeder, K L; Paulitz, T C

2008-03-01

Rhizoctonia spp. cause substantial yield losses in direct-seeded cereal crops compared with conventional tillage. To investigate the mechanisms behind this increased disease, soils from tilled or direct-seeded fields were inoculated with Rhizoctonia spp. at population densities from 0.8 to 250 propagules per gram and planted with barley (Hordeum vulgare). The incidence and severity of disease did not differ between soils with different tillage histories. Both R. solani AG-8 and R. oryzae stunted plants at high inoculum densities, with the latter causing pre-emergence damping-off. High inoculum densities of both species stimulated early production of crown roots in barley seedlings. Intact soil cores from these same tilled and direct-seeded fields were used to evaluate the growth of Rhizoctonia spp. from colonized oat seeds. Growth of R. oryzae was not affected by previous tillage history. However, R. solani AG-8 grew more rapidly through soil from a long-term direct-seeded field compared to tilled soils. The differential response between these two experiments (mixed, homogenized soil versus intact soil) suggests that soil structure plays a major role in the proliferation of R. solani AG-8 through soils with different tillage histories.

Reducing the health consequences of opioid addiction in primary care.

Science.gov (United States)

Bowman, Sarah; Eiserman, Julie; Beletsky, Leo; Stancliff, Sharon; Bruce, R Douglas

2013-07-01

Addiction to prescription opioids is prevalent in primary care settings. Increasing prescription opioid use is largely responsible for a parallel increase in overdose nationally. Many patients most at risk for addiction and overdose come into regular contact with primary care providers. Lack of routine addiction screening results in missed treatment opportunities in this setting. We reviewed the literature on screening and brief interventions for addictive disorders in primary care settings, focusing on opioid addiction. Screening and brief interventions can improve health outcomes for chronic illnesses including diabetes, hypertension, and asthma. Similarly, through the use of screening and brief interventions, patients with addiction can achieve improved health outcome. A spectrum of low-threshold care options can reduce the negative health consequences among individuals with opioid addiction. Screening in primary care coupled with short interventions, including motivational interviewing, syringe distribution, naloxone prescription for overdose prevention, and buprenorphine treatment are effective ways to manage addiction and its associated risks and improve health outcomes for individuals with opioid addiction. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Alcohol-to-acid ratio and substrate concentration affect product structure in chain elongation reactions initiated by unacclimatized inoculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yuhao; Lü, Fan; Shao, Liming; He, Pinjing

2016-10-01

The objective of the study was to investigate whether the ratio of ethanol to acetate affects yield and product structure in chain elongation initiated by unacclimatized mixed cultures. The effect of varying the substrate concentration, while maintaining the same ratio of alcohol to acid, was also investigated. With a high substrate concentration, an alcohol to acid ratio >2:1 provided sufficient electron donor capacity for the chain elongation reaction. With an ethanol to acetate ratio of 3:1 (300mM total carbon), the highest n-caproate concentration (3033±98mg/L) was achieved during the stable phase of the reaction. A lower substrate concentration (150mM total carbon) gave a lower yield of products and led to reduced carbon transformation efficiency compared with other reaction conditions. The use of unacclimatized inoculum in chain elongation can produce significant amounts of odd-carbon-number carboxylates as a result of protein hydrolysis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Phytophthora cinnamomi isolate, inoculum delivery method, flood, and drought on vigor, disease severity and mortality of blueberry plants

Science.gov (United States)

Four studies evaluated the effect of Phytophthora cinnamomi isolates, inoculum delivery methods, and flood and drought conditions on vigor, disease severity scores, and survival of blueberry plants grown in pots in the greenhouse. Phytophthora cinnamomi isolates were obtained from blueberry plants ...

Enhancement of acidogenic fermentation for volatile fatty acid production from food waste: Effect of redox potential and inoculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Jun; Yu, Xiaoqin; Zhang, Yeer; Shen, Dongsheng; Wang, Meizhen; Long, Yuyang; Chen, Ting

2016-09-01

The aim of this study was to explore the effects of redox potential (ORP) and inoculum on volatile fatty acids (VFAs) production from food waste by acidogenic fermentation. Four experimental conditions with two ORP levels were tested: limited aeration conditions with ORP level of -100 to -200mV inoculating anaerobic sludge (LA+AnS) or aerobic sludge (LA+AeS), and anaerobic conditions with ORP level of -200 to -300mV inoculating anaerobic sludge with 2-bromoethanosulfophate (AN+BES) and without BES (AN). The maximal VFA yield (0.79g COD/g VS) was attained in LA+AnS reactor due to enhanced hydrolysis of substrates, especially proteins (degradation efficiency 78.3%). A higher frequency of phylum Firmicutes under limited aeration conditions (42.2-48.2%) was observed than that under anaerobic conditions (21.1%). The microbial community was more diverse in LA+AnS reactors than LA+AeS. We conclude that appropriate ORP level (from -100 to -200mV) and inoculum play essential roles in VFA production. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pre-acclimation of a wastewater inoculum to cellulose in an aqueous–cathode MEC improves power generation in air–cathode MFCs

KAUST Repository

Cheng, Shaoan; Kiely, Patrick; Logan, Bruce E.

2011-01-01

-cathode MFCs with this inoculum produced maximum power densities of 1070mWm-2 (cathode surface area) in single-chamber and 880mWm-2 in two-chamber MFCs. Coulombic efficiencies ranged from 25% to 50%, and COD removals were 50-70% based on total cellulose

Radiophosphorous in vitro incorporation by rumen microorganisms in different inoculum proportions; Incorporacao in vitro do radiofosforo pelos microorganismos ruminais em diferentes proporcoes do inoculo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cabral Filho, Sergio Luiz Salomon; Gobbo, Sarita Priscila; Bueno, Ives Claudio da Silva; Machado, Mariana de Carvalho; Nozella, Eduardo Fernando; Abdalla, Adibe Luiz [Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA), Piracicaba, SP (Brazil)

2002-07-01

Estimation of rumen microbial population activity is an important parameter on feed evaluation. Increases on microbial population have a positive correlation with increases on protein supply for ruminant animal. In vitro methodology is based on relationships between {sup 32} P and N incorporation for the rumen microorganisms. The objective of this paper was to test different types of inoculum in {sup 32} P microbial incorporation technique. Treatments were two different types of inoculum (rumen content), where one of them has only liquid phase and the other has 50% liquid and 50% solid phase. Five different feedstuffs were used as substrate (corn grain, maize silage, soybean meal, alfalfa hay and Panicum grass). The incubation was done in plastics tubes containing 1 g of substrate, buffer solution (4ml), 16ml of inoculum and 25{mu}l of {sup 32} P-labelled phosphate solution (3700 Bq). Nitrogen incorporation (N{sub i}) into microbial mass was between 2,9 to 13,6 mg of N{sub i}, g DM{sup -1}. Treatments did not differ statistical (P>0,05), but treatments and substrate interaction was significant (P<0,05) for Panicum grass. Results did not demonstrated advantage to use solid phase in {sup 32} P technique, however significant interaction suggest more studies with roughages. (author)

Chemical characteristics of beddings for swine: effects of bedding depths and of addition of inoculums in a pilot-scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Corrêa, E K; Corezzolla, J L; Corrêa, M N; Bianchi, I; Gil-Turnes, C; Lucia, T

2012-11-01

The effect of depths and of addition of inoculums on the chemical content of swine beddings was evaluated. For beddings 0.25m (25D) and 0.50m (50D) deep, three treatments were tested in two repeats with the same beddings: control (no inoculums); T1 (250g of Bacillus cereus var. toyoii at 8.4×10(7)CFU/g); and T2 (250g of a pool of Bacillus sp. at 8.4×10(7)CFU/g) (250g for 25D and 500g for 50D). For 25D, the C:N ratio was lower, but N, K and C contents were greater than for 50D (P0.05). In the second repeat, beddings presented lower C:N ratio and greater N, P and K contents than in the first repeat (P<0.05). Thus, the compost produced after using 25D twice had greater fertilizer value than that of 50D. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Efficacy of Ceftaroline against Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus Exhibiting the Cefazolin High-Inoculum Effect in a Rat Model of Endocarditis

Science.gov (United States)

Tran, Truc T.; Nannini, Esteban C.; Tam, Vincent H.; Arias, Cesar A.; Murray, Barbara E.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Certain Staphylococcus aureus strains exhibit an inoculum effect (InE) with cefazolin (CFZ) that has been associated with therapeutic failures in high-inoculum infections. We assessed the in vitro activities of ceftaroline (CPT), CFZ, and nafcillin (NAF) against 17 type A β-lactamase (βla)-producing, methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) strains, including the previously reported TX0117, which exhibits the CFZ InE, and its βla-cured derivative, TX0117c. Additionally, we determined the pharmacokinetics of CPT in rats after single intramuscular doses of 20 and 40 mg/kg of body weight and evaluated the activities of CPT (40 mg/kg every 8 h [q8h]), CFZ, and NAF against TX0117 and TX0117c in a rat model of infective endocarditis. No InE was observed for CPT or NAF, whereas a marked InE was detected for CFZ (MIC, 8 to ≥128 μg/ml). CPT and NAF treatment against TX0117 resulted in mean bacterial counts of 2.3 and 2.1 log10 CFU/g in vegetations, respectively, compared to a mean of 5.9 log10 CFU/g in the CFZ-treated group (CPT and NAF versus CFZ, P = 0.001; CPT versus NAF, P = 0.9830). Both CFZ and CPT were efficacious against the βla-cured derivative, TX0117c, compared to time zero (t0) (P = <0.0001 and 0.0015, respectively). Our data reiterate the in vivo consequences of the CFZ InE and show that CPT is not affected by this phenomenon. CPT might be considered for high-inoculum infections caused by MSSA exhibiting the CFZ InE. PMID:28483961

Efficacy of Ceftaroline against Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus Exhibiting the Cefazolin High-Inoculum Effect in a Rat Model of Endocarditis.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Kavindra V; Tran, Truc T; Nannini, Esteban C; Tam, Vincent H; Arias, Cesar A; Murray, Barbara E

2017-07-01

Certain Staphylococcus aureus strains exhibit an inoculum effect (InE) with cefazolin (CFZ) that has been associated with therapeutic failures in high-inoculum infections. We assessed the i n vitro activities of ceftaroline (CPT), CFZ, and nafcillin (NAF) against 17 type A β-lactamase (βla)-producing, methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) strains, including the previously reported TX0117, which exhibits the CFZ InE, and its βla-cured derivative, TX0117c. Additionally, we determined the pharmacokinetics of CPT in rats after single intramuscular doses of 20 and 40 mg/kg of body weight and evaluated the activities of CPT (40 mg/kg every 8 h [q8h]), CFZ, and NAF against TX0117 and TX0117c in a rat model of infective endocarditis. No InE was observed for CPT or NAF, whereas a marked InE was detected for CFZ (MIC, 8 to ≥128 μg/ml). CPT and NAF treatment against TX0117 resulted in mean bacterial counts of 2.3 and 2.1 log 10 CFU/g in vegetations, respectively, compared to a mean of 5.9 log 10 CFU/g in the CFZ-treated group (CPT and NAF versus CFZ, P = 0.001; CPT versus NAF, P = 0.9830). Both CFZ and CPT were efficacious against the βla-cured derivative, TX0117c, compared to time zero ( t 0 ) ( P = InE and show that CPT is not affected by this phenomenon. CPT might be considered for high-inoculum infections caused by MSSA exhibiting the CFZ InE. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Effectiveness of Accelerator and Inoculum in Fermentation of Goat’s Rumen Contents as Animal Feed Ingredients

Science.gov (United States)

Bakrie, B.; Sente, U.; Mayasari, K.; Syah, R. F.

2018-02-01

The goat’s rumen contents is slaughterhouse waste that has potential to be used as animal feed, but it has to be first processed into silage. This study aims to determine the type of accelerator and to investigate whether the addition of inoculum was required during the fermentation process. The research was conducted using a Completely Randomized Factorial Design, consisting of 2 treatment factors and 6 replications. The treatment factors were: a) Accelerator (rice bran or cassava pomade/onggok); b) Inoculum Lactobacillus plantarum (with or without using inoculant). Results showed that there was an increase in crude protein (CP) content with the use of rice bran at after fermentation compared to before fermentation. The CP contents with the use of onggok almost the same at after and before fermentation. Increase in the content of crude fiber (CF) after fermentation was both for using rice bran or onggok. However, the content of CF using onggok was much higher than with rice bran. There was no significant effect for both types of accelerators used in CP and CF contents at after fermentation with or without the addition of Lactobacillus plantarum as the inoculant. It can be concluded that for the fermentation of goat’s rumen contents it is better to use rice bran rather than onggok as the accelerator and inoculant is not required during the fermentationprocess.

The Use of Mixed Populations of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and S. kudriavzevii to Reduce Ethanol Content in Wine: Limited Aeration, Inoculum Proportions, and Sequential Inoculation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Javier Alonso-del-Real

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the most widespread microorganism responsible for wine alcoholic fermentation. Nevertheless, the wine industry is currently facing new challenges, some of them associate with climate change, which have a negative effect on ethanol content and wine quality. Numerous and varied strategies have been carried out to overcome these concerns. From a biotechnological point of view, the use of alternative non-Saccharomyces yeasts, yielding lower ethanol concentrations and sometimes giving rise to new and interesting aroma, is one of the trendiest approaches. However, S. cerevisiae usually outcompetes other Saccharomyces species due to its better adaptation to the fermentative environment. For this reason, we studied for the first time the use of a Saccharomyces kudriavzevii strain, CR85, for co-inoculations at increasing proportions and sequential inoculations, as well as the effect of aeration, to improve its fermentation performance in order to obtain wines with an ethanol yield reduction. An enhanced competitive performance of S. kudriavzevii CR85 was observed when it represented 90% of the cells present in the inoculum. Furthermore, airflow supply of 20 VVH to the fermentation synergistically improved CR85 endurance and, interestingly, a significant ethanol concentration reduction was achieved.

A conceptual framework for understanding and reducing overuse by primary care providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Powell, Adam A; Bloomfield, Hanna E; Burgess, Diana J; Wilt, Timothy J; Partin, Melissa R

2013-10-01

Primary care providers frequently recommend, administer, or prescribe health care services that are unlikely to benefit their patients. Yet little is known about how to reduce provider overuse behavior. In the absence of a theoretically grounded causal framework, it is difficult to predict the contexts under which different types of interventions to reduce provider overuse will succeed and under which they will fail. In this article, we present a framework based on the theory of planned behavior that is designed to guide overuse research and intervention development. We describe categories of primary care provider beliefs that lead to the formation of intentions to assess the appropriateness of services, and propose factors that may affect whether the presence of assessment intentions results in an appropriate recommendation. Interventions that have been commonly used to address provider overuse behavior are reviewed within the context of the framework.

Effects of substrate to inoculum ratio on the biochemical methane potential of piggery slaughterhouse wastes.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Young-Man; Kim, Seung-Hwan; Shin, Kook-Sik; Kim, Chang-Hyun

2014-04-01

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of substrate to inoculum ratio (S/I ratio) on the biochemical methane potential (BMP) and anaerobic biodegradability (Ddeg) of different piggery slaughterhouse wastes, such as piggery blood, intestine residue, and digestive tract content. These wastes were sampled from a piggery slaughterhouse located in Kimje, South Korea. Cumulative methane production curves for the wastes were obtained from the anaerobic batch fermentation having different S/I ratios of 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5. BMP and anaerobic biodegradabilities (Ddeg) of the wastes were calculated from cumulative methane production data for the tested conditions. At the lowest S/I ration of 0.1, BMPs of piggery blood, intestine residue, and digestive tract content were determined to be 0.799, 0.848, and 1.076 Nm(3) kg(-1)-VSadded, respectively, which were above the theoretical methane potentials of 0.539, 0.644, and 0.517 Nm(3) kg(-1)-VSadded for blood, intestine residue, and digestive tract content, respectively. However, BMPs obtained from the higher S/I ratios of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 were within the theoretical range for all three types of waste and were not significantly different for the different S/I ratios tested. Anaerobic biodegradabilities calculated from BMP data showed a similar tendency. These results imply that, for BMP assay in an anaerobic reactor, the S/I ratio of anaerobic reactor should be above 0.1 and the inoculum should be sufficiently stabilized to avoid further degradation during the assay.

Effects of Substrate to Inoculum Ratio on the Biochemical Methane Potential of Piggery Slaughterhouse Wastes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Young-Man Yoon

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to assess the effect of substrate to inoculum ratio (S/I ratio on the biochemical methane potential (BMP and anaerobic biodegradability (Ddeg of different piggery slaughterhouse wastes, such as piggery blood, intestine residue, and digestive tract content. These wastes were sampled from a piggery slaughterhouse located in Kimje, South Korea. Cumulative methane production curves for the wastes were obtained from the anaerobic batch fermentation having different S/I ratios of 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5. BMP and anaerobic biodegradabilities (Ddeg of the wastes were calculated from cumulative methane production data for the tested conditions. At the lowest S/I ration of 0.1, BMPs of piggery blood, intestine residue, and digestive tract content were determined to be 0.799, 0.848, and 1.076 Nm3 kg−1-VSadded, respectively, which were above the theoretical methane potentials of 0.539, 0.644, and 0.517 Nm3 kg−1-VSadded for blood, intestine residue, and digestive tract content, respectively. However, BMPs obtained from the higher S/I ratios of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 were within the theoretical range for all three types of waste and were not significantly different for the different S/I ratios tested. Anaerobic biodegradabilities calculated from BMP data showed a similar tendency. These results imply that, for BMP assay in an anaerobic reactor, the S/I ratio of anaerobic reactor should be above 0.1 and the inoculum should be sufficiently stabilized to avoid further degradation during the assay.

Elaboration and quality control of the inoculum of the experimental vaccine Brucella S19-tn7-GFP for use in white animals and associated serological test for the detection of anti-GFP antibodies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salas Alfaro, Dariana

2014-01-01

The preparation of the inoculum of the experimental vaccine Brucella S19-Tn7-GFP is optimized for application in white animals. An associated serological test has allowed differentiating infected animals from those vaccinated with the experimental strain. The same bacteriological and biological properties of the B. abortus S19-Tn7-GFP strain have maintained in the parental vaccine strain S19 and is stable over time. A protocol for the inoculums of strain S19-Tn7-GFP is established for its preparation and use in white animals and quality control. The inoculum stability is evaluated through the simulation of conditions that can be presented in the transportation and application process in the field. An enzyme immunoassay ELISA is optimized for the detection of anti-GFP antibodies in cattle [es

Effects of inoculum to substrate ratio and co-digestion with bagasse on biogas production of fish waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Jie; Mustafa, Ahmed M; Sheng, Kuichuan

2017-10-01

To overcome the biogas inhibition in anaerobic digestion of fish waste (FW), effects of inoculum to substrate ratio (I/S, based on VS) and co-digestion with bagasse on biogas production of FW were studied in batch reactors. I/S value was from 0.95 to 2.55, bagasse content in co-digestion (based on VS) was 25%, 50% and 75%. The highest biogas yield (433.4 mL/gVS) with 73.34% methane content was obtained at an I/S value of 2.19 in mono-digestion of FW; the biogas production was inhibited and the methane content was below 70% when I/S was below 1.5. Co-digestion of FW and bagasse could improve the stability and biogas potential, also reducing the time required to obtain 70% of the total biogas production, although the total biogas yield and methane content decreased with the increase in bagasse content in co-digestion. Biogas yield of 409.5 mL/gVS was obtained in co-digestion of 75% FW and 25% bagasse; simultaneously 78.46% of the total biogas production was achieved after 10 days of digestion.

Peran Sklerotium dan Bentuk Lain Patogen Rhizoctonia solani sebagai Sumber Inokulum Awal Penyakit Hawar Pelepah Padi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suparyono Suparyono

1999-07-01

Full Text Available Experiments were conducted in Sukamandi Experimental Station of the Research Institute for Rice (RIR, to evaluate the importance of sclerotia and other propagules as the primary inoculum of rice sheath blight. The trials were conducted during the growing season of 1996/1997. Two elite varieties, namely IR64 and Cisadane, were planted in plots of 2×2 m in size. Subplots were three different ways of crop establishment, i.e. transplanting with 20×20 cm distance, transplanting in-row with 10×40 cm, and direct seeding in row. Sub-sub plots were 6 different form of inoculum of R. solani, namely sclerotia, sclerotia+mycelium, fresh infected rice straw, decomposed infected rice straw, fresh infected weeds, and decomposed infected weeds. Checks were plots with no additional inoculum of R. solani. Disease incidence of sheath blight was observed once a week started at 2 week after planting. Data indicated that in both season, form of inoculum significantly affect the development of rice sheath blight. Highest disease incidence was observed in plots receiving fresh infected rice straw as the primary inoculum, indicating that this form of inoculum was the most efficient for rice sheath blight development. The other form appeared to be effective as primary source of inoculum, were decomposed infected rice straw and fresh infected weeds. In tropical rice ecosystem such as in Indonesia, sclerotia appeared to be not as an important primary inoculum for rice sheath blight. Such information would be of important as the basic of sheath blight management in Indonesia, since incorporation of fresh rice straw into the paddy field prior to planting is a common practice in Indonesian rice ecosystem. Key words: R. solani, sclerotia, primary inoculum, rice sheath blight

Reduced anterior internal capsule white matter integrity in primary insomnia.

Science.gov (United States)

Spiegelhalder, Kai; Regen, Wolfram; Prem, Martin; Baglioni, Chiara; Nissen, Christoph; Feige, Bernd; Schnell, Susanne; Kiselev, Valerij G; Hennig, Jürgen; Riemann, Dieter

2014-07-01

Chronic insomnia is one of the most prevalent central nervous system diseases, however, its neurobiology is poorly understood. Up to now, nothing is known about the integrity of white matter tracts in insomnia patients. In this study, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used in a well-characterized sample of primary insomnia (PI) patients and good sleeper controls to fill this void. Voxelwise between-group comparisons of fractional anisotropy (FA) were performed in 24 PI patients (10 males; 14 females; 42.7 ± 14.5 years) and 35 healthy good sleepers (15 males; 20 females; 40.1 ± 9.1 years) with age and sex as covariates. PI patients showed reduced FA values within the right anterior internal capsule and a trend for reduced FA values in the left anterior internal capsule. The results suggest that insomnia is associated with a reduced integrity of white matter tracts in the anterior internal capsule indicating that disturbed fronto-subcortical connectivity may be a cause or consequence of the disorder.

Viabilidade do inoculante turfoso produzido com bactérias associativas e molibdênio Viability of peat inoculum produced with associative bacteria and molybdenum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salomão Lima Guimarães

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Dentre os veículos de inoculação de bactérias diazotróficas, o turfoso é considerado o mais utilizado no Brasil. A turfa possibilita a viabilidade de um grande número de células, protegendo-as também das adversidades do solo. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a viabilidade do inoculante turfoso desenvolvido com bactérias diazotróficas associativas e molibdênio. As bactérias BR11417 (Herbaspirillum seropedicae e BR11340 (Burkholderia sp., foram multiplicadas por um período de 24 horas e uma alíquota de 10 mL com 10(8 cel. mL-1 foi transferida para sacos de polipropileno contendo 35 g de turfa. Foram adicionadas duas doses e duas fontes de molibdênio: 1,12 e 2,25 g de molibdato de sódio e de amônio, respectivamente. Como controle, foi utilizado o inoculante sem molibdênio. A legislação brasileira, por meio da lei n° 86955, especifica que os inoculantes comerciais à base de micro-organismos fixadores de nitrogênio apresentem concentrações mínimas de 10(8 células viáveis por grama do produto no momento do uso e que a viabilidade das células seja mantida por um período mínimo de seis meses. Este estudo mostrou que sem a adição do molibdênio ao inoculante, as bactérias sobreviveram com um número de células viáveis em torno de 10(8 células g-1 de inoculante, por um período de até 110 dias. Com a adição do molibdênio, o inoculante manteve-se viável por um período de 180 dias. A aplicação do molibdênio contribui para o aumento da viabilidade do inoculante turfoso produzido com as estirpes BR11417 e BR11340.Among the vehicles in use for diazotroph inoculation, peat is considered the most-widely used in Brazil. Peat makes possible the viability of a large number of cells, at the same time protecting them from adversities found in the soil. The objective of this study was to evaluate the viability of peat inoculum developed with diazotroph bacteria and molybdenum. The bacteria BR11417 (Herbaspirillum

Lactic acid fermentation of human urine to improve its fertilizing value and reduce odour emissions.

Science.gov (United States)

Andreev, N; Ronteltap, M; Boincean, B; Wernli, M; Zubcov, E; Bagrin, N; Borodin, N; Lens, P N L

2017-08-01

During storage of urine, urea is biologically decomposed to ammonia, which can be lost through volatilization and in turn causes significant unpleasant smell. In response, lactic acid fermentation of urine is a cost-effective technique to decrease nitrogen volatilization and reduce odour emissions. Fresh urine (pH = 5.2-5.3 and NH 4 + -N = 1.2-1.3 g L -1 ) was lacto-fermented for 36 days in closed glass jars with a lactic acid bacterial inoculum from sauerkraut juice and compared to untreated, stored urine. In the lacto-fermented urine, the pH was reduced to 3.8-4.7 and the ammonium content by 22-30%, while the pH of the untreated urine rose to 6.1 and its ammonium content increased by 32% due to urea hydrolysis. The concentration of lactic acid bacteria in lacto-fermented urine was 7.3 CFU ml -1 , suggesting that urine is a suitable growth medium for lactic acid bacteria. The odour of the stored urine was subjectively perceived by four people to be twice as strong as that of lacto-fermented samples. Lacto-fermented urine induced increased radish germination compared to stored urine (74-86% versus 2-31%). Adding a lactic acid bacterial inoculum to one week old urine in the storage tanks in a urine-diverting dry toilet reduced the pH from 8.9 to 7.7 after one month, while the ammonium content increased by 35%, probably due to the high initial pH of the urine. Given that the hydrolyzed stale urine has a high buffering capacity, the lactic acid bacterial inoculum should be added to the urine storage tank of a UDDT before urine starts to accumulate there to increase the efficiency of the lactic acid fermentation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Electron Acceptors, Reducing Agents, and Toxic Metabolites on Anaerobic Degradation of Heterocyclic Compounds

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Licht, Dorthe; Ahring, Birgitte Kiær; Arvin, Erik

1996-01-01

Degradation of four heterocyclic compounds was examined under nitrate-reducing, sulphate-reducing and methanogenic conditions. Soil samples from a creosote-polluted site in Denmark were used as inoculum. Indole and quinoline were degraded under all redox conditions with the highest degradation...... of quinoline under sulphate-reducing conditions which was inhibited by sulphide at concentrations above 0.8 mM. Degradation of quinoline under methanogenic conditions was also inhibited by 3.2 mM sulphide used as a reducing agent, but sulphide had no inhibitory effect on the degradation of indole...... in methanogenic and sulphate-reducing soil slurries...

Adherence of Primary Care Physicians to Evidence-Based Recommendations to Reduce Ovarian Cancer Mortality

OpenAIRE

Stewart, Sherri L.; Townsend, Julie S.; Puckett, Mary C.; Rim, Sun Hee

2016-01-01

Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynecologic cancer. Receipt of treatment from a gynecologic oncologist is an evidence-based recommendation to reduce mortality from the disease. We examined knowledge and application of this evidence-based recommendation in primary care physicians as part of CDC gynecologic cancer awareness campaign efforts and discussed results in the context of CDC National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (NCCCP). We analyzed primary care physician responses to questions...

Use of starter cultures of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts as inoculum enrichment for the production of gowé, a sour beverage from Benin

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vieira-Dalodé, G.; Madodé, Y.E.; Hounhouigan, J.

2008-01-01

Lactobacillus fermentum, Weissella confusa, Kluyveromyces marxianus and Pichia anomala, previously isolated during natural fermentation of traditional gowé, were tested as inoculum enrichment for controlled fermentation of gowé. The final product was subjected to chemical analysis and sensory eva...

Inoculum effect on the efficacies of amoxicillin-clavulanate, piperacillin-tazobactam, and imipenem against extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing and non-ESBL-producing Escherichia coli in an experimental murine sepsis model.

Science.gov (United States)

Docobo-Pérez, F; López-Cerero, L; López-Rojas, R; Egea, P; Domínguez-Herrera, J; Rodríguez-Baño, J; Pascual, A; Pachón, J

2013-05-01

Escherichia coli is commonly involved in infections with a heavy bacterial burden. Piperacillin-tazobactam and carbapenems are among the recommended empirical treatments for health care-associated complicated intra-abdominal infections. In contrast to amoxicillin-clavulanate, both have reduced in vitro activity in the presence of high concentrations of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing and non-ESBL-producing E. coli bacteria. Our goal was to compare the efficacy of these antimicrobials against different concentrations of two clinical E. coli strains, one an ESBL-producer and the other a non-ESBL-producer, in a murine sepsis model. An experimental sepsis model {~5.5 log10 CFU/g [low inoculum concentration (LI)] or ~7.5 log(10) CFU/g [high inoculum concentration (HI)]} using E. coli strains ATCC 25922 (non-ESBL producer) and Ec1062 (CTX-M-14 producer), which are susceptible to the three antimicrobials, was used. Amoxicillin-clavulanate (50/12.5 mg/kg given intramuscularly [i.m.]), piperacillin-tazobactam (25/3.125 mg/kg given intraperitoneally [i.p.]), and imipenem (30 mg/kg i.m.) were used. Piperacillin-tazobactam and imipenem reduced spleen ATCC 25922 strain concentrations (-2.53 and -2.14 log10 CFU/g [P imipenem, and amoxicillin-clavulanate, respectively, although imipenem and amoxicillin-clavulanate were more efficacious than piperacillin-tazobactam). An adapted imipenem treatment (based on the time for which the serum drug concentration remained above the MIC obtained with a HI of the ATCC 25922 strain) improved its efficacy to -1.67 log10 CFU/g (P imipenem treatment of infections caused by ESBL- and non-ESBL-producing E. coli strains in patients with therapeutic failure with piperacillin-tazobactam.

Epizootic rabbit enteropathy inoculum (TEC4): antibiograms and antibiotic fractionation.

Science.gov (United States)

Huybens, Nathalie; Houeix, Julien; Licois, Dominique; Mainil, Jacques; Marlier, Didier

2011-01-01

Epizootic rabbit enteropathy (ERE) emerged and spread in Europe within the last 13 years causing major economical loss. The aims of the study was to evaluate antibiograms of TEC4, an inoculum composed of an extract of intestinal content of affected rabbits, and to test the potential of different antibiotic-based TEC4 fractions to reproduce the disease. Twenty nine different antibiotic discs were incubated for determining bacteria resistance. In a complementary study, nine tubes of liquid medium were inoculated with TEC4, incubated and added individually with amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, bacitracin, ceftiofur, doxycycline, novobiocin, streptomycyin, tylosin, vancomycin and 0.9% saline solution as control. The content of each tube was washed by centrifugation and suspended in saline. The three most effective antibiotics are florfenicol, amoxycillin/clavulanic acid and tylosin. A high concentration of Clostridium sordelli and Bacillus firmus were isolated in all fractions. Species never cultured from TEC4 were identified as Fusobacterium necrogenes (in vancomycin fraction), Cellulomonas sp (in novobiocin fraction) and Bacteroides distasonis (in doxycycline fraction). The ERE was reproduced when bacitracin, doxycycline and 0.9% fractions were inoculated. Rabbits showed ERE clinical signs with the specific drop in daily weight gain.

Mummified fruit as a source of inoculum and disease dynamics of olive anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum spp.

Science.gov (United States)

Moral, Juan; Trapero, Antonio

2012-10-01

Anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum spp., is a destructive disease of olive fruit worldwide. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of agronomical and weather factors on inoculum production using detached olive fruit and on the development of epidemics in the field. The pathogen produced very large numbers of conidia on rotted (>1.87 × 10(8) conidia/fruit) or mummified (>2.16 × 10(4) conidia/fruit) fruit under optimal conditions. On mummified fruit, conidial production was highest on mummies incubated at 20 to 25°C and 96 h of wetness. Repeated washings of mummies reduced conidial production until it was very low after five washings. When mummies were placed in the tree canopy, conidial production was not reduced after 6 months (May to October); but, when they were held on the soil or buried in the soil, conidial production comparatively decreased up to 10,000 times. Anthracnose epidemics on susceptible 'Hojiblanca' and 'Picudo' during three seasons (2005-08) were influenced by rainfall, temperature, and fruit ripening, and had three main phases: the latent period (May to October); the onset of the epidemic, which coincided with the beginning of fruit ripening (early November); and disease development, which was predicted by the Weibull model (November to March). No epidemics developed on the susceptible cultivars during the driest season (2007-08) or on the resistant 'Picual' olive during any of the three seasons. These results provide the basis for a forecasting system of olive anthracnose which could greatly improve the management of this disease.

Application of Biofilm Covered Activated Carbon Particles as a Microbial Inoculum Delivery System for Enhanced Bioaugmentation of PCBs in Contaminated Sediment

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-01

after anaerobic digestion at thermophilic conditions (60- 70C). Application of biofilm covered activated carbon particles as a microbial inoculum...Sludge Thickener; Sludge = Sludge after anaerobic digestion at thermophilic conditions (60- 70C). C3. Microscopic evaluation of dechlorinating...associated enzymes are capable of opening the biphenyl ring structure and transform the molecule into a linear structure, this changed structure was not

Physical and textural characteristics of fermented milk products obtained by kombucha inoculums with herbal teas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Malbaša Radomir V.

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In this investigation, kombucha fermented milk products were produced from milk with 1.6% milk fat using 10% (v/v kombucha inoculums cultivated on the extracts of peppermint and stinging nettle. The fermentation process was conducted at temperatures of 37, 40 and 43°C. Fermentation was stopped when the pH value of 4.5 was reached. The fermentation process was shortened with an increase of temperature. Physical characteristics of the fermented products were determined by using standard methods of analysis. Textural characteristics were determined by texture profile analysis. The obtained products showed good physical and textural characteristics, typical for the yoghurt-like products. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III-46009

Simple risk stratification at admission to identify patients with reduced mortality from primary angioplasty

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thune, Jens Jakob; Hoefsten, Dan Eik; Lindholm, Matias Greve

2005-01-01

BACKGROUND: Randomized trials comparing fibrinolysis with primary angioplasty for acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction have demonstrated a beneficial effect of primary angioplasty on the combined end point of death, reinfarction, and disabling stroke but not on all-cause death. Identifying...... a patient group with reduced mortality from an invasive strategy would be important for early triage. The Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) risk score is a simple validated integer score that makes it possible to identify high-risk patients on admission to hospital. We hypothesized that a high...... as high risk. There was a significant interaction between risk status and effect of primary angioplasty (P=0.008). In the low-risk group, there was no difference in mortality (primary angioplasty, 8.0%; fibrinolysis, 5.6%; P=0.11); in the high-risk group, there was a significant reduction in mortality...

Effect of incubation time, inoculum size, temperature, pasteurization time, goat milk powder and whey powder on ACE inhibitory activity in fermented milk by L. plantarum LP69.

Science.gov (United States)

Shu, Guowei; Yang, Hui; Chen, He; Zhang, Qiuhong; Tian, Yue

2015-01-01

Angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) plays an important physiological role in regulating hypertension. Lactic acid bacteria are known to produce ACE inhibitory peptides which can lower hypertension during fermentation. The effect of incubation time (0~36 h), inoculum size (3, 4, 5, 6 and 7%, v/v), temperature (25, 30, 35, 40 and 45°C), sterilization time (5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 min), concentration of goat milk powder (8, 10, 12, 14 and 16%, w/v) and whey powder (0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8 and 0.9%, w/v) on ACE inhibitory peptides fermented from goat milk by Lactobacillus plantarum LP69 was investigated using single factor experiment. The optimal incubation time, inoculum size, temperature, pasteurization time, goat milk powder and whey powder in fermented milk by L. plantarum LP69 was 14 h, 3.0%, 35°C, 20 min, 14% and 0.70% for ACE inhibitory activity and 22 h, 3.0%, 40°C, 25 min, 16% and 0.60% for viable cell counts, respectively. The incubation time, inoculum size, temperature, pasteurization time, goat milk powder and whey powder had a significant influence on ACE inhibitory activity in fermented milk by Lactobacillus plantarum LP69, the results are beneficial for further screening of main factors by using fractional factorial designs.

Effect of ionic strength, cation exchanger and inoculum age on the performance of Microbial fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mohan, Yama; Das, Debabrata [Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302 (India)

2009-09-15

Power generation in Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) is a function of various physico-chemical as well as biological parameters. In this study, we have examined the effect of ionic strength, cation exchanger and inoculum age on power generation in a mediator MFC with methylene blue as electron mediator using Enterobacter cloacae IIT-BT08. The effect of ionic strength was studied using NaCl in the anode chamber of a two chambered salt-bridge MFC at concentrations of 5 mM, 10 mM and 15 mM. Maximum power density of 12.8 mW/m{sup 2} was observed when 10 mM NaCl was used. Corresponding current density was noted to be 35.5 mA/m{sup 2}. Effect of cation exchanger was observed by replacing salt-bridge with a proton exchange membrane of equal surface area. When the salt-bridge was replaced by a proton exchange membrane, a 3-fold increase in the power density was observed. Power density and current density of 37.8 mW/m{sup 2} and 110.3 mA/m{sup 2} respectively were detected. The influence of the pre-inoculum on the MFC was studied using E. cloacae IIT-BT08 grown for 12, 14, 16 and 18 h. It was observed that 16 h grown culture when inoculated in the anode chamber gave the maximum power output. Power density and current density of 68 mW/m{sup 2} and 168 mA/m{sup 2} respectively were obtained. We demonstrate from these results that both physico-chemical as well as biological parameters need to be optimized for improving the power generation in MFCs. (author)

Barriers to Using Nonpharmacologic Approaches and Reducing Opioid Use in Primary Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Giannitrapani, Karleen F; Ahluwalia, Sangeeta C; McCaa, Matthew; Pisciotta, Maura; Dobscha, Steven; Lorenz, Karl A

2017-10-20

Opioid prescribing for chronic pain, including the potential for over-reliance and misuse, is a public health concern. In the context of Veterans Administration (VA) primary care team-based pain management, we aimed to understand providers' perceptions of barriers to reducing opioid use and improving the use of nonpharmacologic pain management therapies (NPTs) for chronic pain. A semistructured interview elucidated provider experiences with assessing and managing pain. Emergent themes were mapped to known dimensions of VA primary care access. Informants included 60 primary care providers, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, clerks, psychologists, and social workers at two VA Medical Centers. Nine multidisciplinary focus groups. Provider perceptions of barriers to reducing opioids and improving use of NPTs for patients with chronic pain clustered around availability and access. Barriers to NPT access included the following subthemes: geographical (patient distance from service), financial (out-of-pocket cost to patient), temporal (treatment time delays), cultural (belief that NPTs increased provider workload, perception of insufficient training on NPTs, perceptions of patient resistance to change, confrontation avoidance, and insufficient leadership support), and digital (measure used for pain assessment, older patients hesitant to use technology, providers overwhelmed by information). Decreasing reliance on opioids for chronic pain requires a commitment to local availability and provider-facing strategies that increase efficacy in prescribing NPTs. Policies and interventions for decreasing utilization of opioids and increasing use of NPTs should comprehensively consider access barriers. 2017 American Academy of Pain Medicine. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.

Parâmetros de dimensionamento para biodigestores batelada operados com dejetos de vacas leiteiras com e sem uso de inóculo Parameters to design batch digesters running with dairy cow manure with and without inoculum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristiane de A. N Xavier

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Objetivou-se avaliar a adição de inóculo na biodigestão anaeróbia de dejetos de vacas leiteiras reciclados em biodigestores bateladas pela quantidade de biogás produzida, pela redução dos sólidos voláteis e pelos potenciais de produção de biogás para obtenção de parâmetros de dimensionamento. Foram utilizados 12 biodigestores bateladas de campo de 60 L, cujos substratos continham dejetos de vacas leiteiras, água e quatro adições de inóculo (0; 20; 30 e 40% v/v. Adotaram-se tempos médios de retenção hidráulica de 75 e 150 dias para os tratamentos contendo inóculo e sem inóculo, respectivamente, nos períodos intermediário, chuvoso e seco do ano. Maiores produções de biogás ocorreram com maiores temperaturas médias do ar. Maiores potenciais de produção de biogás foram obtidas com uso de 40% de inóculo, de 0,07 m³ de biogás por kg de dejetos, com a utilização rápida do biogás, a partir de quatro dias. Tempos de retenção hidráulica de 45 dias podem ser adotados, o que reduz o volume do biodigestor e custos de implantação.The aim of this work was to evaluate the inoculum addition on the anaerobic digestion of dairy cattle manure recycled in batch digesters by biogas yield, volatile solids reduction and biogas potential production to obtain design parameters. Twelve field batch digesters (60 L each filled with dairy catlle manure, water and four different inoculum additions (0, 20, 30 and 40%, v/v were used. Average times of hydraulic retention of 75 and 150 days were adopted for treatments with and without inoculum, respectively, during three periods of the year (intermediary, rainy and dry. The greatest daily biogas yields occurred in higher room temperatures (rainy period. Higher biogas potential production was obtained by using 40% of inoculum, 0.07 m³ kg-1 manure, with rapid use of biogas from the four days. Times of hydraulic retention of 45 days may be adopted, which reduces the volume of the

Adherence of Primary Care Physicians to Evidence-Based Recommendations to Reduce Ovarian Cancer Mortality

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, Sherri L.; Townsend, Julie S.; Puckett, Mary C.; Rim, Sun Hee

2017-01-01

Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynecologic cancer. Receipt of treatment from a gynecologic oncologist is an evidence-based recommendation to reduce mortality from the disease. We examined knowledge and application of this evidence-based recommendation in primary care physicians as part of CDC gynecologic cancer awareness campaign efforts and discussed results in the context of CDC National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (NCCCP). We analyzed primary care physician responses to questions about how often they refer patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer to gynecologic oncologists, and reasons for lack of referral. We also analyzed these physicians’ knowledge of tests to help determine whether a gynecologic oncologist is needed for a planned surgery. The survey response rate was 52.2%. A total of 84% of primary care physicians (87% of family/general practitioners, 81% of internists and obstetrician/gynecologists) said they always referred patients to gynecologic oncologists for treatment. Common reasons for not always referring were patient preference or lack of gynecologic oncologists in the practice area. A total of 23% of primary care physicians had heard of the OVA1 test, which helps to determine whether gynecologic oncologist referral is needed. Although referral rates reported here are high, it is not clear whether ovarian cancer patients are actually seeing gynecologic oncologists for care. The NCCCP is undertaking several efforts to assist with this, including education of the recommendation among women and providers and assistance with treatment summaries and patient navigation toward appropriate treatment. Expansion of these efforts to all populations may help improve adherence to recommendations and reduce ovarian cancer mortality. PMID:26978124

Optimization of inoculum to substrate ratio for bio-energy generation in co-digestion of tannery solid wastes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sri Bala Kameswari, K.; Chitra Kalyanaraman,; Porselvam, S. [Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI), Environmental Technology Division, Chennai (India); Thanasekaran, K. [Anna University, Centre for Environmental Studies, Chennai (India)

2012-04-15

The inoculum to substrate (I/S) ratio is an important factor which influences the anaerobic digestion process. In this study, the effect of different I/S ratios on the performance of co-digestion of fleshings along with mixture of sludge generated during treatment of tannery wastewater was investigated. The parameters studied were biogas generation, volatile solids reduction, volatile fatty acid (VFA) production, and the stability of the digestion process based on VFA to alkalinity ratio was evaluated for various I/S ratios. Economical significance of I/S ratio as related to the volume of the anaerobic digester and the potential benefit of bio-energy generated are discussed in detail. (orig.)

Inoculum effect of high concentrations of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus on the efficacy of cefazolin and other beta-lactams.

Science.gov (United States)

Saeki, Masachika; Shinagawa, Masaaki; Yakuwa, Yuki; Nirasawa, Shinya; Sato, Yuki; Yanagihara, Nozomi; Takahashi, Satoshi

2018-03-01

The existence of a cefazolin inoculum effect (InE) of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), which is speculated to be a reason for cefazolin treatment failure in MSSA infections, is controversial. In Japan, although cefazolin is one of the therapeutic choices for patients with MSSA infection, there are few reports of this effect. Additionally, the association between InE and blaZ type in beta-lactams other than cefazolin has not been well documented. In this study, we confirmed an MSSA InE in several beta-lactams, including cefazolin, and its relationship with blaZ, using 52 MSSA isolates from blood cultures. Three isolates (5.8%) that possessed type A blaZ showed a pronounced cefazolin InE. Five isolates (9.6%) showed pronounced InE with sulbactam/ampicillin; four isolates had type C blaZ and one had type A blaZ. However, we confirmed InE in MSSA isolates with blaZ not only type A and C but also B and D. For cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, imipenem, and meropenem, regardless of the presence of blaZ, we did not observe a significant increase in MICs at a high inoculum of MSSA. Hence, our results suggest that the above four beta-lactams are good alternatives to cefazolin if InE leads to treatment failure in a patient. Copyright © 2017 Japanese Society of Chemotherapy and The Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Correlation of the microstructure with viscosity and textural properties during milk fermentation by kombucha inoculum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vukić Vladimir R.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to examine the changes in the microstructure, textural properties and viscosity of the gel formed during milk fermentation with kombucha inoculum and to establish a relationship between the microstructure and these properties. The values of the analyzed characteristics were measured during the gelation at 42°C at the following pHs: 5.4, 5.1, 4.8 and 4.6. The microstructure analysis revealed disappearance of coarse cluster structure and appearance of finer casein micelles network during fermentation. The obtained results showed significant differences in them viscosity and textural properties during fermentation, which is in accordance with their microstructure. The correlation of the examined properties and microstructure of the gel was established. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 46009

The influence of Aspergillus niger inoculum dosage on nutritive value and metabolizable energy of apu-apu meal (Pistia stratiotes L.) on broiler chicken

Science.gov (United States)

Gloria, J.; Tafsin, M.; Hanafi, N. D.; Daulay, A. H.

2018-02-01

Apu-apu lives at tropical and subtropical fresh waterways. The apu-apu meals ultization as feed still limited. The problem of ultization apu-apu meals as ingredients is a high crude fiber and need a treatment to decrease crude fiber. This study aim to find out the influence of Aspergillus niger inoculums dosage on apu-apu meal (Pistia stratiotes L.) on metabolizable energy on broiler chicken. This research used completely randomize design (CRD). The treatments consists of Aspergillus niger inoculum dosage (CFU/g) such as P0 (0), P1 (104 CFU/g), P2 (106 CFU/g), and P3 (108 CFU/g). The variable were observed : apparent metabolizable energy (AME), true metabolizable energy (TME), apparent metabolizable energy nitrogen corrected (AMEn) and true metabolizable energy nitrogen corrected (TMEn).The results showed that the dosage of Aspergillus niger increase nutritive value of Aspergillus niger. Dosage of Aspergillus niger also influence (P<0.05) metabolizable energy of apu-apu meals. Dosage 108 CFU/g had metabolizable energy significantly higher than other treatments. Conclusion of this research is the Aspergillus niger at the dosage 108 CFU/g increased nutritive value and metabolizable energy of apu-apu meal.

Digestibilidade in vitro de alimentos com inóculos de líquido de rúmen ou de fezes de bovinos In vitro digestibility of foodstuffs with inoculum of bovine feces or ruminal fluid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudete Regina Alcalde

2001-05-01

Full Text Available O presente experimento foi desenvolvido na Fazenda Experimental da Universidade Estadual de Maringá e no Laboratório de Digestibilidade in vitro e Metabolismo Animal do Departamento de Zootecnia (UEM Estado do Paraná, com a finalidade de comparar o líquido de rúmen em dois tipos de colheita (via fístula ruminal ou sonda esofágica com as fezes de bovino em duas diluições, ou seja, 200/200 (tampão/fezes ou 100/300, como inóculos para a determinação da digestibilidade in vitro da matéria seca (DIVMS pela metodologia do fermentador ruminal (DAISYII/ANKOM® do farelo de trigo, milho moído, farelo de soja, farelo de canola, feno de Coast-cross e feno de Tifton 85. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado, com quatro tratamentos (inóculos e três repetições. Os diferentes tipos de inóculos não influenciaram (P > 0,05 nas digestibilidades da matéria seca (DIVMS do farelo de trigo e do milho. Entretanto, as digestibilidades do farelo de soja e do feno de Coast-cross com o inóculo fezes 200/200 foram menores (P The present experiment was developed to compare ruminal fluid collected by ruminal cannula or esophageal probe and bovine feces in two dilutions, 200/200 (buffer/feces or 100/300, as inoculum source, for the determination of in vitro (DAISYII/ANKOM® digestibility of wheat meal, ground corn, soybean and canola meal, and Coast-cross and Tifton 85 hay, with three replications. Different inoculum did not influence (p > 0.05 in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD of wheat meal and ground corn. However, the digestibility of soybean meal and Coast-cross hay with inoculum of feces dilution 200/200 was lower (p < 0.05 than that of the other food. In the case of canola meal and Tifton 85 hay, the IVDMD with inoculum from ruminal cannula and esophageal probe was better (p < 0.05 than the others. Except for canola meal and Tifton 85 hay, the bovine feces as an inoculum source (100/300 was efficient to evaluate IVDMD.

Sterilization of Carriers by using Gamma Irradiation for Bio fertilizer Inoculum Production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tittabutr, Panlada; Teamtisong, Kamonluck; Pewlong, Wachiraporn; Teaumroong, Neuhg; Laoharojanaphand, Sirinart; Boonkerd, Nantakorn

2009-07-01

Full text: Gamma irradiation has been widely used in sterilization process, which leads to improvement in the quality of the products. In the case of bio fertilizer inoculum, the sterilized carrier is also needed for producing high quality bio fertilizer. This study aimed at determining the factors, such as carrier materials, moistures, and packing sizes including packaging materials that may affect the sterilization efficiency by using gamma irradiation. All carrier materials, peat and compost, could be efficiently sterilized by irradiation. The carriers that have moisture content lower than 20% could be sterilized by irradiation at 15 kGy, while carrier with 30% moisture content must be sterilized by irradiation at 25 kGy. Higher irradiation dose was also necessary for sterilization of bigger carrier packing sizes. For, packaging materials, polyethylene bag appeared most durable after gamma irradiation even at high doses. However, contaminants could be detected in irradiated carrier after storage at room temperature for two months. It was hypothesized that these contaminants are spore forming microorganisms, which resist gamma irradiation. This hypothesis, as well as the quality of bio fertilizer produced from irradiated carrier, will be further evaluated

Surgical management of secondary hyperparathyroidism: how to effectively reduce recurrence at the time of primary surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, D; Yin, Y; Hou, L; Dai, W

2016-05-01

Successful parathyroidectomy (PTX) often results in a dramatic drop in the parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels, relieves the patient from clinical symptoms, and reduces mortality. Although PTX is generally a successful treatment for progressive secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) patients subjected to surgery, a significant proportion develops recurrent SHPT following PTX. SHPT requiring PTX occurs more commonly in progressive chronic kidney disease and in long-term lithium therapy. Operative approaches include subtotal PTX, total PTX with or without autotransplantation, and possible thymectomy. Each approach has its proponents, advantages, and disadvantages. Although PTX offers the highest percentage cure for SHPT, compared to all other medical and surgical treatment, recurrent hyperparathyroidism can be observed in some patients dependent on follow-up time. A literature review and analysis of recent data regarding how to reduce recurrence of SHPT at the time of primary surgery was performed. The current literature and our own experience in the field have confirmed that pre-operative imaging, thymectomy, stereo magnifier, and surgical procedure may effectively reduce recurrence of SHPT at the time of primary surgery.

Can brief behavioral health interventions reduce suicidal and self-harm ideation in primary care patients?

Science.gov (United States)

Dueweke, Aubrey R; Rojas, Sasha M; Anastasia, Elizabeth A; Bridges, Ana J

2017-09-01

We examined whether brief behavioral health visits reduced suicidal and self-harm ideation among primary care patients and compared the effectiveness of interventions that targeted ideation directly (i.e., safety planning) with those that targeted ideation indirectly through management of underlying mental illness (e.g., behavioral activation). We examined first- and last-visit data from 31 primary care patients with suicidal or self-harm ideation seen by behavioral health consultants. Patients reported significantly lower frequencies of suicidal and self-harm ideation at their final visit than at their initial visit. Patients whose ideation was targeted directly showed greater improvements than patients whose ideation was targeted indirectly. Although preliminary, results suggest mild to moderate suicidal ideation could be addressed in primary care through integration of behavioral health consultants into the medical team. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Bacterial inoculum enhances keratin degradation and biofilm formation in poultry compost.

Science.gov (United States)

Ichida, J M; Krizova, L; LeFevre, C A; Keener, H M; Elwell, D L; Burtt, E H

2001-11-01

Native microbial populations can degrade poultry waste, but the process can be hastened by using feather-degrading bacteria. Strains of Bacillus licheniformis and a Streptomyces sp. isolated from the plumage of wild birds were grown in a liquid basal medium and used to inoculate feathers in compost bioreaction vessels. Control vessels had only basal medium added to the feathers, litter and straw. Temperature, ammonia, carbon and nitrogen were monitored for 4 weeks. Scanning electron microscopy of the feather samples showed more complete keratin-degradation, more structural damage, and earlier microbial biofilm formation on inoculated feathers than on uninoculated feathers. A diverse community of aerobic bacteria and fungi were cultured early, but declined rapidly. Thermophilic B. licheniformis and Streptomyces spp. were abundant throughout. Enteric gram-negative bacteria, (e.g., Salmonella, E. coli) originally found on waste feathers were not recovered after day 4. Vessel temperatures reached 64-71 degrees C within 36 h and stabilized at 50 degrees C. When tumble-mixed at day 14, renewed activity peaked at 59 degrees C and quickly dropped as available carbon was used. Feathers soaked in an inoculum of B. licheniformis and Streptomyces degraded more quickly and more completely than feathers that were not presoaked. Inoculation of feather waste could improve composting of the large volume of feather waste generated every year by poultry farms and processing plants.

Leaching and accumulation of trace elements in sulfate reducing granular sludge under concomitant thermophilic and low pH conditions

KAUST Repository

Gonzalez-Gil, Graciela; Lopes, Sí lvia I C; Saikaly, Pascal; Lens, Piet Nl L

2012-01-01

The leaching and/or accumulation of trace elements in sulfate reducing granular sludge systems was investigated. Two thermophilic up-flow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB) reactors operated at pH 5 were fed with sucrose (4gCODl reactor -1d -1) and sulfate at different COD/SO 4 2- ratios. During the start-up of such acidogenic systems, an initial leaching of trace elements from the inoculum sludge occurred regardless of trace elements supplementation in the reactor influent. The granular sludge maintained the physical structure despite high Fe leaching. After start-up and nonetheless the acidic conditions, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo and Se were retained or accumulated by the sludge when added. Particularly, Ni and Co accumulated in the carbonates and exchangeable fractions ensuring potential bioavailability. Otherwise, the initial stock in the inoculum sludge sufficed to operate the process for nearly 1year without supplementation of trace elements and no significant sludge wash-out occurred. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

Leaching and accumulation of trace elements in sulfate reducing granular sludge under concomitant thermophilic and low pH conditions

KAUST Repository

Gonzalez-Gil, Graciela

2012-12-01

The leaching and/or accumulation of trace elements in sulfate reducing granular sludge systems was investigated. Two thermophilic up-flow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB) reactors operated at pH 5 were fed with sucrose (4gCODl reactor -1d -1) and sulfate at different COD/SO 4 2- ratios. During the start-up of such acidogenic systems, an initial leaching of trace elements from the inoculum sludge occurred regardless of trace elements supplementation in the reactor influent. The granular sludge maintained the physical structure despite high Fe leaching. After start-up and nonetheless the acidic conditions, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo and Se were retained or accumulated by the sludge when added. Particularly, Ni and Co accumulated in the carbonates and exchangeable fractions ensuring potential bioavailability. Otherwise, the initial stock in the inoculum sludge sufficed to operate the process for nearly 1year without supplementation of trace elements and no significant sludge wash-out occurred. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

Inoculum pretreatment affects bacterial survival, activity and catabolic gene expression during phytoremediation of diesel contaminated soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Sumia; Afzal, Muhammad; Iqbal, Samina; Mirza, Muhammad Sajjad; Khan, Qaiser M

2013-04-01

Plant-bacteria partnership is a promising approach for remediating soil contaminated with organic pollutants. The colonization and metabolic activity of an inoculated microorganism depend not only on environmental conditions but also on the physiological condition of the applied microorganisms. This study assessed the influence of different inoculum pretreatments on survival, gene abundance and catabolic gene expression of an applied strain (Pantoea sp. strain BTRH79) in the rhizosphere of ryegrass vegetated in diesel contaminated soil. Maximum bacterium survival, gene abundance and expression were observed in the soil inoculated with bacterial cells that had been pregrown on complex medium, and hydrocarbon degradation and genotoxicity reduction were also high in this soil. These findings propose that use of complex media for growing plant inocula may enhance bacterial survival and colonization and subsequently the efficiency of pollutant degradation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Efficacy of RADPAD® protection drape in reducing radiation exposure to the primary operator during Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI).

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Divyesh; Ramsewak, Adesh; Manoharan, Ganesh; Spence, Mark S

2016-02-01

The efficacy of RADPAD® (a sterile, lead-free drape) has been demonstrated to reduce the scatter radiation to the primary operator during fluoroscopic procedures. However, the use of the RADPAD® during TAVI procedures has not been studied. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is now an established treatment for patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis who are deemed inoperable or at high risk for conventional surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR). Consequently the radiation exposure to the patient and the interventional team from this procedure has become a matter of interest and importance. Methods to reduce radiation exposure to the interventional team during this procedure should be actively investigated. In this single center prospective study, we determined the radiation dose during this procedure and the efficacy of RADPAD® in reducing the radiation dose to the primary operator. Fifty consecutive patients due to undergo elective TAVI procedures were identified. Patients were randomly assigned to undergo the procedure with or without the use of a RADPAD® drape. There were 25 patients in each group and dosimetry was performed at the left eye level of the primary operator. The dosimeter was commenced at the start of the procedure, and the dose was recorded immediately after the end of the procedure. Fluoroscopy times and DAP were also recorded prospectively. Twenty-five patients underwent transfemoral TAVI using a RADPAD® and 25 with no-RADPAD®. The mean primary operator radiation dose was significantly lower in the RADPAD group at 14.8 mSv vs. 24.3 mSv in the no-RADPAD group (P=0.008). There was no significant difference in fluoroscopy times or dose-area products between the two patient groups. The dose to the primary operator relative to fluoroscopy time (RADPAD: slope=0.325; no RADPAD: slope=1.148; analysis of covariance F=7.47, P=0.009) and dose area product (RADPAD: slope=0.0007; no RADPAD: slope=0.002; analysis of covariance F=7

Decomposition of corn and soybean residues under field conditions and their role as inoculum source

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E.M. Reis

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Necrotrophic parasites of above-ground plant parts survive saprophytically, between growing seasons in host crop residues. In an experiment conducted under field conditions, the time required in months for corn and soybean residues to be completely decomposed was quantified. Residues were laid on the soil surface to simulate no-till farming. Crop debris of the two plant species collected on the harvesting day cut into pieces of 5.0cm-long and a 200g mass was added to nylon mesh bags. At monthly intervals, bags were taken to the laboratory for weighing. Corn residues were decomposed within 37.0 months and those of soybean, within 34.5 months. Hw main necrotrophic fungi diagnosed in the corn residues were Colletotrichum gramicola, Diplodia spp. and Gibberella zeae, and those in soybeans residues were Cercospora kikuchii, Colletotrichum spp, Glomerella sp. and Phomopsis spp. Thus, those periods shoulb be observed in crop rotation aimed at to eliminating contaminated residues and, consequently, the inoculum from the cultivated area.

Reversibility of neurofilamentous inclusion formation following repeated sublethal intracisternal inoculums of AlCl3 in New Zealand white rabbits.

Science.gov (United States)

Strong, M J; Gaytan-Garcia, S; Jakowec, D M

1995-01-01

In this report, we describe the clinical, topographical and immunohistochemical characteristics of neurofilament (NF) inclusion formation induced by the intracisternal inoculation of young adult New Zealand white rabbits at 28-day intervals with 100 micrograms AlCl3 over the course of 267 days. The ability to recover following cessation of aluminum exposure has also been assessed. The extent of neurofilamentous inclusion formation was proportionate to the cumulative amount of AlCl3 inoculated and initially consisted of fusiform axonal distention in the ventral spinal cord at day 51 following the initial inoculum. Spinal motor neuron perikaryal inclusions and discrete axonal spheroids were observed at day 107 and supraspinal neurofilamentous pathology by day 156. Perikaryal inclusions were immunoreactive to antibodies recognizing both poorly phosphorylated (SMI 32) and more highly phosphorylated high molecular weight NF (NFH). In contrast, axonal spheroids were intensely immunoreactive at all stages with antibodies recognizing highly phosphorylated NFH and an age-dependent NFH phosphorylation state (SMI 34) with only faint SMI 32 immunoreactivity. Immunoreactivity to an antibody recognizing ubiquitin-protein conjugates did not appear until day 156, whereas inclusions were not immunoreactive to antibodies recognizing either phosphatase-dependent or -independent microtubule-associated protein tau at any stage. Upon withdrawal from further AlCl3 exposure after intervals of 51, 107 or 156 days following the initial inoculum, clinical recovery ensued in all rabbits. In all but the most severely affected rabbits, perikaryal neurofilamentous inclusions resolved. However, axonal spheroids continued to be prominent. These studies demonstrate that the repetitive intracisternal inoculation of AlCl3 in New Zealand white rabbits induces a reversible process of neurofilamentous inclusion formation that preferentially affects motor neurons, and in which recovery will occur in

Batch, design optimization, and DNA sequencing study for continuous 1,3-propanediol production from waste glycerol by a soil-based inoculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Kanjilal, Baishali; Noshadi, Iman; Bautista, Eddy J; Srivastava, Ranjan; Parnas, Richard S

2015-03-01

1,3-propanediol (1,3-PD) was produced with a robust fermentation process using waste glycerol feedstock from biodiesel production and a soil-based bacterial inoculum. An iterative inoculation method was developed to achieve independence from soil and selectively breed bacterial populations capable of glycerol metabolism to 1,3-PD. The inoculum showed high resistance to impurities in the feedstock. 1,3-PD selectivity and yield in batch fermentations was optimized by appropriate nutrient compositions and pH control. The batch yield of 1,3-PD was maximized to ~0.7 mol/mol for industrial glycerol which was higher than that for pure glycerin. 16S rDNA sequencing results show a systematic selective enrichment of 1,3-PD producing bacteria with iterative inoculation and subsequent process control. A statistical design of experiments was carried out on industrial glycerol batches to optimize conditions, which were used to run two continuous flow stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) experiments over a period of >500 h each. A detailed analysis of steady states at three dilution rates is presented. Enhanced specific 1,3-PD productivity was observed with faster dilution rates due to lower levels of solvent degeneration. 1,3-PD productivity, specific productivity, and yield of 1.1 g/l hr, 1.5 g/g hr, and 0.6 mol/mol of glycerol were obtained at a dilution rate of 0.1 h(-1)which is bettered only by pure strains in pure glycerin feeds.

Economic evaluation of the Good School Toolkit: an intervention for reducing violence in primary schools in Uganda.

Science.gov (United States)

Greco, Giulia; Knight, Louise; Ssekadde, Willington; Namy, Sophie; Naker, Dipak; Devries, Karen

2018-01-01

This paper presents the cost and cost-effectiveness of the Good School Toolkit (GST), a programme aimed at reducing physical violence perpetrated by school staff to students in Uganda. The effectiveness of the Toolkit was tested with a cluster randomised controlled trial in 42 primary schools in Luwero District, Uganda. A full economic costing evaluation and cost-effectiveness analysis were conducted alongside the trial. Both financial and economic costs were collected retrospectively from the provider's perspective to estimate total and unit costs. The total cost of setting up and running the Toolkit over the 18-month trial period is estimated at US$397 233, excluding process monitor (M&E) activities. The cost to run the intervention is US$7429 per school annually, or US$15 per primary school pupil annually, in the trial intervention schools. It is estimated that the intervention has averted 1620 cases of past-week physical violence during the 18-month implementation period. The total cost per case of violence averted is US$244, and the annual implementation cost is US$96 per case averted during the trial. The GST is a cost-effective intervention for reducing violence against pupils in primary schools in Uganda. It compares favourably against other violence reduction interventions in the region.

A primary reduced TCA flux governs substrate oxidation in T2D skeletal muscle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gaster, Michael

2012-01-01

Our current knowledge on substrate oxidation in skeletal muscle in relation to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes (T2D) originate mainly from in vivo studies. The oxidative capacity of skeletal muscle is highly influenced by physical activity, ageing, hormonal status, and fiber type composition...... further regulatory mechanism to our understanding of substrate oxidation in human skeletal muscle during normo- an pathophysiological conditions, focusing especially on the governing influence of a primary reduced TCA flux for the diabetic phenotype in skeletal muscle....

Hepatoprotective Flavonoids in Opuntia ficus-indica Fruits by Reducing Oxidative Stress in Primary Rat Hepatocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jung Wha; Kim, Tae Bum; Kim, Hyun Woo; Park, Sang Wook; Kim, Hong Pyo; Sung, Sang Hyun

2017-01-01

Liver disorder was associated with alcohol consumption caused by hepatic cellular damages. Opuntia ficus-indica fruit extracts (OFIEs), which contain betalain pigments and polyphenols including flavonoids, have been introduced as reducing hangover symptoms and liver protective activity. To evaluate hepatoprotective activity of OFIEs and isolated compounds by high-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC). The extract of O. ficus-indica fruits was fractionated into methylene chloride and n -butanol. The n -butanol fraction was isolated by HSCCC separation (methylene chloride-methanol- n -butanol-water, 5:4:3:5, v/v/v/v). The hepatoprotective activity of OFIEs and isolated compounds was evaluated on rat primary hepatocytes against ethanol-induced toxicity. Antioxidative parameters such as glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-P x ) enzymes and the GSH content were measured. Two flavonoids, quercetin 3- O -methyl ester (1) and (+)-taxifolin, and two flavonoid glycosides, isorhamnetin 3- O -β- d -glucoside (3) and narcissin (4), were isolated from the n -butanol fraction by HSCCC separation. Among them, compound 2 significantly protected rat primary hepatocytes against ethanol exposure by preserving antioxidative properties of GR and GSH-P x . OFIEs and (+)-taxifolin were suggested to reduce hepatic damage by alcoholic oxidative stress. Hepatoprotective Flavonoids were isolated from Opuntia ficus-indica by high -speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC).

Biodegradation of hydrocarbon mixtures in surface waters at environmentally relevant levels - Effect of inoculum origin on kinetics and sequence of degradation.

Science.gov (United States)

Birch, Heidi; Hammershøj, Rikke; Comber, Mike; Mayer, Philipp

2017-10-01

Biodegradation is a dominant removal process for many organic pollutants, and biodegradation tests serve as tools for assessing their environmental fate within regulatory risk assessment. In simulation tests, the inoculum is not standardized, varying in microbial quantity and quality, thereby potentially impacting the observed biodegradation kinetics. In this study we investigated the effect of inoculum origin on the biodegradation kinetics of hydrocarbons for five inocula from surface waters varying in urbanization and thus expected pre-exposure to petroleum hydrocarbons. A new biodegradation method for testing mixtures of hydrophobic chemicals at trace concentrations was demonstrated: Aqueous solutions containing 9 hydrocarbons were generated by passive dosing and diluted with surface water resulting in test systems containing native microorganisms exposed to test substances at ng-μg/L levels. Automated Headspace Solid Phase Microextraction coupled to GC-MS was applied directly to these test systems to determine substrate depletion relative to abiotic controls. Lag phases were generally less than 8 days. First order rate constants were within one order of magnitude for each hydrocarbon in four of the five waters but lower in water from a rural lake. The sequence of degradation between the 9 hydrocarbons showed similar patterns in the five waters indicating the potential for using selected hydrocarbons for benchmarking between biodegradation tests. Degradation half-times were shorter than or within one order of magnitude of BioHCwin predictions for 8 of 9 hydrocarbons. These results showed that location choice is important for biodegradation kinetics and can provide a relevant input to aquatic exposure and fate models. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a two-step high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis for screening sequence variants associated with resistance to the QoIs, benzimidazoles and dicarboximides in airborne inoculum of Botrytis cinerea.

Science.gov (United States)

Chatzidimopoulos, Michael; Ganopoulos, Ioannis; Vellios, Evangelos; Madesis, Panagiotis; Tsaftaris, Athanasios; Pappas, Athanassios C

2014-11-01

A rapid, high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis protocol was developed to detect sequence variations associated with resistance to the QoIs, benzimidazoles and dicarboximides in Botrytis cinerea airborne inoculum. HRM analysis was applied directly in fungal DNA collected from air samplers with selective medium. Three and five different genotypes were detected and classified according to their melting profiles in BenA and bos1 genes associated with resistance to benzimidazoles and dicarboximides, respectively. The sensitivity of the methodology was evident in the case of the QoIs, where genotypes varying either by a single nucleotide polymorphism or an additional 1205-bp intron were separated accurately with a single pair of primers. The developed two-step protocol was completed in 82 min and showed reduced variation in the melting curves' formation. HRM analysis rapidly detected the major mutations found in greenhouse strains providing accurate data for successfully controlling grey mould. © 2014 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.

Does osteoporosis reduce the primary tilting stability of cementless acetabular cups?

Science.gov (United States)

von Schulze Pellengahr, Christoph; von Engelhardt, Lars V; Wegener, Bernd; Müller, Peter E; Fottner, Andreas; Weber, Patrick; Ackermann, Ole; Lahner, Matthias; Teske, Wolfram

2015-04-21

Cementless hip cups need sufficient primary tilting stability to achieve osseointegration. The aim of the study was to assess differences of the primary implant stability in osteoporotic bone and in bone with normal bone density. To assess the influence of different cup designs, two types of threaded and two types of press-fit cups were tested. The maximum tilting moment for two different cementless threaded cups and two different cementless press-fit cups was determined in macerated human hip acetabuli with reduced (n=20) and normal bone density (n=20), determined using Q-CT. The tilting moments for each cup were determined five times in the group with reduced bone density and five times in the group with normal bone density, and the respective average values were calculated. The mean maximum extrusion force of the threaded cup Zintra was 5670.5 N (max. tilting moment 141.8 Nm) in bone with normal density and.5748.3 N (max. tilting moment 143.7 Nm) in osteoporotic bone. For the Hofer Imhof (HI) threaded cup it was 7681.5 N (192.0 Nm) in bone with normal density and 6828.9 N (max. tilting moment 170.7 Nm) in the group with osteoporotic bone. The mean maximum extrusion force of the macro-textured press-fit cup Metallsockel CL was 3824.6 N (max. tilting moment 95.6 Nm) in bone with normal and 2246.2 N (max. tilting moment 56.2 Nm) in osteoporotic bone. For the Monoblock it was 1303.8 N (max. tilting moment 32.6 Nm) in normal and 1317 N (max. tilting moment 32.9 Nm) in osteoporotic bone. There was no significance. A reduction of the maximum tilting moment in osteoporotic bone of the ESKA press-fit cup Metallsockel CL was noticed. Results on macerated bone specimens showed no statistically significant reduction of the maximum tilting moment in specimens with osteoporotic bone density compared to normal bone, neither for threaded nor for the press-fit cups. With the limitation that the results were obtained using macerated bone, we could not detect any restrictions for

Professional, structural and organisational interventions in primary care for reducing medication errors.

Science.gov (United States)

Khalil, Hanan; Bell, Brian; Chambers, Helen; Sheikh, Aziz; Avery, Anthony J

2017-10-04

Medication-related adverse events in primary care represent an important cause of hospital admissions and mortality. Adverse events could result from people experiencing adverse drug reactions (not usually preventable) or could be due to medication errors (usually preventable). To determine the effectiveness of professional, organisational and structural interventions compared to standard care to reduce preventable medication errors by primary healthcare professionals that lead to hospital admissions, emergency department visits, and mortality in adults. We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, three other databases, and two trial registries on 4 October 2016, together with reference checking, citation searching and contact with study authors to identify additional studies. We also searched several sources of grey literature. We included randomised trials in which healthcare professionals provided community-based medical services. We also included interventions in outpatient clinics attached to a hospital where people are seen by healthcare professionals but are not admitted to hospital. We only included interventions that aimed to reduce medication errors leading to hospital admissions, emergency department visits, or mortality. We included all participants, irrespective of age, who were prescribed medication by a primary healthcare professional. Three review authors independently extracted data. Each of the outcomes (hospital admissions, emergency department visits, and mortality), are reported in natural units (i.e. number of participants with an event per total number of participants at follow-up). We presented all outcomes as risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We used the GRADE tool to assess the certainty of evidence. We included 30 studies (169,969 participants) in the review addressing various interventions to prevent medication errors; four studies addressed professional interventions (8266 participants) and 26 studies described

Effet de la profondeur d'enfouissement d'un amendement de moutarde brune sur le développement du piétin échaudage du blé

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mille, B.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Effect of the depth of brown mustard amendments in soil on wheat take-all disease. Description of the subject. The intercrop period is opportune for reducing the severity of soilborne diseases. Objectives. The aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of a biofumigant amendment according to its location in the soil. Method. An experiment combining different locations of wheat take-all inoculum and of ground brown mustard amendment was conducted under semi-controlled conditions. Results. At the early plant development stage (GS22, an inoculum localized in superficial soil horizons caused more disease than a deeper inoculum. However, it was possible to reduce significantly the level of infection through the addition of a brown mustard amendment, particularly when located in the top soil. At a later plant development stage (GS32, the location of the inoculum had no further visible effect on the severity of root infections but wheat growth increased when ground mustard was incorporated at the surface layer of the soil or at the same level as the inoculum. Conclusions. These results suggest firstly, that ground mustard amendment can reduce necrosis caused by wheat take-all and can allow increased plant growth, and secondly, that the effect depends on the relative locations of the amendment and of the inoculum.

Rhizosphere colonization and arsenic translocation in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) by arsenate reducing Alcaligenes sp. strain Dhal-L.

Science.gov (United States)

Cavalca, Lucia; Corsini, Anna; Bachate, Sachin Prabhakar; Andreoni, Vincenza

2013-10-01

In the present study, six arsenic-resistant strains previously isolated were tested for their plant growth promoting characteristics and heavy metal resistance, in order to choose one model strain as an inoculum for sunflower plants in pot experiments. The aim was to investigate the effect of arsenic-resistant strain on sunflower growth and on arsenic uptake from arsenic contaminated soil. Based on plant growth promoting characteristics and heavy metal resistance, Alcaligenes sp. strain Dhal-L was chosen as an inoculum. Beside the ability to reduce arsenate to arsenite via an Ars operon, the strain exhibited 1-amino-cyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase activity and it was also able to produce siderophore and indole acetic acid. Pot experiments were conducted with an agricultural soil contaminated with arsenic (214 mg kg⁻¹). A real time PCR method was set up based on the quantification of ACR3(2) type of arsenite efflux pump carried by Alcaligenes sp. strain Dhal-L, in order to monitor presence and colonisation of the strain in the bulk and rhizospheric soil. As a result of strain inoculation, arsenic uptake by plants was increased by 53 %, whereas ACR3(2) gene copy number in rhizospheric soil was 100 times higher in inoculated than in control pots, indicating the colonisation of strain. The results indicated that the presence of arsenate reducing strains in the rhizosphere of sunflower influences arsenic mobilization and promotes arsenic uptake by plant.

Effects of Inoculum Amount, Initial pH, and Nicotine Load on the Set-Up of Bioaugmented System with Pseudomonas Sp. HF-1 to Treat Tobacco Wastewater

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kun Zhang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This study evaluated and optimized the influence of inoculum amount, initial pH, and nicotine load on the construction of Pseudomonas sp. HF-1 bioaugmented system for tobacco wastewater treatment. The results demonstrated that the optimum condition for the set-up of strain HF-1 bioaugmented system was 1.10 mg/g (dry weight of strain HF-1/dry weight of activated sludge of inoculum amount, initial pH 7.0, and 250–1000 mg/L nicotine load. Higher than 1.10 mg/g could lead to noncolonization of strain HF-1 in activated sludge and failure of set-up of this bioaugmented system. Higher than pH 8.0 could restrain the colonization of strain HF-1 in activated sludge. Even though strain HF-1 colonizes in the activated sludge when pH was above 8.0, the removal of nicotine and total organic carbon (TOC was suppressed due to low activities of bacteria in the activated sludge. Nicotine load did not show inhibition effect on set-up of bioaugmented system, but the ability of TOC removal was restrained when the nicotine load was above 1000 mg/L. This work could offer vital parameters for the set-up of bioaugmented system to treat tobacco wastewater in engineering.

Hand sanitiser provision for reducing illness absences in primary school children: a cluster randomised trial.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricia Priest

2014-08-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The potential for transmission of infectious diseases offered by the school environment are likely to be an important contributor to the rates of infectious disease experienced by children. This study aimed to test whether the addition of hand sanitiser in primary school classrooms compared with usual hand hygiene would reduce illness absences in primary school children in New Zealand. METHODS AND FINDINGS: This parallel-group cluster randomised trial took place in 68 primary schools, where schools were allocated using restricted randomisation (1:1 ratio to the intervention or control group. All children (aged 5 to 11 y in attendance at participating schools received an in-class hand hygiene education session. Schools in the intervention group were provided with alcohol-based hand sanitiser dispensers in classrooms for the winter school terms (27 April to 25 September 2009. Control schools received only the hand hygiene education session. The primary outcome was the number of absence episodes due to any illness among 2,443 follow-up children whose caregivers were telephoned after each absence from school. Secondary outcomes measured among follow-up children were the number of absence episodes due to specific illness (respiratory or gastrointestinal, length of illness and illness absence episodes, and number of episodes where at least one other member of the household became ill subsequently (child or adult. We also examined whether provision of sanitiser was associated with experience of a skin reaction. The number of absences for any reason and the length of the absence episode were measured in all primary school children enrolled at the schools. Children, school administrative staff, and the school liaison research assistants were not blind to group allocation. Outcome assessors of follow-up children were blind to group allocation. Of the 1,301 and 1,142 follow-up children in the hand sanitiser and control groups, respectively, the

The influence of inoculum composition on selected bioactive and nutritional parameters of grass pea tempeh obtained by mixed-culture fermentation with Rhizopus oligosporus and Aspergillus oryzae strains.

Science.gov (United States)

Starzynska-Janiszewska, A; Stodolak, B; Dulinski, R; Mickowska, B

2012-04-01

Tempeh is a popular Indonesian product obtained from legume seeds by solid-state fermentation with Rhizopus sp. The aim of this research was to study the effect of simultaneous mixed-culture fermentation of grass pea seeds on selected parameters of products as compared to traditional tempeh. The inoculum contained different ratios of Rhizopus oligosporus and Aspergillus oryzae spores. The simultaneous fermentation of grass pea seeds with inoculum consisting of 1.2 × 10(6) R. oligosporus and 0.6 × 10(6) A. oryzae spores (per 60 g of seeds) resulted in a product of improved quality, as compared with traditionally made tempeh (obtained after inoculation with 1.2 × 10(6) R. oligosporus spores), at the same fermentation time. This product had radical scavenging ability 70% higher than the one obtained with pure R. oligosporus culture and contained 2.23 g/kg dm of soluble phenols. The thiamin and riboflavin levels were above three (340 µg/g dm) and two (50.50 µg/g dm) folds higher than in traditionally made tempeh, respectively. The product had 65% in vitro bioavailability of proteins and 33% in vitro bioavailability of sugars. It also contained 40% less 3-N-oxalyl-L-2, 3-diaminopropionic acid (0.074 g/kg dm), as compared to traditional tempeh.

Microbial monitoring of ammonia removal in a UASB reactor treating pre-digested chicken manure with anaerobic granular inoculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Yangin-Gomec, Cigdem; Pekyavas, Goksen; Sapmaz, Tugba; Aydin, Sevcan; Ince, Bahar; Akyol, Çağrı; Ince, Orhan

2017-10-01

Performance and microbial community dynamics in an upflow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB) reactor coupled with anaerobic ammonium oxidizing (Anammox) treating diluted chicken manure digestate (Total ammonia nitrogen; TAN=123±10mg/L) were investigated for a 120-d operating period in the presence of anaerobic granular inoculum. Maximum TAN removal efficiency reached to above 80% with as low as 20mg/L TAN concentrations in the effluent. Moreover, total COD (tCOD) with 807±215mg/L in the influent was removed by 60-80%. High-throughput sequencing revealed that Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes were dominant phyla followed by Euryarchaeota and Bacteroidetes. The relative abundance of Planctomycetes significantly increased from 4% to 8-9% during the late days of the operation with decreased tCOD concentration, which indicated a more optimum condition to favor ammonia removal through anammox route. There was also significant association between the hzsA gene and ammonia removal in the UASB reactor. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High efficient ethanol and VFAs production from gas fermentation: effect of acetate, gas and inoculum microbial composition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

El-Gammal, Maie; Abou-Shanab, Reda; Angelidaki, Irini

2017-01-01

In bioindustry, syngas fermentation is a promising technology for biofuel production without the use of plant biomass as sugar-based feedstock. The aim of this study was to identify optimal conditions for high efficient ethanol and volatile fatty acids (VFA) production from synthetic gas fermenta......In bioindustry, syngas fermentation is a promising technology for biofuel production without the use of plant biomass as sugar-based feedstock. The aim of this study was to identify optimal conditions for high efficient ethanol and volatile fatty acids (VFA) production from synthetic gas...... fatty acids and ethanol was achieved by the pure culture (Clostridium ragsdalei). Depending on the headspace gas composition, VFA concentrations were up to 300% higher after fermentation with Clostridium ragsdalei compared to fermentation with mixed culture. The preferred gas composition with respect...... to highest VFA concentration was pure CO (100%) regardless of microbial composition of the inoculum and media composition. The addition of acetate had a negative impact on the VFA formation which was depending on the initial gas composition in head space....

Screening and behavioral counseling interventions in primary care to reduce alcohol misuse: U.S. preventive services task force recommendation statement.

Science.gov (United States)

Moyer, Virginia A

2013-08-06

Update of the 2004 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation statement on screening and behavioral counseling interventions in primary care to reduce alcohol misuse. The USPSTF reviewed new evidence on the effectiveness of screening for alcohol misuse for improving health outcomes, the accuracy of various screening approaches, the effectiveness of various behavioral counseling interventions for improving intermediate or long-term health outcomes, the harms of screening and behavioral counseling interventions, and influences from the health care system that promote or detract from effective screening and counseling interventions for alcohol misuse. These recommendations apply to adolescents aged 12 to 17 years and adults aged 18 years or older. These recommendations do not apply to persons who are actively seeking evaluation or treatment of alcohol misuse. The USPSTF recommends that clinicians screen adults aged 18 years or older for alcohol misuse and provide persons engaged in risky or hazardous drinking with brief behavioral counseling interventions to reduce alcohol misuse. (Grade B recommendation)The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening and behavioral counseling interventions in primary care settings to reduce alcohol misuse in adolescents. (I statement)

Dopamine Receptor Activation Increases HIV Entry into Primary Human Macrophages

Science.gov (United States)

Gaskill, Peter J.; Yano, Hideaki H.; Kalpana, Ganjam V.; Javitch, Jonathan A.; Berman, Joan W.

2014-01-01

Macrophages are the primary cell type infected with HIV in the central nervous system, and infection of these cells is a major component in the development of neuropathogenesis and HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders. Within the brains of drug abusers, macrophages are exposed to increased levels of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that mediates the addictive and reinforcing effects of drugs of abuse such as cocaine and methamphetamine. In this study we examined the effects of dopamine on HIV entry into primary human macrophages. Exposure to dopamine during infection increased the entry of R5 tropic HIV into macrophages, irrespective of the concentration of the viral inoculum. The entry pathway affected was CCR5 dependent, as antagonizing CCR5 with the small molecule inhibitor TAK779 completely blocked entry. The effect was dose-dependent and had a steep threshold, only occurring above 108 M dopamine. The dopamine-mediated increase in entry required dopamine receptor activation, as it was abrogated by the pan-dopamine receptor antagonist flupenthixol, and could be mediated through both subtypes of dopamine receptors. These findings indicate that the effects of dopamine on macrophages may have a significant impact on HIV pathogenesis. They also suggest that drug-induced increases in CNS dopamine may be a common mechanism by which drugs of abuse with distinct modes of action exacerbate neuroinflammation and contribute to HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders in infected drug abusers. PMID:25268786

Solid-state Fermentation of Xylanase from Penicillium canescens 10-10c in a Multi-layer-packed Bed Reactor

Science.gov (United States)

Assamoi, Antoine A.; Destain, Jacqueline; Delvigne, Frank; Lognay, Georges; Thonart, Philippe

Xylanase is produced by Penicillium canescens 10-10c from soya oil cake in static conditions using solid-state fermentation. The impact of several parameters such as the nature and the size of inoculum, bed-loading, and aeration is evaluated during the fermentation process. Mycelial inoculum gives more production than conidial inoculum. Increasing the quantity of inoculum enhances slightly xylanase production. Forced aeration induces more sporulation of strain and reduces xylanase production. However, forced moistened air improves the production compared to production obtained with forced dry air. In addition, increasing bed-loading reduces the specific xylanase production likely due to the incapacity of the Penicillium strain to grow deeply in the fermented soya oil cake mass. Thus, the best cultivation conditions involve mycelial inoculum form, a bed loading of 1-cm height and passive aeration. The maximum xylanase activity is obtained after 7 days of fermentation and attains 10,200 U/g of soya oil cake. These levels are higher than those presented in the literature and, therefore, show all the potentialities of this stock and this technique for the production of xylanase.

Glucosamine exposure reduces proteoglycan synthesis in primary human endothelial cells in vitro

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Trine M. Reine

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Glucosamine (GlcN supplements are promoted for medical reasons, for example, for patients with arthritis and other joint-related diseases. Oral intake of GlcN is followed by uptake in the intestine, transport in the circulation and thereafter delivery to chondrocytes. Here, it is postulated to have an effect on synthesis and turnover of extracellular matrix constituents expressed by these cells. Following uptake in the intestine, serum levels are transiently increased, and the endothelium is exposed to increased levels of GlcN. We investigated the possible effects of GlcN on synthesis of proteoglycans (PGs, an important matrix component, in primary human endothelial cells. Methods: Primary human endothelial cells were cultured in vitro in medium with 5 mM glucose and 0–10 mM GlcN. PGs were recovered and analysed by western blotting, or by SDS-PAGE, gel chromatography or ion-exchange chromatography of 35S-PGs after 35S-sulphate labelling of the cells. Results: The synthesis and secretion of 35S-PGs from cultured endothelial cells were reduced in a dose- and time-dependent manner after exposure to GlcN. PGs are substituted with sulphated glycosaminoglycan (GAG chains, vital for PG function. The reduction in 35S-PGs was not related to an effect on GAG chain length, number or sulphation, but rather to the total expression of PGs. Conclusion: Exposure of endothelial cells to GlcN leads to a general decrease in 35S-PG synthesis. These results suggest that exposure to high levels of GlcN can lead to decreased matrix synthesis, contrary to what has been claimed by supporters of such supplements.

[An initiative to reduce the use of unnecessary medication in infants with bronchiolitis in primary care].

Science.gov (United States)

Montejo Fernández, Marta; Benito Manrique, Iñaki; Montiel Eguía, Arantza; Benito Fernández, Javier

2018-05-23

Although evidence-based guidelines for acute bronchiolitis recommend primarily supportive care unnecessary treatments remain well documented. The objective of this study was to analyse a quality improvement initiative to reduce overuse of unnecessary treatments in infants with acute bronchiolitis in primary care settings. To determine the number of unnecessary treatments we reviewed the charts corresponding to infants aged initiative may be applied to the settings where the majority of infants with acute bronchiolitis are attended in western countries. Copyright © 2018. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U.

Reducing sample size by combining superiority and non-inferiority for two primary endpoints in the Social Fitness study.

Science.gov (United States)

Donkers, Hanneke; Graff, Maud; Vernooij-Dassen, Myrra; Nijhuis-van der Sanden, Maria; Teerenstra, Steven

2017-01-01

In randomized controlled trials, two endpoints may be necessary to capture the multidimensional concept of the intervention and the objectives of the study adequately. We show how to calculate sample size when defining success of a trial by combinations of superiority and/or non-inferiority aims for the endpoints. The randomized controlled trial design of the Social Fitness study uses two primary endpoints, which can be combined into five different scenarios for defining success of the trial. We show how to calculate power and sample size for each scenario and compare these for different settings of power of each endpoint and correlation between them. Compared to a single primary endpoint, using two primary endpoints often gives more power when success is defined as: improvement in one of the two endpoints and no deterioration in the other. This also gives better power than when success is defined as: improvement in one prespecified endpoint and no deterioration in the remaining endpoint. When two primary endpoints are equally important, but a positive effect in both simultaneously is not per se required, the objective of having one superior and the other (at least) non-inferior could make sense and reduce sample size. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 supplementation reduces gastrointestinal dysfunction in an animal model of IBS.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paola Brun

Full Text Available We evaluated the effect of Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 on intestinal neuromuscular anomalies in an IBS-type mouse model of gastrointestinal motor dysfunctions elicited by Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 (HSV-1 exposure.Mice were inoculated intranasally with HSV-1 (102 PFU or vehicle at time 0 and 4 weeks later by the intragastric (IG route (108 PFU. Six weeks after IG inoculum, mice were randomly allocated to receive oral gavage with either S. boulardii (107 CFU/day or vehicle. After 4 weeks the following were determined: a intestinal motility using fluorescein-isothiocyanate dextran distribution in the gut, fecal pellet expulsion, stool water content, and distal colonic transit of glass beads; b integrity of the enteric nervous system (ENS by immunohistochemistry on ileal whole-mount preparations and western blot of protein lysates from ileal longitudinal muscle and myenteric plexus; c isometric muscle tension with electric field and pharmacological (carbachol stimulation of ileal segments; and d intestinal inflammation by levels of tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin(IL-1β, IL-10 and IL-4.S. boulardii CNCM I-745 improved HSV-1 induced intestinal dysmotility and alteration of intestinal transit observed ten weeks after IG inoculum of the virus. Also, the probiotic yeast ameliorated the structural alterations of the ENS induced by HSV-1 (i.e., reduced peripherin immunoreactivity and expression, increased glial S100β protein immunoreactivity and neuronal nitric oxide synthase level, reduced substance P-positive fibers. Moreover, S. boulardii CNCM I-745 diminished the production of HSV-1 associated pro-inflammatory cytokines in the myenteric plexus and increased levels of anti-inflammatory interleukins.S. boulardii CNCM I-745 ameliorated gastrointestinal neuromuscular anomalies in a mouse model of gut dysfunctions typically observed with irritable bowel syndrome.

Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 supplementation reduces gastrointestinal dysfunction in an animal model of IBS.

Science.gov (United States)

Brun, Paola; Scarpa, Melania; Marchiori, Chiara; Sarasin, Gloria; Caputi, Valentina; Porzionato, Andrea; Giron, Maria Cecilia; Palù, Giorgio; Castagliuolo, Ignazio

2017-01-01

We evaluated the effect of Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 on intestinal neuromuscular anomalies in an IBS-type mouse model of gastrointestinal motor dysfunctions elicited by Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 (HSV-1) exposure. Mice were inoculated intranasally with HSV-1 (102 PFU) or vehicle at time 0 and 4 weeks later by the intragastric (IG) route (108 PFU). Six weeks after IG inoculum, mice were randomly allocated to receive oral gavage with either S. boulardii (107 CFU/day) or vehicle. After 4 weeks the following were determined: a) intestinal motility using fluorescein-isothiocyanate dextran distribution in the gut, fecal pellet expulsion, stool water content, and distal colonic transit of glass beads; b) integrity of the enteric nervous system (ENS) by immunohistochemistry on ileal whole-mount preparations and western blot of protein lysates from ileal longitudinal muscle and myenteric plexus; c) isometric muscle tension with electric field and pharmacological (carbachol) stimulation of ileal segments; and d) intestinal inflammation by levels of tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin(IL)-1β, IL-10 and IL-4. S. boulardii CNCM I-745 improved HSV-1 induced intestinal dysmotility and alteration of intestinal transit observed ten weeks after IG inoculum of the virus. Also, the probiotic yeast ameliorated the structural alterations of the ENS induced by HSV-1 (i.e., reduced peripherin immunoreactivity and expression, increased glial S100β protein immunoreactivity and neuronal nitric oxide synthase level, reduced substance P-positive fibers). Moreover, S. boulardii CNCM I-745 diminished the production of HSV-1 associated pro-inflammatory cytokines in the myenteric plexus and increased levels of anti-inflammatory interleukins. S. boulardii CNCM I-745 ameliorated gastrointestinal neuromuscular anomalies in a mouse model of gut dysfunctions typically observed with irritable bowel syndrome.

Filter apparatus for actively reducing noise

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Berkhoff, Arthur P.; Nijsse, G.

2010-01-01

A filter apparatus for reducing noise from a primary noise source, comprising a secondary source signal connector for generating secondary noise to reduce said primary noise and a sensor connector for connecting to a sensor for measuring said primary and secondary noise as an error signal. A first

Viability and infectivity of an ectomycorrhizal inoculum produced in an airlift bioreactor and immobilized in calcium alginate Viabilidade e infectividade de inoculante ectomicorrízico produzido em biorreator airlift e encapsulado em algianto de cálcio

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leyza Paloschi de Oliveira

2006-09-01

Full Text Available The viability and infectivity of an ectomycorrhizal inoculum (isolate UFSC-Rh90, Rhizopogon nigrescens, produced by submerged cultivation in an airlift bioreactor and immobilized in beads of calcium alginate gel, was studied. Inoculum remained 100% viable after 18 months in a 0.85% NaCl solution at 8 ± 1ºC. Mycelium grew from the beads after 48 h when they were placed on a solid culture medium at 25 ± 1ºC. Viability of pellets of non-immobilized mycelium stored under the same conditions decreased gradually after the third month of storage, reaching 0% by the 12th month. These pellets presented a gradual darkening, which was more intense in those located near the surface of the NaCl solution. In culture medium, these dark pellets showed no viability. Gel immobilization helps to maintain mycelium viability during storage and offers a physical protection when the inoculum is applied to the planting substrate. After eight months refrigeration, the immobilized inoculum was still able to infect Pinus taeda seedlings, colonizing an average of 37% of the root tips when inoculated in the plant growth substrate under greenhouse conditions. This inoculum presents a commercial potential to be produced and applied in forest nurseries.Estudou-se a viabilidade e a infectividade de inoculante fúngico ectomicorrízico (isolado UFSC-Rh90, Rhizopogon nigrescens, produzido através de cultivo submerso em biorreator airlift e encapsulado em gel de alginato de cálcio. O inoculante permaneceu viável após 18 meses em solução de NaCl (0,85% a 8 ± 1ºC. O micélio emergiu dessas cápsulas após 48 h de incubação a 25 ± 1ºC em meio de cultura sólido. A viabilidade dos pellets de micélio não imobilizado, armazenados sob as mesmas condições, reduziu-se gradualmente após três meses de armazenamento e atingiu 0% aos 12 meses. Esses pellets apresentaram um escurecimento gradual que foi mais intenso naqueles localizados próximos à superfície da solu

Production and infectivity of inoculum of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi multiplied in a substrate supplemented with Tris-HCl buffer Produção e infectividade de inóculo de fungos micorrízicos arbusculares multiplicados em substrato suplementado com tampão Tris-HCl

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fábio Sérgio Barbosa da Silva

2007-12-01

Full Text Available The effect of adding Tris-HCl buffer on production and infectivity of AMF inoculum was investigated. Sporulation of Glomus etunicatum, Acaulospora longula and Gigaspora albida was improved in solution with buffer. The infectivity of G. etunicatum increased after storage, what suggests that the inoculum of this isolate is benefited by storage.O efeito da adição do tampão Tris-HCl na produção e infectividade de inóculo foi investigado. A esporulação de Glomus etunicatum, Acaulospora longula e Gigaspora albida foi incrementada utilizando solução com tampão. A infectividade de G. etunicatum aumentou após estocagem, sugerindo que o inóculo deste isolado é beneficiado pelo armazenamento.

A diagnostic dilemma following risk-reducing surgery for BRCA1 mutation – a case report of primary papillary serous carcinoma presenting as sigmoid cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nash Guy F

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Women that carry germ-line mutations for BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes are at an increased risk of developing breast, ovarian and peritoneal cancer. Primary peritoneal carcinoma is a rare tumour histologically identical to papillary serous ovarian carcinoma. Risk-reducing surgery in the form of mastectomy and oophorectomy in premenopausal women has been recommended to prevent breast and ovarian cancer occurrence and decrease the risk of developing primary peritoneal cancer. Case presentation We present a case report of a woman with a strong family history of breast cancer who underwent risk-reducing surgery in the form of bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy following a mastectomy for a right-sided breast tumour. Following the finding of a BRCA1 mutation, a prophylactic left-sided mastectomy was performed. After remaining well for twenty-seven years, she presented with rectal bleeding and altered bowel habit, and was found to have a secondary cancer of the sigmoid colon. She was finally diagnosed with primary papillary serous carcinoma of the peritoneum (PSCP. Conclusion PSCP can present many years after risk-reducing surgery and be difficult to detect. Surveillance remains the best course of management for patients with known BRCA mutations.

Reduced exercise capacity in untreated adults with primary growth hormone resistance (Laron syndrome).

Science.gov (United States)

Ben-Dov, Issahar; Gaides, Mark; Scheinowitz, Mickey; Wagner, Rivka; Laron, Zvi

2003-12-01

Primary IGF-I deficiency (Laron syndrome, LS) may decrease exercise capacity as a result of a lack of an IGF-I effect on heart, peripheral muscle or lung structure and/or function. Eight patients (six females) who had never received treatment with IGF-I, with mean age of 36 +/- 10 (SD) years (range 21-48), weight 47 +/- 9 kg (31-61), height 126 +/- 12 cm (112-140) and body mass index of 29 +/- 4 kg/m2 (24-34), and 12 age-matched controls, underwent lung function tests and incremental cycling to the limit of tolerance (CPX, MedGraphics). Predicted values for the patients were derived from adult equations based on height. In LS patients, lung function was near normal; vital capacity was 84 +/- 11% of expected (66-103). Peak exercise O2-uptake and the anaerobic threshold were reduced, 57 +/- 20% of predicted and 33 +/- 9% of predicted peak (P = 0.005 vs. controls), despite normal mean exercise breathing reserve. All parameters were normal in the controls. Exercise capacity in untreated adults with LS is significantly reduced. The limitation for most patients was not ventilatory but resulted either from low cardiac output and/or from dysfunction of the peripheral muscles. However, the relative contribution of each of these elements and/or the role of poor fitness needs further study.

A systemic increase in the recombination frequency upon local infection of Arabidopsis thaliana plants with oilseed rape mosaic virus depends on plant age, the initial inoculum concentration and the time for virus replication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Youli eYao

2013-03-01

Full Text Available In the past, we showed that local infection of tobacco leaves with either Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV or Oilseed rape mosaic virus (ORMV resulted in a systemic increase in the homologous recombination frequency (HRF. Later on, we showed that a similar phenomenon occurs in Arabidopsis thaliana plants infected with ORMV. Here, we tested whether the time of removing the infected leaves as well as viral titer have any effect on the degree of changes in HRF in systemic tissues. An increase in HRF in systemic non-infected tissues was more pronounced when the infected leaves were detached from the infected plants at 60-96 hours post infection, rather than at earlier time. Next, we found that exposure to higher concentrations of inoculum was much more efficient in triggering an increase in HRF than exposure to lower concentrations. Finally, we showed that older plants exhibited a higher increase in HRF than younger plants. We found that an increase in genome instability in systemic tissues of locally infected plants depends on plant age, the concentration of initial inoculums and the time of viral replication.

Reducing inappropriate non-steroidal anti-inflammatory prescription in primary care patients with chronic kidney disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Keohane, David M; Dennehy, Thomas; Keohane, Kenneth P; Shanahan, Eamonn

2017-08-14

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to reduce inappropriate non-steroidal anti-inflammatory prescribing in primary care patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Once diagnosed, CKD management involves delaying progression to end stage renal failure and preventing complications. It is well established that non-steroidal anti-inflammatories have a negative effect on kidney function and consequently, all nephrology consensus groups suggest avoiding this drug class in CKD. Design/methodology/approach The sampling criteria included all practice patients with a known CKD risk factor. This group was refined to include those with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)<60 ml/min per 1.73m2 (stage 3 CKD or greater). Phase one analysed how many prescriptions had occurred in this group over the preceding three months. The intervention involved creating an automated alert on at risk patient records if non-steroidal anti-inflammatories were prescribed and discussing the rationale with practice staff. The re-audit phase occurred three months' post intervention. Findings The study revealed 728/7,500 (9.7 per cent) patients at risk from CKD and 158 (2.1 per cent) who were subsequently found to have an eGFR<60 ml/min, indicating=stage 3 CKD. In phase one, 10.2 per cent of at risk patients had received a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory prescription in the preceding three months. Additionally, 6.2 per cent had received non-steroidal anti-inflammatories on repeat prescription. Phase two post intervention revealed a significant 75 per cent reduction in the total non-steroidal anti-inflammatories prescribed and a 90 per cent reduction in repeat non-steroidal anti-inflammatory prescriptions in those with CKD. Originality/value The study significantly reduced non-steroidal anti-inflammatory prescription in those with CKD in primary care settings. It also created a CKD register within the practice and an enduring medication alert system for individuals that risk nephrotoxic

Reduced coronary flow and resistance reserve in primary scleroderma myocardial disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nitenberg, A.; Foult, J.M.; Kahan, A.; Perennec, J.; Devaux, J.Y.; Menkes, C.J.; Amor, B.

1986-01-01

The maximum coronary vasodilator capacity after intravenous dipyridamole (0.14 mg X kg-1 X min-1 X 4 minutes) was studied in seven patients with primary scleroderma myocardial disease and compared to that of seven control subjects. Hemodynamic data and left ventricular angiographic data were not different in the two groups. The coronary flow reserve was evaluated by the dipyridamole/basal coronary sinus blood flow ratio (D/B CSBF) and the coronary resistance reserve by the dipyridamole/basal coronary resistance ratio (D/B CR). Coronary reserve was greatly impaired in the group with primary scleroderma myocardial disease: D/B CSBF was lower than in the control group (2.54 +/- 1.37 vs 4.01 +/- 0.56, respectively; p less than 0.05) and D/B CR was higher than in the control group (0.47 +/- 0.25 vs 0.23 +/- 0.04, respectively; p less than 0.05). Such a decreased coronary flow and resistance reserve in patients with primary scleroderma myocardial disease was not explained by an alteration of left ventricular function. It may be an important contributing factor in the pathogenesis of primary scleroderma myocardial disease

High efficiency bio-hydrogen production from glucose revealed in an inoculum of heat-pretreated landfill leachate sludge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, Y.M.; Juan, J.C.; Ting, Adeline; Wu, T.Y.

2014-01-01

Bio-hydrogen is a promising sustainable energy to replace fossil fuels. This study investigated bio-H 2 production from the inoculum of heat-pretreated landfill leachate sludge using glucose as model substrate. The seed sludge pretreated at 65 °C showed the highest amount of H 2 at the optimum condition of pH 6 and 37 °C. The maximum H 2 yield estimated by the modified Gompertz model was 6.43 mol H 2 /mol glucose. The high efficient of H 2 production is thermodynamically feasible with the Gibbs free energy of −34 kJ/mol. This study reveals that pretreated landfill leachate sludge has considerable potential for H 2 production. - Highlights: • Heat retreated landfill leachate sludge revealed high efficient H 2 production. • High efficient H 2 yield, 6.4 mol H 2 /mol glucose. • The synergisms between H 2 -producing bacteria may responsible for the high H 2 yield. • High H 2 yield is thermodynamically feasible with Gibbs free energy of −34 kJ/mol

Consortium inoculum of five thermo-tolerant phosphate solubilizing Actinomycetes for multipurpose biofertilizer preparation.

Science.gov (United States)

Nandimath, Arusha P; Karad, Dilip D; Gupta, Shantikumar G; Kharat, Arun S

2017-10-01

Alkaline pH of the soil facilitates the conversion of phosphate present in phosphate fertilizer applied in the field to insoluble phosphate which is not available to plants. Problem of soluble phosphate deficiency arises, primarily due to needless use of phosphate fertilizer. We sought to biofertilizer with the thermo-tolerant phosphate solubilizing actinomycetes consortium that could convert insoluble phosphate to soluble phosphate at wider temperature range. In the present investigation consortium of five thermo-tolerant phosphate solubilizing actinomycetes was applied for preparation of inoculum to produce multipurpose bio-fertilizer. Phosphates solubilizing thermo-tolerant 32 actinomycetes strains were processed for identification with the use of PIBWIN software and were screened for phosphate solubilizing activity. Amongst these five actinomycetes were selected on the basis of their ability to produce cellulase, chitinase, pectinase, protease, lipase, amylase and phosphate solubilizing enzymes. Ability to produce these enzymes at 28°C and 50°C were examined. Biofertilizer was prepared by using agricultural waste as a raw material. While preparation of bio-fertilizer the pH decreased from 7.5 to 4.3 and temperature increased up to 74°C maximum at the end of 4 th week and in subsequent week it started to decline gradually till it reached around 50°C, which was found to be stable up to eighth week. This thermo-tolerant actinomycetes consortium released soluble phosphate of up to 46.7 μg ml -1 . As the mesophilic organisms die out at high temperature of composting hence thormo-tolerant actinomycetes would be the better substitute for preparation of phosphate solubilizing bio-fertilizer with added potential to degrade complex macromolecules in composting.

Fermented soya bean (tempe) extracts reduce adhesion of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli to intestinal epithelial cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Roubos-van den Hil, P J; Nout, M J R; Beumer, R R; van der Meulen, J; Zwietering, M H

2009-03-01

This study aimed to investigate the effect of processed soya bean, during the successive stages of tempe fermentation and different fermentation times, on adhesion of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) K88 to intestinal brush border cells as well as Caco-2 intestinal epithelial cells; and to clarify the mechanism of action. Tempe was prepared at controlled laboratory scale using Rhizopus microsporus var. microsporus as the inoculum. Extracts of raw, soaked and cooked soya beans reduced ETEC adhesion to brush border cells by 40%. Tempe extracts reduced adhesion by 80% or more. ETEC adhesion to Caco-2 cells reduced by 50% in the presence of tempe extracts. ETEC K88 bacteria were found to interact with soya bean extracts, and this may contribute to the observed decrease of ETEC adhesion to intestinal epithelial cells. Fermented soya beans (tempe) reduce the adhesion of ETEC to intestinal epithelial cells of pig and human origin. This reduced adhesion is caused by an interaction between ETEC K88 bacteria and soya bean compounds. The results strengthen previous observations on the anti-diarrhoeal effect of tempe. This effect indicates that soya-derived compounds may reduce adhesion of ETEC to intestinal cells in pigs as well as in humans and prevent against diarrhoeal diseases.

Development of an intervention to reduce antibiotic use for childhood coughs in UK primary care using critical synthesis of multi-method research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricia J. Lucas

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Overuse of antibiotics contributes to the global threat of antimicrobial resistance. Antibiotic stewardship interventions address this threat by reducing the use of antibiotics in occasions or doses unlikely to be effective. We aimed to develop an evidence-based, theory-informed, intervention to reduce antibiotic prescriptions in primary care for childhood respiratory tract infections (RTI. This paper describes our methods for doing so. Methods Green and Krueter’s Precede/Proceed logic model was used as a framework to integrate findings from a programme of research including 5 systematic reviews, 3 qualitative studies, and 1 cohort study. The model was populated using a strength of evidence approach, and developed with input from stakeholders including clinicians and parents. Results The synthesis produced a series of evidence-based statements summarizing the quantitative and qualitative evidence for intervention elements most likely to result in changes in clinician behaviour. Current evidence suggests that interventions which reduce clinical uncertainty, reduce clinician/parent miscommunication, elicit parent concerns, make clear delayed or no-antibiotic recommendations, and provide clinicians with alternate treatment actions have the best chance of success. We designed a web-based within-consultation intervention to reduce clinician uncertainty and pressure to prescribe, designed to be used when children with RTI present to a prescribing clinician in primary care. Conclusions We provide a worked example of methods for the development of future complex interventions in primary care, where multiple factors act on multiple actors within a complex system. Our synthesis provided intervention guidance, recommendations for practice, and highlighted evidence gaps, but questions remain about how best to implement these recommendations. The funding structure which enabled a single team of researchers to work on a multi

Dopamine receptor activation increases HIV entry into primary human macrophages.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter J Gaskill

Full Text Available Macrophages are the primary cell type infected with HIV in the central nervous system, and infection of these cells is a major component in the development of neuropathogenesis and HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders. Within the brains of drug abusers, macrophages are exposed to increased levels of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that mediates the addictive and reinforcing effects of drugs of abuse such as cocaine and methamphetamine. In this study we examined the effects of dopamine on HIV entry into primary human macrophages. Exposure to dopamine during infection increased the entry of R5 tropic HIV into macrophages, irrespective of the concentration of the viral inoculum. The entry pathway affected was CCR5 dependent, as antagonizing CCR5 with the small molecule inhibitor TAK779 completely blocked entry. The effect was dose-dependent and had a steep threshold, only occurring above 108 M dopamine. The dopamine-mediated increase in entry required dopamine receptor activation, as it was abrogated by the pan-dopamine receptor antagonist flupenthixol, and could be mediated through both subtypes of dopamine receptors. These findings indicate that the effects of dopamine on macrophages may have a significant impact on HIV pathogenesis. They also suggest that drug-induced increases in CNS dopamine may be a common mechanism by which drugs of abuse with distinct modes of action exacerbate neuroinflammation and contribute to HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders in infected drug abusers.

Sheared-root inocula of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

Science.gov (United States)

Sylvia, D M; Jarstfer, A G

1992-01-01

For efficient handling, vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi should be processed into small and uniform inocula; however, processing can reduce the inoculum density. In this article we describe the preparation and use of sheared-root inocula of Glomus spp. in which inoculum densities were increased during processing. Our objectives were to determine inoculum viability and density after shearing and to ascertain if the sheared inocula could be pelletized or used with a gel carrier. Root samples were harvested from aeroponic cultures, blotted dry, cut into 1-cm lengths, and sheared in a food processor for up to 80 s. After shearing, the inoculum was washed over sieves, and the propagule density in each fraction was determined. Sheared inocula were also encapsulated in carrageenan or used in a gel carrier. Shearing aeroponically produced root inocula reduced particle size. Propagule density increased with decreasing size fraction down to a size of 63 mum, after which propagule density decreased. The weighted-average propagule density of the inoculum was 135,380 propagules g (dry weight) of sheared root material. Sheared roots were encapsulated successfully in carrageenan, and the gel served as an effective carrier. Aeroponic root inoculum was stored dry at 4 degrees C for 23 months without significant reduction in propagule density; however, this material was not appropriate for shearing. Moist roots, useful for shearing, began to lose propagule density after 1 month of storage. Shearing proved to be an excellent method to prepare viable root inocula of small and uniform size, allowing for more efficient and effective use of limited inoculum supplies.

A filter apparatus for actively reducing noise

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Berkhoff, Arthur P.; Nijsse, G.

2006-01-01

A filter apparatus for reducing noise from a primary noise source, comprising a secondary source signal connector for generating secondary noise to reduce said primary noise and a sensor connector for connecting to a sensor for measuring said primary and secondary noise as an error signal. A first

Michigan's fee-for-value physician incentive program reduces spending and improves quality in primary care.

Science.gov (United States)

Lemak, Christy Harris; Nahra, Tammie A; Cohen, Genna R; Erb, Natalie D; Paustian, Michael L; Share, David; Hirth, Richard A

2015-04-01

As policy makers and others seek to reduce health care cost growth while improving health care quality, one approach gaining momentum is fee-for-value reimbursement. This payment strategy maintains the traditional fee-for-service arrangement but includes quality and spending incentives. We examined Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan's Physician Group Incentive Program, which uses a fee-for-value approach focused on primary care physicians. We analyzed the program's impact on quality and spending from 2008 to 2011 for over three million beneficiaries in over 11,000 physician practices. Participation in the incentive program was associated with approximately 1.1 percent lower total spending for adults (5.1 percent lower for children) and the same or improved performance on eleven of fourteen quality measures over time. Our findings contribute to the growing body of evidence about the potential effectiveness of models that align payment with cost and quality performance, and they demonstrate that it is possible to transform reimbursement within a fee-for-service framework to encourage and incentivize physicians to provide high-quality care, while also reducing costs. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Reduced Coffee Consumption Among Individuals with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis but Not Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

Science.gov (United States)

Lammert, Craig; Juran, Brian D.; Schlicht, Erik; Xie, Xiao; Atkinson, Elizabeth J.; de Andrade, Mariza; Lazaridis, Konstantinos N.

2014-01-01

Background & Aims Coffee consumption has been associated with decreased risk of liver disease and related outcomes. However, coffee drinking has not been investigated among patients with cholestatic autoimmune liver diseases, primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), or primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). We investigated the relationship between coffee consumption and risk of PBC and PSC in a large North American cohort. Methods Lifetime coffee drinking habits were determined from responses to questionnaires from 606 patients with PBC, 480 with PSC, and 564 healthy volunteers (controls). Patients (those with PBC or PSC) were compared to controls utilizing the Wilcoxon rank sum test for continuous variables and c2 method for discrete variables. Logistic regression was used to analyze the estimate the effects of different coffee parameters (time, frequency, and type of coffee consumption) after adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, and education level. Results Patients with PBC and controls did not differ in coffee parameters. However, 24% of patients with PSC had never drank coffee compared to 16% of controls (Pcoffee drinking coffee (46.6% vs 66.7% for controls, Pcoffee protected against proctocolectomy (hazard ratio=0.34, PCoffee consumption is lower among patients with PSC, but not PBC, compared to controls. PMID:24440215

Improved microbial conversion of de-oiled Jatropha waste into biohydrogen via inoculum pretreatment: process optimization by experimental design approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gopalakrishnan Kumar

2015-03-01

Full Text Available In this study various pretreatment methods of sewage sludge inoculum and the statistical process optimization of de-oiled jatropha waste have been reported. Peak hydrogen production rate (HPR and hydrogen yield (HY of 0.36 L H2/L-d and 20 mL H2/g Volatile Solid (VS were obtained when heat shock pretreatment (95 oC, 30 min was employed. Afterwards, an experimental design was applied to find the optimal conditions for H2 production using heat-pretreated seed culture. The optimal substrate concentration, pH and temperature were determined by using response surface methodology as 205 g/L, 6.53 and 55.1 oC, respectively. Under these circumstances, the highest HPR of 1.36 L H2/L-d was predicted. Verification tests proved the reliability of the statistical approach. As a result of the heat pretreatment and fermentation optimization, a significant (~ 4 folds increase in HPR was achieved. PCR-DGGE results revealed that Clostridium sp. were majorly present under the optimal conditions.

Impact of Skill-Based Approaches in Reducing Stigma in Primary Care Physicians: Results from a Double-Blind, Parallel-Cluster, Randomized Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Beaulieu, Tara; Patten, Scott; Knaak, Stephanie; Weinerman, Rivian; Campbell, Helen; Lauria-Horner, Bianca

2017-05-01

Most interventions to reduce stigma in health professionals emphasize education and social contact-based strategies. We sought to evaluate a novel skill-based approach: the British Columbia Adult Mental Health Practice Support Program. We sought to determine the program's impact on primary care providers' stigma and their perceived confidence and comfort in providing care for mentally ill patients. We hypothesized that enhanced skills and increased comfort and confidence on the part of practitioners would lead to diminished social distance and stigmatization. Subsequently, we explored the program's impact on clinical outcomes and health care costs. These outcomes are reported separately, with reference to this article. In a double-blind, cluster randomized controlled trial, 111 primary care physicians were assigned to intervention or control groups. A validated stigma assessment tool, the Opening Minds Scale for Health Care Providers (OMS-HC), was administered to both groups before and after training. Confidence and comfort were assessed using scales constructed from ad hoc items. In the primary analysis, no significant differences in stigma were found. However, a subscale assessing social distance showed significant improvement in the intervention group after adjustment for a variable (practice size) that was unequally distributed in the randomization. Significant increases in confidence and comfort in managing mental illness were observed among intervention group physicians. A positive correlation was found between increased levels of confidence/comfort and improvements in overall stigma, especially in men. This study provides some preliminary evidence of a positive impact on health care professionals' stigma through a skill-building approach to management of mild to moderate depression and anxiety in primary care. The intervention can be used as a primary vehicle for enhancing comfort and skills in health care providers and, ultimately, reducing an important

Use of External Beam Radiotherapy Is Associated With Reduced Incidence of Second Primary Head and Neck Cancer: A SEER Database Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rusthoven, Kyle; Chen Changhu; Raben, David; Kavanagh, Brian

2008-01-01

Purpose: Patients with head and neck cancer have a significant risk of developing a second primary cancer of the head and neck. We hypothesized that treatment with external beam radiotherapy (RT) might reduce this risk, because RT can eradicate occult foci of second head and neck cancer (HNCA). Methods and Materials: The data of patients with Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Historic Stage A localized squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, larynx, and pharynx were queried using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. For patients treated with or without RT, the incidence of second HNCA was determined and compared using the log-rank method. Cox proportional hazards analysis was performed for each site, evaluating the influence of covariates on the risk of second HNCA. Results: Between 1973 and 1997, 27,985 patients were entered with localized HNCA. Of these patients, 44% had received RT and 56% had not. The 15-year incidence of second HNCA was 7.7% with RT vs. 10.5% without RT (hazard ratio 0.71, p <0.0001). The effect of RT was more profound in patients diagnosed between 1988 and 1997 (hazard ratio 0.53, p <0.0001) and those with pharynx primaries (hazard ratio 0.47, p <0.0001). On multivariate analysis, RT was associated with a reduced risk of second HNCA for pharynx (p <0.0001) and larynx (p = 0.04) tumors. For oral cavity primaries, RT was associated with an increased risk of second HNCA in patients treated before 1988 (p <0.001), but had no influence on patients treated between 1988 and 1997 (p = 0.91). Conclusion: For localized HNCA, RT is associated with a reduced incidence of second HNCA. These observations are consistent with the eradication of microscopic foci of second HNCA with external beam RT

Redução do inóculo inicial de Sclerotinia sclerotiorum em soja cultivada após uso do sistema Santa Fé Reduction of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum initial inoculum in soybean grown after the use of the Santa Fé system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudia Adriana Görgen

2010-10-01

replicates. The treatments comprised the Santa Fé system use (maize + Urochloa ruziziensis, and maize as a single crop, both sown at the "safrinha" period (March 2008 and 2009. Furthermore, four evaluation dates of sclerotium germination and apothecium and stipe production were studied. The Santa Fé system increased the proportion of sclerotia smaller than 2 mm, considered as of lower infectivity, and promoted the reduction of the initial inoculum through the germination of sclerotia and the development of apothecia between the soybean growing seasons, what reduced the germinated sclerotia and the number of apothecia in the full flowering stage during soybean growing seasons. Santa Fé system can reduce the initial inoculum of S. sclerotiorum, and it may be used for the management of white mold in soybean.

Pharmacological inhibition of dynamin II reduces constitutive protein secretion from primary human macrophages.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maaike Kockx

Full Text Available Dynamins are fission proteins that mediate endocytic and exocytic membrane events and are pharmacological therapeutic targets. These studies investigate whether dynamin II regulates constitutive protein secretion and show for the first time that pharmacological inhibition of dynamin decreases secretion of apolipoprotein E (apoE and several other proteins constitutively secreted from primary human macrophages. Inhibitors that target recruitment of dynamin to membranes (MiTMABs or directly target the GTPase domain (Dyngo or Dynole series, dose- and time- dependently reduced the secretion of apoE. SiRNA oligo's targeting all isoforms of dynamin II confirmed the involvement of dynamin II in apoE secretion. Inhibition of secretion was not mediated via effects on mRNA or protein synthesis. 2D-gel electrophoresis showed that inhibition occurred after apoE was processed and glycosylated in the Golgi and live cell imaging showed that inhibited secretion was associated with reduced post-Golgi movement of apoE-GFP-containing vesicles. The effect was not restricted to macrophages, and was not mediated by the effects of the inhibitors on microtubules. Inhibition of dynamin also altered the constitutive secretion of other proteins, decreasing the secretion of fibronectin, matrix metalloproteinase 9, Chitinase-3-like protein 1 and lysozyme but unexpectedly increasing the secretion of the inflammatory mediator cyclophilin A. We conclude that pharmacological inhibitors of dynamin II modulate the constitutive secretion of macrophage apoE as a class effect, and that their capacity to modulate protein secretion may affect a range of biological processes.

Development of bioelectrochemical systems using various biogas fermenter effluents as inocula and municipal waste liquor as adapting substrate.

Science.gov (United States)

Bakonyi, Péter; Koók, László; Keller, Enikő; Bélafi-Bakó, Katalin; Rózsenberszki, Tamás; Saratale, Ganesh Dattatraya; Nguyen, Dinh Duc; Banu, J Rajesh; Nemestóthy, Nándor

2018-07-01

The purpose of this research was to improve microbial fuel cell (MFC) performance - treating landfill-derived waste liquor - by applying effluents of various biogas fermenters as inocula. It turned out that the differences of initial microbial community profiles notably influenced the efficiency of MFCs. In fact, the adaptation time (during 3 weeks of operation) has varied significantly, depending on the source of inoculum and accordingly, the obtainable cumulative energy yields were also greatly affected (65% enhancement in case of municipal wastewater sludge inoculum compared to sugar factory waste sludge inoculum). Hence, it could be concluded that the capacity of MFCs to utilize the complex feedstock was heavily dependent on biological factors such as the origin/history of inoculum, the microbial composition as well as proper acclimation period. Therefore, these parameters should be of primary concerns for adequate process design to efficiently generate electricity with microbial fuel cells. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Immobilization in external rotation combined with abduction reduces the risk of recurrence after primary anterior shoulder dislocation.

Science.gov (United States)

Heidari, Kamran; Asadollahi, Shadi; Vafaee, Reza; Barfehei, Abbas; Kamalifar, Hossein; Chaboksavar, Zein Alabedin; Sabbaghi, Mohammad

2014-06-01

We aimed to compare the effectiveness of immobilization in abduction and external rotation vs immobilization in adduction and internal rotation after primary anterior dislocation of the shoulder. The study randomized 102 patients (age range, 15-55 years) with the diagnosis of primary anterior dislocation of the shoulder to receive immobilization in adduction and internal rotation (AdIR, n = 51) using sling and swathe bandage or immobilization in abduction and external rotation (AbER, n = 51) with a stabilizer brace. Patients received a rehabilitation program 3 weeks after the intervention. After a 24-month follow-up, 33.3% in the AdIR group and 3.9% in the AbER group had recurrence (P patients in the AbER group (19.6%) and 3 in the AdIR group (5.8%) discontinued shoulder immobilization before 3 weeks (P = .03). In patients without recurrence, the anterior apprehension test was positive in 6 of 34 in the AdIR group (17.6%) and in 4 of 49 in the AbER group (8.1%, P = .19). Immobilization with the shoulder joint in abduction and external rotation is an effective method to reduce the risk of recurrence after primary anterior shoulder dislocations and should be preferred to the traditional method of immobilization in adduction and internal rotation in clinical practice. Copyright © 2014 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Biologically-induced precipitation of sphalerite-wurtzite nanoparticles by sulfate-reducing bacteria: implications for acid mine drainage treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Castillo, Julio; Pérez-López, Rafael; Caraballo, Manuel A; Nieto, José M; Martins, Mónica; Costa, M Clara; Olías, Manuel; Cerón, Juan C; Tucoulou, Rémi

2012-04-15

Several experiments were conducted to evaluate zinc-tolerance of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) obtained from three environmental samples, two inocula from sulfide-mining districts and another inoculum from a wastewater treatment plant. The populations of SRB resisted zinc concentrations of 260 mg/L for 42 days in a sulfate-rich medium. During the experiments, sulfate was reduced to sulfide and concentrations in solution decreased. Zinc concentrations also decreased from 260 mg/L to values below detection limit. Both decreases were consistent with the precipitation of newly-formed sphalerite and wurtzite, two polymorphs of ZnS, forming <2.5-μm-diameter spherical aggregates identified by microscopy and synchrotron-μ-XRD. Sulfate and zinc are present in high concentrations in acid mine drainage (AMD) even after passive treatments based on limestone dissolution. The implementation of a SRB-based zinc removal step in these systems could completely reduce the mobility of all metals, which would improve the quality of stream sediments, water and soils in AMD-affected landscapes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

INFLUÊNCIA DA DENSIDADE DE INÓCULO DE Fusarium solani f.sp. phaseoli NA SEVERIDADE DA PODRIDÃO RADICULAR SECA DO FEIJOEIRO EFFECT OF Fusarium solani f.sp. phaseoli INOCULUM DENSITY ON DRY ROOT ROT SEVERITY IN THE COMMON BEAN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gesimária Ribeiro Costa

2007-09-01

Full Text Available

Foram testadas quatro densidades de inóculo de Fusarium solani, em gramas por litro de solo (1,0; 2,0; 4,0 e 8,0 e um tratamento testemunha, em solo tipo Latossolo Vermelho-Escuro, cultivado e não cultivado, com o objetivo de determinar a densidade mínima de inóculo no solo necessária para a ocorrência de podridão radicular seca do feijoeiro. Como variáveis respostas foram avaliadas: número de microorganismos totais do solo, número de propágulos de F. solani, atividade microbiológica total do solo e severidade da doença em plântulas. Os resultados indicaram que a densidade de inóculo do fungo variou com o tipo de solo. Para um solo não cultivado a densidade necessária para causar a doença esteve acima de 5.127 propágulos por grama de solo, enquanto para o solo cultivado a densidade de inóculo para causar doença foi de 3.701 propágulos por grama de solo. Os índices de doença em plântulas cultivadas sob o solo cultivado foram duas vezes superiores ao índice de doença de plântulas sob o solo não cultivado. A atividade microbiológica total nos solos, determinada pela desidrogenase de fluorescina diacetato, não se correlacionou com a população dos microorganismos, indicando que a simples presença desses não implica em que estejam ativos.

PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Solo supressivo; solo conducivo; Phaseolus vulgaris.

Four densities of Fusarium solani inoculum (1, 2, 4 and 8 g/L of soil were tested for determining the minimum inoculum density for the occurrence of bean dry root rot, in two soil types. The response variables evaluated were the total number of microorganisms in the soil, the number of F. solani f. sp. phaseoli propagules, total soil microbial activity and seedling disease severity

Prevalence of blaZ gene types and the cefazolin inoculum effect among methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus blood isolates and their association with multilocus sequence types and clinical outcome.

Science.gov (United States)

Chong, Y P; Park, S-J; Kim, E S; Bang, K-M; Kim, M-N; Kim, S-H; Lee, S-O; Choi, S-H; Jeong, J-Y; Woo, J H; Kim, Y S

2015-02-01

Cefazolin treatment failures have been described for bacteraemia caused by methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) with type A β-lactamase and inoculum effect (InE). We investigated the prevalence of blaZ (β-lactamase) gene types and a cefazolin InE among MSSA blood isolates in South Korea and evaluated their association with specific genotypes. The clinical impact of the cefazolin InE was also evaluated. A total of 220 MSSA isolates were collected from a prospective cohort study of S. aureus bacteraemia. A pronounced InE with cefazolin was defined as a ≥4-fold increase in the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) between a standard and high inoculum, resulting in a non-susceptible MIC. Sequencing of blaZ and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) were performed. Clinical outcomes were assessed in 77 patients treated with cefazolin. The blaZ gene was detected in 92 % of the 220 MSSA isolates. Type C β-lactamase was the most common (53 %), followed by type B (20 %) and type A (17 %). Certain genotypes were significantly associated with specific β-lactamase types (notably, ST30 and type A β-lactamase). A pronounced cefazolin InE was observed in 13 % of isolates. Most of these (79 %) expressed type A β-lactamase and ST30 was the predominant (55 %) clone amongst them. Cefazolin treatment failure was not observed in patients infected with strains exhibiting a pronounced InE. These strains had no impact on other clinical outcomes. In conclusion, the prevalence of a pronounced InE with cefazolin could be dependent upon distributions of MSSA genotypes. Cefazolin can likely be used for the treatment of MSSA bacteraemia (except endocarditis), without consideration of an InE.

The Good School Toolkit for reducing physical violence from school staff to primary school students: a cluster-randomised controlled trial in Uganda.

Science.gov (United States)

Devries, Karen M; Knight, Louise; Child, Jennifer C; Mirembe, Angel; Nakuti, Janet; Jones, Rebecca; Sturgess, Joanna; Allen, Elizabeth; Kyegombe, Nambusi; Parkes, Jenny; Walakira, Eddy; Elbourne, Diana; Watts, Charlotte; Naker, Dipak

2015-07-01

Violence against children from school staff is widespread in various settings, but few interventions address this. We tested whether the Good School Toolkit-a complex behavioural intervention designed by Ugandan not-for-profit organisation Raising Voices-could reduce physical violence from school staff to Ugandan primary school children. We randomly selected 42 primary schools (clusters) from 151 schools in Luwero District, Uganda, with more than 40 primary 5 students and no existing governance interventions. All schools agreed to be enrolled. All students in primary 5, 6, and 7 (approximate ages 11-14 years) and all staff members who spoke either English or Luganda and could provide informed consent were eligible for participation in cross-sectional baseline and endline surveys in June-July 2012 and 2014, respectively. We randomly assigned 21 schools to receive the Good School Toolkit and 21 to a waitlisted control group in September, 2012. The intervention was implemented from September, 2012, to April, 2014. Owing to the nature of the intervention, it was not possible to mask assignment. The primary outcome, assessed in 2014, was past week physical violence from school staff, measured by students' self-reports using the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Child Abuse Screening Tool-Child Institutional. Analyses were by intention to treat, and are adjusted for clustering within schools and for baseline school-level means of continuous outcomes. The trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01678846. No schools left the study. At 18-month follow-up, 3820 (92·4%) of 4138 randomly sampled students participated in a cross-sectional survey. Prevalence of past week physical violence was lower in the intervention schools (595/1921, 31·0%) than in the control schools (924/1899, 48·7%; odds ratio 0·40, 95% CI 0·26-0·64, pSchool Toolkit is an effective intervention to reduce violence against children from school staff in Ugandan

[Single intravenous tranexamic acid dose to reduce blood loss in primary total knee replacement].

Science.gov (United States)

Sanz-Reig, J; Parra Ruiz, B; Ferrández Martínez, J; Martínez López, J F

2016-01-01

To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of a single intravenous dose of tranexamic acid in order to reduce blood loss in total knee replacement. Prospective observational study of the administration of tranexamic acid in patients undergoing primary total knee arthroplasty from November 2013 to February 2015, in which an autologous blood recovery system was used. The study included 98 patients, distributed into two groups of 49 patients according to whether or not they received intravenous tranexamic acid. The primary endpoint was the number of patients requiring autologous transfusion from the recovery system autologous blood recovery system. No drop-outs were recorded during follow-up. There were no significant differences between groups as regards the preoperative and hospital variables. The mean preoperative haemoglobin and haematocrit at 24 and 48 hours postoperatively were similar in both groups. The average volume of bleeding in the autologous blood recovery system and estimated average blood loss was lower in patients who had been administered tranexamic acid, with significant differences. No patients in the group that was administered tranexamic acid required blood autotransfusion. The transfusion rate was zero in the two groups. No adverse events related to the administration of tranexamic acid were recorded. Intravenous administration of tranexamic acid, according to the described protocol, has presented a non-autotransfusion or allo-transfusion rate of 100%, with no increased incidence of thrombotic events. Thus, its use in this group of patients is recommended. The indication should be individualized, its use justified in the patient medical records, and informed consent is mandatory. Copyright © 2015 SECOT. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Primary Hyperparathyroidism: An Overview

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jessica MacKenzie-Feder

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Primary hyperparathyroidism is a common condition that affects 0.3% of the general population. Primary and tertiary care specialists can encounter patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, and prompt recognition and treatment can greatly reduce morbidity and mortality from this disease. In this paper we will review the basic physiology of calcium homeostasis and then consider genetic associations as well as common etiologies and presentations of primary hyperparathyroidism. We will consider emerging trends in detection and measurement of parathyroid hormone as well as available imaging modalities for the parathyroid glands. Surgical indications and approach will be reviewed as well as medical management of primary hyperparathyroidism with bisphosphonates and calcimimetics.

Comics as a Literary-Didactic Method and Their Use for Reducing Gender Differences in Reading Literacy at the Primary Level of Education

Science.gov (United States)

Kerneža, Maja; Košir, Katja

2016-01-01

The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of the systematic use of comics as a literary-didactic method to reduce gender differences in reading literacy and reading motivation at the primary level of education. It was assumed that the use of comics would have a positive effect on pupils' reading literacy and reading motivation, while…

Primary vaccination of adults with reduced antigen-content diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis or dTpa-inactivated poliovirus vaccines compared to diphtheria-tetanus-toxoid vaccines.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Theeten, H.; Rumke, H.C.; Hoppener, F.J.; Vilatimo, R.; Narejos, S.; Damme, P. van; Hoet, B.

2007-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate immunogenicity and reactogenicity of primary vaccination with reduced-antigen-content diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (dTpa) or dTpa-inactivated poliovirus (dTpa-IPV) vaccine compared to diphtheria-tetanus-toxoid vaccines (Td) in adults > or = 40 years of age without

Influence of feed/inoculum ratios and waste cooking oil content on the mesophilic anaerobic digestion of food waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yangyang; Jin, Yiying; Borrion, Aiduan; Li, Jinhui

2018-03-01

Information on the anaerobic digestion (AD) of food waste (FW) with different waste cooking oil contents is limited in terms of the effect of the initial substrate concentrations. In this work, batch tests were performed to evaluate the combined effects of waste cooking oil content (33-53%) and feed/inoculum (F/I) ratios (0.5-1.2) on biogas/methane yield, process stability parameters and organics reduction during the FW AD. Both waste cooking oil and the inoculation ratios were found to affect digestion parameters during the AD process start-up and the F/I ratio was the predominant factor affecting AD after the start-up phase. The possible inhibition due to acidification caused by volatile fatty acids accumulation, low pH values and long-chain fatty acids was reversible. The characteristics of the final digestate indicated a stable anaerobic system, whereas samples with F/I ratios ranging from 0.8 to 1.2 display higher propionic and valeric acid contents and high amounts of total ammonia nitrogen and free ammonia nitrogen. Overall, F/I ratios higher than 0.70 caused inhibition and resulted in low biogas/methane yields from the FW. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimization of solid content, carbon/nitrogen ratio and food/inoculum ratio for biogas production from food waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Dadaser-Celik, Filiz; Azgin, Sukru Taner; Yildiz, Yalcin Sevki

2016-12-01

Biogas production from food waste has been used as an efficient waste treatment option for years. The methane yields from decomposition of waste are, however, highly variable under different operating conditions. In this study, a statistical experimental design method (Taguchi OA 9 ) was implemented to investigate the effects of simultaneous variations of three parameters on methane production. The parameters investigated were solid content (SC), carbon/nitrogen ratio (C/N) and food/inoculum ratio (F/I). Two sets of experiments were conducted with nine anaerobic reactors operating under different conditions. Optimum conditions were determined using statistical analysis, such as analysis of variance (ANOVA). A confirmation experiment was carried out at optimum conditions to investigate the validity of the results. Statistical analysis showed that SC was the most important parameter for methane production with a 45% contribution, followed by F/I ratio with a 35% contribution. The optimum methane yield of 151 l kg -1 volatile solids (VS) was achieved after 24 days of digestion when SC was 4%, C/N was 28 and F/I were 0.3. The confirmation experiment provided a methane yield of 167 l kg -1 VS after 24 days. The analysis showed biogas production from food waste may be increased by optimization of operating conditions. © The Author(s) 2016.

Primary care interventions to reduce childhood obesity and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption: Food for thought for oral health professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Dooley, Diane; Moultrie, Nicolette M; Sites, Elsbeth; Crawford, Patricia B

2017-06-01

Childhood obesity remains a significant threat to America's children. Health care leaders have increasingly called upon oral health professionals to integrate healthy weight promotion and enhanced sugar-sweetened beverage counseling into their professional practices. The aim of this scoping review is to examine recent evidence regarding the effectiveness of primary care childhood obesity interventions that have potential for adoption by oral health professionals. Medine, and PubMed were searched from 2010 to 2016 for review articles and studies reporting patient outcomes or policy outcomes relevant to primary care childhood obesity interventions for children ages 2-11 years. Additional articles were accessed through relevant websites, journals, and references. Our screening criteria included interventions that could be adopted by oral health professionals. Forty-two articles met inclusion criteria. Effective interventions fell into four domains: family-based programs, motivational interviewing, office-based practice tools, and policy interventions. Despite strong evidence linking the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages to childhood obesity, our review did not find evidence of primary care programs effectively targeting and reducing childhood sugary drinks. Effective primary care interventions for addressing childhood obesity have been identified, although only short-term effectiveness has been demonstrated. Dissemination of these practices as well as further research and advocacy are needed. Childhood obesity and poor oral health share many common risk factors. Additional research should focus on the benefits and feasibility of widespread interdisciplinary medical-oral health collaboration in addressing the two most prevalent diseases of childhood. © 2017 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

A Primary Prevention Program to Reduce Bulimia and Anorexia Nervosa.

Science.gov (United States)

Cullari, Salvatore; Redmon, William K.

This paper presents a theoretical model for a primary prevention program for bulimia and anorexia nervosa to be used with adolescents and young women considered most at risk of developing these eating disorders. Characteristics of potential anorexics and bulimics are identified to aid in the selection of target groups for the program. It is…

Trichloroethylene Exposure Reduces Liver Injury in a Mouse Model of Primary Biliary Cholangitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ray, Jessica L; Kopec, Anna K; Joshi, Nikita; Cline-Fedewa, Holly; Lash, Lawrence H; Williams, Kurt J; Leung, Patrick S; Gershwin, M Eric; Luyendyk, James P

2017-04-01

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a persistent environmental contaminant proposed to contribute to autoimmune disease. Experimental studies in lupus-prone MRL+/+ mice have suggested that TCE exposure can trigger autoimmune hepatitis. The vast majority of studies examining the connection between TCE and autoimmunity utilize this model, and the impact of TCE exposure in other established models of autoimmune liver disease is not known. We tested the hypothesis that TCE exposure exacerbates experimental hepatic autoimmunity in dominant negative transforming growth factor beta receptor type II (dnTGFBRII) mice, which develop serological and histological features resembling human primary biliary cholangitis. Female 8-week-old wild-type and dnTGFBRII mice were exposed to TCE (0.5 mg/ml) or vehicle (1% ethoxylated castor oil) in the drinking water for 12 or 22 weeks. Liver histopathology in 20- and 30-week-old wild-type mice was unremarkable irrespective of treatment. Mild portal inflammation was observed in vehicle-exposed 20-week-old dnTGFBRII mice and was not exacerbated by TCE exposure. Vehicle-exposed 30-week-old dnTGFBRII mice developed anti-mitochondrial antibodies, marked hepatic inflammation with necrosis, and hepatic accumulation of both B and T lymphocytes. To our surprise, TCE exposure dramatically reduced hepatic parenchymal inflammation and injury in 30-week-old dnTGFBRII mice, reflected by changes in hepatic proinflammatory gene expression, serum chemistry, and histopathology. Interestingly, TCE did not affect hepatic B cell accumulation or induction of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL10. These data indicate that TCE exposure reduces autoimmune liver injury in female dnTGFBRII mice and suggests that the precise effect of environmental chemicals in autoimmunity depends on the experimental model. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Toxicology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

In Vitro Resistance Studies with Bacteria That Exhibit Low Mutation Frequencies: Prediction of “Antimutant” Linezolid Concentrations Using a Mixed Inoculum Containing both Susceptible and Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Science.gov (United States)

Golikova, Maria V.; Strukova, Elena N.; Portnoy, Yury A.; Romanov, Andrey V.; Edelstein, Mikhail V.; Zinner, Stephen H.

2014-01-01

Bacterial resistance studies using in vitro dynamic models are highly dependent on the starting inoculum that might or might not contain spontaneously resistant mutants (RMs). To delineate concentration-resistance relationships with linezolid-exposed Staphylococcus aureus, a mixed inoculum containing both susceptible cells and RMs was used. An RM selected after the 9th passage of the parent strain (MIC, 2 μg/ml) on antibiotic-containing media (RM9; MIC, 8 μg/ml) was chosen for the pharmacodynamic studies, because the mutant prevention concentration (MPC) of linezolid against the parent strain in the presence of RM9 at 102 (but not at 104) CFU/ml did not differ from the MPC value determined in the absence of the RMs. Five-day treatments with twice-daily linezolid doses were simulated at concentrations either between the MIC and MPC or above the MPC. S. aureus RMs (resistant to 2× and 4× MIC but not 8× and 16× MIC) were enriched at ratios of the 24-h area under the concentration-time curve (AUC24) to the MIC that provide linezolid concentrations between the MIC and MPC for 100% (AUC24/MIC, 60 h) and 86% (AUC24/MIC, 120 h) of the dosing interval. No such enrichment occurred when linezolid concentrations were above the MIC and below the MPC for a shorter time (37% of the dosing interval; AUC24/MIC, 240 h) or when concentrations were consistently above the MPC (AUC24/MIC, 480 h). These findings obtained using linezolid-susceptible staphylococci supplemented with RMs support the mutant selection window hypothesis. This method provides an option to delineate antibiotic concentration-resistance relationships with bacteria that exhibit low mutation frequencies. PMID:25451050

Has Health Care Reform Legislation Reduced the Economic Burden of Hospital Readmissions Following Primary Total Joint Arthroplasty?

Science.gov (United States)

Kurtz, Steven M; Lau, Edmund C; Ong, Kevin L; Adler, Edward M; Kolisek, Frank R; Manley, Michael T

2017-11-01

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the cost of readmissions after primary total hip and knee arthroplasty (THA and TKA) has decreased since the introduction of health care reform legislation and what patient, clinical, and hospital factors drive such costs. The 100% Medicare inpatient dataset was used to identify 1,654,602 primary THA and TKA procedures between 2010 and 2014. The per-patient cost of readmissions was evaluated in general linear models in which the year of surgery and patient, clinical, and hospital factors were treated as covariates in separate models for THA and TKA. The year-to-year risk of 90-day readmission was reduced by 2% and 4% (P total joint arthroplasty volume. The top 5 factors associated with the cost of 90-day TKA readmissions were (in rank order) the length of stay, hospital's teaching status, discharge disposition, patient's gender, and age. Although readmission rates declined slightly, the results of this study do not support the hypothesis that readmission costs have decreased since the introduction of health care reform legislation. Instead, we found that clinical and hospital factors were among the most important cost drivers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

EDF operational experience of primary circuit filter usage. Analysis of results and strategy for optimizing filtration and reducing solid wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mascarenhas, Darren; Moleiro, Edgar; Bancelin, Estelle; Bretelle, Jean-Luc

2014-01-01

Pleated fibreglass media filter cartridges are used throughout the auxiliary systems at nuclear power plants across the 58 reactors of EDF fleet. The main role of these filters is to remove suspended solids from coolant to prevent them accumulating in circuits or in equipments. In the primary circuit, these filters therefore limit the deposition of solids that are active or could become active if allowed to recirculate throughout the primary circuit, avoiding potential consequences such as an increase in dose rates, axial offset anomalies, demineralisers fouling, higher pressure losses in primary loop, and clogging of the primary pumps. Since 2008, a steady increase in the consumption of filters has been noticed, and therefore an increase in the amount of solid waste to treat. Preliminary studies have identified the primary circuit high-flow filters of the 1300/1450 MWe reactors as the main source of this increase. Not only has this stretched of solid waste containers production to the limit, as well as strained site resources and increased risks of operational errors during periods of frequent filter changes; it has also suggested that there is an underlying problem that could pose a serious risk to the primary circuit if untreated. Further studies have been carried out to identify more precisely the impact of possible causes, including increased quality surveillance of the filters, correlation of consumption data with the concentrations of various conditioning products and typical pollutants, and an impact analysis of events such as steam generator replacements or new practices like zinc injection. Work has been done with the filter manufacturer to improve their service lifetime and a simulation tool has been developed in order to understand and optimise filtration. We are also working with sites on creating good practices and avoiding bad ones. These actions should reduce the consumption in the short term while still assuring a high quality of filtration and

Risk-reducing mastectomy for the prevention of primary breast cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Carbine, Nora E; Lostumbo, Liz; Wallace, Judi; Ko, Henry

2018-04-05

Recent progress in understanding the genetic basis of breast cancer and widely publicized reports of celebrities undergoing risk-reducing mastectomy (RRM) have increased interest in RRM as a method of preventing breast cancer. This is an update of a Cochrane Review first published in 2004 and previously updated in 2006 and 2010. (i) To determine whether risk-reducing mastectomy reduces death rates from any cause in women who have never had breast cancer and in women who have a history of breast cancer in one breast, and (ii) to examine the effect of risk-reducing mastectomy on other endpoints, including breast cancer incidence, breast cancer mortality, disease-free survival, physical morbidity, and psychosocial outcomes. For this Review update, we searched Cochrane Breast Cancer's Specialized Register, MEDLINE, Embase and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) on 9 July 2016. We included studies in English. Participants included women at risk for breast cancer in at least one breast. Interventions included all types of mastectomy performed for the purpose of preventing breast cancer. At least two review authors independently abstracted data from each report. We summarized data descriptively; quantitative meta-analysis was not feasible due to heterogeneity of study designs and insufficient reporting. We analyzed data separately for bilateral risk-reducing mastectomy (BRRM) and contralateral risk-reducing mastectomy (CRRM). Four review authors assessed the methodological quality to determine whether or not the methods used sufficiently minimized selection bias, performance bias, detection bias, and attrition bias. All 61 included studies were observational studies with some methodological limitations; randomized trials were absent. The studies presented data on 15,077 women with a wide range of risk factors for breast cancer, who underwent RRM.Twenty-one BRRM studies looking at the incidence of breast cancer or disease-specific mortality, or

Phylogenetic diversity of dissimilatory ferric iron reducers in paddy soil of Hunan, South China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang Xin-Jun [State Key Lab. of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, BJ (China); Graduate Univ., Chinese Academy of Sciences, BJ (China); Yang Jing; Chen Xue-Ping; Sun Guo-Xin [State Key Lab. of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, BJ (China); Zhu Yong-Guan [State Key Lab. of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, BJ (China); Key Lab. of Urban Environment and Health, Inst. of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen (China)

2009-12-15

Purpose: Dissimilatory iron-reducing bacteria have been described by both culture-dependent and -independent methods in various environments, including freshwater, marine sediments, natural wetlands, and contaminated aquifers. However, little is known about iron-reducing microbial communities in paddy soils. The goal of this study was to characterize iron-reducing microbial communities in paddy soil. Moreover, the effect of dissolved and solid-phase iron (III) species on the iron-reducing microbial communities was also investigated by enrichment cultures. Methods: Ferric citrate and ferrihydrite were used respectively to set up enrichment cultures of dissimilatory ironreducing microorganisms using 1% inoculum of soil samples, and the iron reduction was measured. Moreover, bacterial DNA was extracted and 16S rRNA genes were PCR-amplified, and subsequently analyzed by the clone library and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP). Results: Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences extracted from the enrichment cultures revealed that Bradyrhizobium, Bacteroides, Clostridium and Ralstonia species were the dominant bacteria in the ferric citrate enrichment. However, members of the genera Clostridium, Bacteroides, and Geobacter were the dominant micro-organisms in the ferrihydrite enrichment. Analysis of enrichment cultures by T-RFLP strongly supported the cloning and sequencing results. Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that dissimilatory iron-reducing consortia in As-contaminated paddy soil are phylogenetically diverse. Moreover, iron (III) sources as a key factor have a strong effect on the iron (III)-reducing microbial community structure and relative abundance in the enrichments. In addition, Geobacter species are selectively enriched by ferrihydrite enrichment cultures. (orig.)

A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial to Reduce Diarrheal Disease and Dengue Entomological Risk Factors in Rural Primary Schools in Colombia.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hans J Overgaard

2016-11-01

Full Text Available As many neglected tropical diseases are co-endemic and have common risk factors, integrated control can efficiently reduce disease burden and relieve resource-strained public health budgets. Diarrheal diseases and dengue fever are major global health problems sharing common risk factors in water storage containers. Where provision of clean water is inadequate, water storage is crucial. Fecal contamination of stored water is a common source of diarrheal illness, but stored water also provides breeding sites for dengue vector mosquitoes. Integrating improved water management and educational strategies for both diseases in the school environment can potentially improve the health situation for students and the larger community. The objective of this trial was to investigate whether interventions targeting diarrhea and dengue risk factors would significantly reduce absence due to diarrheal disease and dengue entomological risk factors in schools.A factorial cluster randomized controlled trial was carried out in 34 rural primary schools (1,301 pupils in La Mesa and Anapoima municipalities, Cundinamarca, Colombia. Schools were randomized to one of four study arms: diarrhea interventions (DIA, dengue interventions (DEN, combined diarrhea and dengue interventions (DIADEN, and control (CON. Interventions had no apparent effect on pupil school absence due to diarrheal disease (p = 0.45 or on adult female Aedes aegypti density (p = 0.32 (primary outcomes. However, the dengue interventions reduced the Breteau Index on average by 78% (p = 0.029, with Breteau indices of 10.8 and 6.2 in the DEN and DIADEN arms, respectively compared to 37.5 and 46.9 in the DIA and CON arms, respectively. The diarrhea interventions improved water quality as assessed by the amount of Escherichia coli colony forming units (CFU; the ratio of Williams mean E. coli CFU being 0.22, or 78% reduction (p = 0.008.Integrated control of dengue and diarrhea has never been conducted before

A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial to Reduce Diarrheal Disease and Dengue Entomological Risk Factors in Rural Primary Schools in Colombia

Science.gov (United States)

Overgaard, Hans J.; Alexander, Neal; Matiz, Maria Ines; Jaramillo, Juan Felipe; Olano, Victor Alberto; Vargas, Sandra; Sarmiento, Diana; Lenhart, Audrey; Stenström, Thor Axel

2016-01-01

Background As many neglected tropical diseases are co-endemic and have common risk factors, integrated control can efficiently reduce disease burden and relieve resource-strained public health budgets. Diarrheal diseases and dengue fever are major global health problems sharing common risk factors in water storage containers. Where provision of clean water is inadequate, water storage is crucial. Fecal contamination of stored water is a common source of diarrheal illness, but stored water also provides breeding sites for dengue vector mosquitoes. Integrating improved water management and educational strategies for both diseases in the school environment can potentially improve the health situation for students and the larger community. The objective of this trial was to investigate whether interventions targeting diarrhea and dengue risk factors would significantly reduce absence due to diarrheal disease and dengue entomological risk factors in schools. Methodology/Principal Findings A factorial cluster randomized controlled trial was carried out in 34 rural primary schools (1,301 pupils) in La Mesa and Anapoima municipalities, Cundinamarca, Colombia. Schools were randomized to one of four study arms: diarrhea interventions (DIA), dengue interventions (DEN), combined diarrhea and dengue interventions (DIADEN), and control (CON). Interventions had no apparent effect on pupil school absence due to diarrheal disease (p = 0.45) or on adult female Aedes aegypti density (p = 0.32) (primary outcomes). However, the dengue interventions reduced the Breteau Index on average by 78% (p = 0.029), with Breteau indices of 10.8 and 6.2 in the DEN and DIADEN arms, respectively compared to 37.5 and 46.9 in the DIA and CON arms, respectively. The diarrhea interventions improved water quality as assessed by the amount of Escherichia coli colony forming units (CFU); the ratio of Williams mean E. coli CFU being 0.22, or 78% reduction (p = 0.008). Conclusions/Significance Integrated

Comparison of methods for glycogen analysis of in vitro fermentation pellets produced with strained ruminal inoculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Mary Beth; Hatfield, Ronald D

2015-11-01

Microbial glycogen measurement is used to account for fates of carbohydrate substrates. It is commonly applied to washed cells or pure cultures which can be accurately subsampled, allowing the use of smaller sample sizes. However, the nonhomogeneous fermentation pellets produced with strained rumen inoculum cannot be accurately subsampled, requiring analysis of the entire pellet. In this study, two microbial glycogen methods were compared for analysis of such fermentation pellets: boiling samples for 3h in 30% KOH (KOH) or for 15min in 0.2M NaOH (NaOH), followed by enzymatic hydrolysis with α-amylase and amyloglucosidase, and detection of released glucose. Total α-glucan was calculated as glucose×0.9. KOH and NaOH did not differ in the α-glucan detected in fermentation pellets (29.9 and 29.6mg, respectively; P=0.61). Recovery of different control α-glucans was also tested using KOH, NaOH, and a method employing 45min of bead beating (BB). For purified beef liver glycogen (water-soluble) recovery, BB (95.0%)>KOH (91.4%)>NaOH (87.4%; PBB (93.8%)>KOH (91.0%; Pglycogen (water-insoluble granules) did not differ among KOH (87.0%), NaOH (87.6%), and BB (86.0%; P=0.81), but recoveries for all were below 90%. Differences among substrates in the need for gelatinization and susceptibility to destruction by alkali likely affected the results. In conclusion, KOH and NaOH glycogen methods provided comparable determinations of fermentation pellet α-glucan. The tests on purified α-glucans indicated that assessment of recovery in glycogen methods can differ by the control α-glucan selected. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Does Abolishing User Fees in Primary Healthcare Centers Contribute to Reduce Moderate Acute Malnutrition in Children?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Druetz, Thomas; Haddad, Slim; Ridde, Valéry; Siekmans, Kendra

2014-01-01

tendency. In the intervention district, the crude prevalence of MAM – defined as a middle-upper arm circumference between -3 and -2 z-scores – was at baseline (in 2011) 6.4% in the urban area and 8.8% in the rural area, and dropped the following year to 5.9% and 7.1% (respectively). In the control district, prevalence in 2011 was lower than in the intervention district – 3.3% in the urban area and 5.1% in the rural area – but rose the following year to 3.8% and 5.5% (respectively). In the intervention district, 77% of children with MAM in 2011 were no longer malnourished in 2012, compared to 72% in the control district. Conclusion. Abolishing user fees in primary healthcare centers increases the number of visits by children under 5 years of age. This may contribute to improve the probability for a child with MAM to be treated, as well as to reducing the prevalence of MAM in the child population. (author)

A decision aid to rule out pneumonia and reduce unnecessary prescriptions of antibiotics in primary care patients with cough and fever

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hunziker Roger

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Physicians fear missing cases of pneumonia and treat many patients with signs of respiratory infection unnecessarily with antibiotics. This is an avoidable cause for the increasing worldwide problem of antibiotic resistance. We developed a user-friendly decision aid to rule out pneumonia and thus reduce the rate of needless prescriptions of antibiotics. Methods This was a prospective cohort study in which we enrolled patients older than 18 years with a new or worsened cough and fever without serious co-morbidities. Physicians recorded results of a standardized medical history and physical examination. C-reactive protein was measured and chest radiographs were obtained. We used Classification and Regression Trees to derive the decision tool. Results A total of 621 consenting eligible patients were studied, 598 were attending a primary care facility, were 48 years on average and 50% were male. Radiographic signs for pneumonia were present in 127 (20.5% of patients. Antibiotics were prescribed to 234 (48.3% of patients without pneumonia. In patients with C-reactive protein values below 10 μg/ml or patients presenting with C-reactive protein between 11 and 50 μg/ml, but without dyspnoea and daily fever, pneumonia can be ruled out. By applying this rule in clinical practice antibiotic prescription could be reduced by 9.1% (95% confidence interval (CI: 6.4 to 11.8. Conclusions Following validation and confirmation in new patient samples, this tool could help rule out pneumonia and be used to reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions in patients presenting with cough and fever in primary care. The algorithm might be especially useful in those instances where taking a medical history and physical examination alone are inconclusive for ruling out pneumonia

Black pod: diverse pathogens with a global impact on cocoa yield.

Science.gov (United States)

Guest, David

2007-12-01

ABSTRACT Pathogens of the Straminipile genus Phytophthora cause significant disease losses to global cocoa production. P. megakarya causes significant pod rot and losses due to canker in West Africa, whereas P. capsici and P. citrophthora cause pod rots in Central and South America. The global and highly damaging P. palmivora attacks all parts of the cocoa tree at all stages of the growing cycle. This pathogen causes 20 to 30% pod losses through black pod rot, and kills up to 10% of trees annually through stem cankers. P. palmivora has a complex disease cycle involving several sources of primary inoculum and several modes of dissemination of secondary inoculum. This results in explosive epidemics during favorable environmental conditions. The spread of regional pathogens must be prevented by effective quarantine barriers. Resistance to all these Phytophthora species is typically low in commercial cocoa genotypes. Disease losses can be reduced through integrated management practices that include pruning and shade management, leaf mulching, regular and complete harvesting, sanitation and pod case disposal, appropriate fertilizer application and targeted fungicide use. Packaging these options to improve uptake by smallholders presents a major challenge for the industry.

System for actively reducing sound

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Berkhoff, Arthur P.

2005-01-01

A system for actively reducing sound from a primary noise source, such as traffic noise, comprising: a loudspeaker connector for connecting to at least one loudspeaker for generating anti-sound for reducing said noisy sound; a microphone connector for connecting to at least a first microphone placed

Tranexamic acid administration to older patients undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty conserves hemoglobin and reduces blood loss.

Science.gov (United States)

El Beheiry, Hossam; Lubberdink, Ashley; Clements, Nigel; Dihllon, Kiran; Sharma, Vicky

2018-06-01

Tranexamic acid effects in older people are difficult to predict. This study investigated the following research questions: 1) Is tranexamic acid effective in older patients undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty (THA)? and 2) Is there a difference in the effect of tranexamic acid between younger and older patients? This was a 2-phase retrospective matched-pair study of patients who underwent THA in 2007-2013. All procedures were performed by surgeons with at least 10 years' experience as senior consultant. In the first phase, 58 patients aged 65 years or more who received tranexamic acid were matched 1:1 with patients who did not receive tranexamic acid for age, sex, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification and body mass index. In the second phase, 58 patients aged 65 years or more who received tranexamic acid were matched 1:1 with patients less than 65 years of age who received tranexamic acid for sex, ASA classification and body mass index. The primary outcome measures were percent maximum decrease in hemoglobin level and estimated blood loss after surgery. In the first phase, patients who received tranexamic acid conserved postoperative hemoglobin by a mean of 10.26 g/L (standard deviation [SD] 9.89 g/L) compared to the control group ( p Tranexamic acid reduced the postoperative decrease in hemoglobin level and blood loss in older patients. Moreover, the significant hemoglobin-sparing effect of tranexamic acid in older patients was similar to that observed in younger patients.

Conductimetric detection of Pseudomonas syringae pathover pisi in pea seeds and soft rot Erwinia spp. on potato tubers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fraaije, B.

1996-01-01

Pea bacterial blight and potato blackleg are diseases caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. pisi ( Psp ) and soft rot Erwinia spp., respectively. The primary source of inoculum for these bacteria is

1,3-Propanediol production from crude glycerol by Clostridium butyricum DSP1 in repeated batch

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daria Szymanowska-Powałowska

2014-11-01

Conclusions: The experiments proved that by using a portion of metabolically active biomass as inoculum for another fermentation formula it is possible to eliminate the stage of inoculum growth and thereby reduce the length of the whole operation. Additionally, that strategy avoids the phase of microbial adaptation to a different source of carbon such as crude glycerol, which is more difficult to utilize, thus improving the kinetic parameters of 1,3-PD production.

Primary visual cortex volume and total neuron number are reduced in schizophrenia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dorph-Petersen, Karl-Anton; Pierri, Joseph H.; Wu, Qiang

2007-01-01

A number of studies that assessed the visual system in subjects with schizophrenia found impairments in early visual processing. Furthermore, functional imaging studies suggested changes in primary visual cortex activity in subjects with schizophrenia. Interestingly, postmortem studies of subject...

Ehrlichia chaffeensis infection in the reservoir host (white-tailed deer and in an incidental host (dog is impacted by its prior growth in macrophage and tick cell environments.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arathy D S Nair

Full Text Available Ehrlichia chaffeensis, transmitted from Amblyomma americanum ticks, causes human monocytic ehrlichiosis. It also infects white-tailed deer, dogs and several other vertebrates. Deer are its reservoir hosts, while humans and dogs are incidental hosts. E. chaffeensis protein expression is influenced by its growth in macrophages and tick cells. We report here infection progression in deer or dogs infected intravenously with macrophage- or tick cell-grown E. chaffeensis or by tick transmission in deer. Deer and dogs developed mild fever and persistent rickettsemia; the infection was detected more frequently in the blood of infected animals with macrophage inoculum compared to tick cell inoculum or tick transmission. Tick cell inoculum and tick transmission caused a drop in tick infection acquisition rates compared to infection rates in ticks fed on deer receiving macrophage inoculum. Independent of deer or dogs, IgG antibody response was higher in animals receiving macrophage inoculum against macrophage-derived Ehrlichia antigens, while it was significantly lower in the same animals against tick cell-derived Ehrlichia antigens. Deer infected with tick cell inoculum and tick transmission caused a higher antibody response to tick cell cultured bacterial antigens compared to the antibody response for macrophage cultured antigens for the same animals. The data demonstrate that the host cell-specific E. chaffeensis protein expression influences rickettsemia in a host and its acquisition by ticks. The data also reveal that tick cell-derived inoculum is similar to tick transmission with reduced rickettsemia, IgG response and tick acquisition of E. chaffeensis.

Effect of bioaugmentation and biostimulation on sulfate-reducing column startup captured by functional gene profiling.

Science.gov (United States)

Pereyra, Luciana P; Hiibel, Sage R; Perrault, Elizabeth M; Reardon, Kenneth F; Pruden, Amy

2012-10-01

Sulfate-reducing permeable reactive zones (SR-PRZs) depend upon a complex microbial community to utilize a lignocellulosic substrate and produce sulfides, which remediate mine drainage by binding heavy metals. To gain insight into the impact of the microbial community composition on the startup time and pseudo-steady-state performance, functional genes corresponding to cellulose-degrading (CD), fermentative, sulfate-reducing, and methanogenic microorganisms were characterized in columns simulating SR-PRZs using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Duplicate columns were bioaugmented with sulfate-reducing or CD bacteria or biostimulated with ethanol or carboxymethyl cellulose and compared with baseline dairy manure inoculum and uninoculated controls. Sulfate removal began after ~ 15 days for all columns and pseudo-steady state was achieved by Day 30. Despite similar performance, DGGE profiles of 16S rRNA gene and functional genes at pseudo-steady state were distinct among the column treatments, suggesting the potential to control ultimate microbial community composition via bioaugmentation and biostimulation. qPCR revealed enrichment of functional genes in all columns between the initial and pseudo-steady-state time points. This is the first functional gene-based study of CD, fermentative and sulfate-reducing bacteria and methanogenic archaea in a lignocellulose-based environment and provides new qualitative and quantitative insight into startup of a complex microbial system. © 2012 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hand sanitisers for reducing illness absences in primary school children in New Zealand: a cluster randomised controlled trial study protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Poore Marion R

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background New Zealand has relatively high rates of morbidity and mortality from infectious disease compared with other OECD countries, with infectious disease being more prevalent in children compared with others in the population. Consequences of infectious disease in children may have significant economic and social impact beyond the direct effects of the disease on the health of the child; including absence from school, transmission of infectious disease to other pupils, staff, and family members, and time off work for parents/guardians. Reduction of the transmission of infectious disease between children at schools could be an effective way of reducing the community incidence of infectious disease. Alcohol based no-rinse hand sanitisers provide an alternative hand cleaning technology, for which there is some evidence that they may be effective in achieving this. However, very few studies have investigated the effectiveness of hand sanitisers, and importantly, the potential wider economic implications of this intervention have not been established. Aims The primary objective of this trial is to establish if the provision of hand sanitisers in primary schools in the South Island of New Zealand, in addition to an education session on hand hygiene, reduces the incidence rate of absence episodes due to illness in children. In addition, the trial will establish the cost-effectiveness and conduct a cost-benefit analysis of the intervention in this setting. Methods/Design A cluster randomised controlled trial will be undertaken to establish the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of hand sanitisers. Sixty-eight primary schools will be recruited from three regions in the South Island of New Zealand. The schools will be randomised, within region, to receive hand sanitisers and an education session on hand hygiene, or an education session on hand hygiene alone. Fifty pupils from each school in years 1 to 6 (generally aged from 5 to 11 years

Second primary tumours in oral cancer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Waal, I.; de Bree, R.

2010-01-01

Second primary tumours in patients treated for oral cancer occur at a rate of 3% to 7% per year. The majority of these tumours show up at least six months after the detection of the primary and are often located in the upper aerodigestive tract. Cessation of smoking habits may reduce the risk of the

Influence of hydrazine primary water chemistry on corrosion of fuel cladding and primary circuit components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iourmanov, V.; Pashevich, V.; Bogancs, J.; Tilky, P.; Schunk, J.; Pinter, T.

1999-01-01

Earlier at Paks 1-4 NPP standard ammonia chemistry was in use. The following station performance indicators were improved when hydrazine primary water chemistry was introduced: occupational radiation exposures of personnel; gamma-radiation dose rates near primary system components during refuelling and maintenance outages. The reduction of radiation exposures and radiation fields were achieved without significant expenses. Recent results of experimental studies allowed to explain the mechanism of hydrazine dosing influence on: corrosion rate of structure materials in primary coolant; behaviour of soluble and insoluble corrosion products including long-life corrosion-induced radionuclides in primary system during steady-state and transient operation modes; radiolytic generation of oxidising radiolytic products in core and its corrosion activity in primary system; radiation situation during refuelling and maintenance outages; foreign material degradation and removal (including corrosion active oxidant species) from primary system during abnormal events. Operational experience and experimental data have shown that hydrazine primary water chemistry allows to reduce corrosion wear and thereby makes it possible to extend the life-time of plant components in primary system. (author)

Forest farming of shiitake mushrooms: an integrated evaluation of management practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruhn, J N; Mihail, J D; Pickens, J B

2009-12-01

Two outdoor shiitake (Lentinula edodes) cultivation experiments, established in Missouri USA in 1999 and 2000, produced mushrooms in 2000-2005. We examined shiitake production in response to substrate species, inoculum form, inoculum strain, and inoculation timing, using total mushroom weight per log as the primary response variable with log characteristics as covariates. The significantly greater mushroom weight produced by sugar maple logs compared with white or northern red oak was attributable to the higher proportion of undiscolored wood volume in the maple logs, rather than to bark thickness or log diameter. The "wide temperature range" shiitake strain produced significantly greater yield compared with the "warm" or "cold" weather strains. Both the wide-range and warm-weather strains were stimulated to fruit by significant rain events, while the cold-weather strain was responsive to temperature. Inoculation with sawdust spawn gave significantly greater yield than colonized wooden dowels or pre-packaged "thimble" plug inoculum. The second and third full years following inoculation were the most productive.

REDUCING SUICIDAL IDEATION AND DEPRESSION IN OLDER PRIMARY CARE PATIENTS: 24-MONTH OUTCOMES OF THE PROSPECT STUDY

Science.gov (United States)

Alexopoulos, George S.; Reynolds, Charles F.; Bruce, Martha L.; Katz, Ira R.; Raue, Patrick J.; Mulsant, Benoit H.; Oslin, David; Have, Thomas Ten

2010-01-01

Objective The PROSPECT Study evaluated the impact of a care management intervention on suicidal ideation and depression in older primary care patients. This is the first report of outcomes over a 2-year period. Method The subjects (N=599) were older (>=60 years) patients with major or minor depression selected after screening 9,072 randomly identified patients of 20 primary care practices randomly assigned to the PROSPECT intervention or usual care. The intervention consisted of services of 15 trained care managers, who offered algorithm-based recommendations to physicians and helped patients with treatment adherence over 24 months. Results Intervention patients had a higher likelihood to receive antidepressants and or psychotherapy (84.9–89% vs. 49–59%) and a 2.2 times greater decline in suicidal ideation than usual care patients over 24 months. Treatment response occurred earlier in intervention patients and continued to increase from the 18th to the 24th month, while there was no appreciable increase in usual care patients during the same period. Among patients with major depression, a greater number achieved remission in the intervention than the usual care group at 4 (26.6 vs. 15.2%), 8 (36% vs. 22.5%), and 24 (45.4% vs. 31.5%) months. Patients with minor depression had favorable outcomes regardless of treatment assignment. Conclusions Sustained collaborative care maintains high utilization of antidepressant treatment, reduces suicidal ideation, and improves the outcomes of major depression over two years. These observations suggest that sustained collaborative care increases depression-free days. PMID:19528195

Analysis of microbial taxonomical groups present in maize stalks suppressive to colonization by toxigenic Fusarium spp.: A strategy for the identification of potential antagonists

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Köhl, J.; Lombaers-van der Plas, C.H.; Moretti, A.; Bandyopadhyay, R.; Somma, S.; Kastelein, P.

2015-01-01

Pink ear rot of maize caused by Fusarium verticillioides, Fusariumproliferatum and Fusariumgraminearumcan lead to severe yield losses and contamination of grain with a range of mycotoxins. Maize stalks colonized by Fusarium spp. are the main primary inoculum source for Fusarium incited epidemics in

Primary Education and Dropout in Nepal

Science.gov (United States)

Devkota, Shree Prasad; Bagale, Shiba

2015-01-01

This article tries to highlight the dropout rate of primary education of Nepal. The main essence of the article is to explore the situation of dropout of primary education. There are several programs and policies to reduce the dropout, out of the school children and so on but still there are several issues that are left behind. Educational budget…

Permissive cytomegalovirus infection of primary villous term and first trimester trophoblasts.

Science.gov (United States)

Hemmings, D G; Kilani, R; Nykiforuk, C; Preiksaitis, J; Guilbert, L J

1998-06-01

Forty percent of women with primary cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections during pregnancy infect their fetuses with complications for the baby varying from mild to severe. How CMV crosses the syncytiotrophoblast, the barrier between maternal blood and fetal tissue in the villous placenta, is unknown. Virus may cross by infection of maternal cells that pass through physical breaches in the syncytiotrophoblast or by direct infection of the syncytiotrophoblast, with subsequent transmission to underlying fetal placental cells. In this study, we show that pure (>99.99%), long-term and healthy (>3 weeks) cultures of syncytiotrophoblasts are permissively infected with CMV. Greater than 99% of infectious progeny virus remained cell associated throughout culture periods up to 3 weeks. Infection of term trophoblasts required a higher virus inoculum, was less efficient, and progressed more slowly than parallel infections of placental and human embryonic lung fibroblasts. Three laboratory strains (AD169, Towne, and Davis) and a clinical isolate from a congenitally infected infant all permissively infected trophoblasts, although infection efficiencies varied. The infection of first trimester syncytiotrophoblasts with strain AD169 occurred at higher frequency and progressed more rapidly than infection of term cells but less efficiently and rapidly than infection of fibroblasts. These results show that villous syncytiotrophoblasts can be permissively infected by CMV but that the infection requires high virus titers and proceeds slowly and that progeny virus remains predominantly cell associated.

Top studies relevant to primary care practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Perry, Danielle; Kolber, Michael R; Korownyk, Christina; Lindblad, Adrienne J; Ramji, Jamil; Ton, Joey; Allan, G Michael

2018-04-01

To summarize 10 high-quality studies from 2017 that have strong relevance to primary care practice. Study selection involved routine literature surveillance by a group of primary care health professionals. This included screening abstracts of important journals and Evidence Alerts, as well as searching the American College of Physicians Journal Club. Topics of the 2017 articles include whether treating subclinical hypothyroidism improves outcomes or symptoms; whether evolocumab reduces cardiovascular disease as well as low-density lipoprotein levels; whether lifestyle interventions reduce medication use in patients with diabetes; whether vitamin D prevents cardiovascular disease, cancer, or upper respiratory tract infections; whether canagliflozin reduces clinical events in patients with diabetes; how corticosteroid injections affect knee osteoarthritis; whether drained abscesses benefit from antibiotic treatment; whether patients with diabetes benefit from bariatric surgery; whether exenatide reduces clinical events in patients with diabetes; and whether tympanostomy tubes affect outcomes in recurrent acute otitis media or chronic otitis media. We provide brief summaries, context where needed, and final recommendations for 10 studies with potential effects on primary care. We also briefly review 5 "runner-up" studies. Research from 2017 produced several high-quality studies in diabetes management. These have demonstrated benefit for alternative therapies and offered evidence not previously available. This year's selection of studies also provided information on a variety of conditions and therapies that are, or might become, more common in primary care settings. Copyright© the College of Family Physicians of Canada.

Comics as a Literary-Didactic Method and Their Use for Reducing Gender Differences in Reading Literacy at the Primary Level of Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maja Kerneža

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of the systematic use of comics as a literary-didactic method to reduce gender differences in reading literacy and reading motivation at the primary level of education. It was assumed that the use of comics would have a positive effect on pupils’ reading literacy and reading motivation, while also reducing the aforementioned differences between boys and girls. The dimensions of reading literacy and reading motivation were examined in experimental and control groups, before and after the intervention, by means of questionnaires and tests for pupils. The sample consisted of 143 pupils from second to fifth grade from two Slovenian primary schools in a rural environment, of which 73 pupils participated in the experimental group and 70 pupils represented the control group. Effects of the use of comics as a literary-didactic method were not found: using comics as a literary-didactic method did not have a statistically significant effect on pupils’ reading literacy and reading motivation. However, when the four-way structure of the research (taking into account the age and gender of the pupils was considered, some subgroups showed a statistically significant increase in reading interest and attitude towards reading. No reduction of gender differences in reading literacy and reading motivation was found. Based on the results, guidelines for further research are established and suggestions are offered for teachers’ work.

Intravenous IgA complexed with antigen reduces primary antibody response to the antigen and anaphylaxis upon antigen re-exposure by inhibiting Th1 and Th2 activation in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamaki, Kouya; Miyatake, Kenji; Nakashima, Takayuki; Morioka, Ayumi; Yamamoto, Midori; Ishibashi, Yuki; Ito, Ayaka; Kuranishi, Ayu; Yoshino, Shin

2014-10-01

Serum IgG, IgE and IgM have been shown to enhance the primary antibody responses upon exposure to the soluble antigens recognized by those antibodies. However, how IgA affects these responses remains unknown. We investigated the effects of intravenously administered monoclonal IgA on the immune responses in mice. DBA/1J mice were immunized with ovalbumin in the presence or absence of anti-ovalbumin monoclonal IgA. The Th1 and Th2 immune responses to ovalbumin and the anaphylaxis induced by re-exposure to ovalbumin were measured. IgA complexed with antigen attenuated the primary antibody responses to the antigen in mice, in contrast to IgG2b and IgE. The primary antibody responses, i.e. the de novo synthesis of anti-ovalbumin IgG2a, IgG1 and IgE in the serum, and the subsequent anaphylaxis induced with re-exposure to ovalbumin were reduced by the co-injection of anti-ovalbumin monoclonal IgA at ovalbumin immunization. The Th1, Th2 and Tr1 cytokines interferon-γ, interleukin-4 and interleukin-10, respectively, released from ovalbumin-restimulated cultured splenocytes collected from allergic mice were also reduced by the treatment. The induction of interferon-γ and interleukin-4 secretion by splenocytes from ovalbumin-immunized mice stimulated in vitro with ovalbumin was also significantly reduced by the antigen complexed with anti-ovalbumin IgA. These data suggest that the direct inhibition of Th1 and Th2 activation by anti-ovalbumin monoclonal IgA participates in the inhibition of the primary antibody responses. IgA plays important immunosuppressive roles under physiological and pathological conditions and is a promising candidate drug for the treatment of immune disorders.

Educational intervention on medication reviews aiming to reduce acute healthcare consumption in elderly patients with potentially inappropriate medicines-A pragmatic open-label cluster-randomized controlled trial in primary care

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schmidt-Mende, K; Andersen, M; Wettermark, B

2017-01-01

consisted of educational outreach visits with feedback on prescribing and the development of a working procedure on MRs. Follow-up was 9 months. Outcomes were assessed in an administrative health care database. The combined primary outcome was unplanned hospital admission and/or emergency department visit...... after an educational intervention in primary care. The reasons for the lack of effect could be a suboptimal intervention, limitations in outcome measures, and the use of administrative data to monitor outcomes.......PURPOSE: Potentially inappropriate medicines (PIMs) may cause 10% of unplanned admissions in elderly people. We performed an educational intervention in primary care to reduce acute health care consumption and PIMs through the promotion of medication reviews (MRs) in elderly patients. METHODS...

Investigating Mechanisms of Alkalinization for Reducing Primary Breast Tumor Invasion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ian F. Robey

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The extracellular pH (pHe of many solid tumors is acidic as a result of glycolytic metabolism and poor perfusion. Acidity promotes invasion and enhances metastatic potential. Tumor acidity can be buffered by systemic administration of an alkaline agent such as sodium bicarbonate. Tumor-bearing mice maintained on sodium bicarbonate drinking water exhibit fewer metastases and survive longer than untreated controls. We predict this effect is due to inhibition of tumor invasion. Reducing tumor invasion should result in fewer circulating tumor cells (CTCs. We report that bicarbonate-treated MDA-MB-231 tumor-bearing mice exhibited significantly lower numbers of CTCs than untreated mice (. Tumor pHe buffering may reduce optimal conditions for enzymes involved in tumor invasion such as cathepsins and matrix metalloproteases (MMPs. To address this, we tested the effect of transient alkalinization on cathepsin and MMP activity using enzyme activatable fluorescence agents in mice bearing MDA-MB-231 mammary xenografts. Transient alkalinization significantly reduced the fluorescent signal of protease-specific activatable agents in vivo (. Alkalinization, however, did not affect expression of carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX. The findings suggest a possible mechanism in a live model system for breast cancer where systemic alkalinization slows the rate of invasion.

Primary megaureter: outcome of surgical treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shaikh, N.A.; Shaikh, G.S.

2015-01-01

Objective: To assess the clinical outcome after surgical treatment of primary megaureter. Methodology: A retrospective analysis of 15 patients who had reimplantation of primary megaureters between January 2007 and April 2012 was performed. Patients who had additional urinary tract pathology were excluded from the study. Results: Out of 15 patients, 10 presented with abdominal pain and febrile urinary tract infections, while five presented with failure to thrive and post feed vomiting. Diameter of the megaureter prior to operation was 20 mm (range 15-30 mm). On ultrasound, hydronephrosis decreased in 12 and was unchanged in three after 1 month, postoperatively. After three months postoperatively, hydroureter was no longer detected in 10 and was reduced in five patients. Conclusion: Reimplantation of a primary mega ureter resulted in improved clinical status, reduced dilation of the ureter and renal pelvis, and free drainage of the upper urinary tract. (author)

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MORPHOLOGY, RHEOLOGY AND GLUCOAMYLASE PRODUCTION BY Aspergillus awamori IN SUBMERGED CULTURES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C.R.D. Pamboukian

1998-09-01

Full Text Available The influence of inoculum preparation on Aspergillus awamori morphology, broth rheology and glucoamylase synthesis in submerged cultures was investigated. A series of runs were performed in fermenters, using initial total reducing sugar concentrations of 20 g/L and 80 g/L. The inocula were prepared in a rotary shaker, at 35oC and 200 rev/min, using a spore concentration of 9.2 x 105 spores/mL and varying both cultivation time and medium pH during the spore germination step. Three types of inocula were used: inoculum cultivated for 24 hours at an initial pH of 5.0, and inocula cultivated for 7 hours at both a pH of 2.5 and a pH of 5.5. Regarding glucoamylase production, the inoculum which provided the best results was shaker cultivated for 7 hours at a pH of 2.5. This inoculum produced glucoamylase of about 1,221 U/L in the fermenter, which was between 20% and 30% higher than those obtained using other inocula.

A health dialogue intervention reduces cardiovascular risk factor levels: a population based randomised controlled trial in Swedish primary care setting with 1-year follow-up

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mats Hellstrand

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The total number of cardiovascular (CVD deaths accounted for almost a third of all deaths globally in 2013. Population based randomised controlled trials, managed within primary care, on CVD risk factor interventions are scarce. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of a health dialogue intervention in a primary care setting offered to a population at the age of 55 years, focusing on CVD risk factors. Methods The study was performed in five primary health care centres in the county of Västmanland, Sweden between April 2011 and December 2012. Men and women were randomly assigned to intervention (n = 440 and control groups (n = 440. At baseline, both groups filled in a health questionnaire and serum cholesterol, fasting plasma glucose, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c, weight, height, waist (WC and hip circumference, waist hip ratio (WHR and systolic/diastolic blood pressure were measured. Intervention group attended a health dialogue, supported by a visualised health profile, with a possibility for further activities. Participation rates at baseline were 53% and 52% respectively. A 1-year follow-up was carried out. Results The intervention group (n = 165 showed reductions compared to the control group (n = 177 concerning body mass index (BMI (0.3 kg/m2, p = .031, WC (2.1 cm, p ≤ .001 and WHR (.002, p ≤ .001 at the 1-year follow-up. No differences between the intervention and control groups were found in other variables. Intervention group, compared to baseline, had reduced weight, BMI, WC, WHR, HbA1c, and diet, while the men in the control group had reduced their alcohol consumption. Conclusions A health dialogue intervention at the age of 55 years, conducted in ordinary primary care, showed a moderate effect on CVD risk factor levels, in terms of BMI, WC and WHR. Trial registration number BioMed Central, ISRCTN22586871 , date assigned; 10/12/2015

Primary data collection in health technology assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

McIsaac, Michelle L; Goeree, Ron; Brophy, James M

2007-01-01

This study discusses the value of primary data collection as part of health technology assessment (HTA). Primary data collection can help reduce uncertainty in HTA and better inform evidence-based decision making. However, methodological issues such as choosing appropriate study design and practical concerns such as the value of collecting additional information need to be addressed. The authors emphasize the conditions required for successful primary data collection in HTA: experienced researchers, sufficient funding, and coordination among stakeholders, government, and researchers. The authors conclude that, under specific conditions, primary data collection is a worthwhile endeavor in the HTA process.

Effects of plant antioxidants and natural vicinal diketones on methane production, studied in vitro with rumen fluid and a polylactate as maintenance substrate

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Becker, P.M.; Wikselaar, van P.G.

2011-01-01

In a simplified model of methane production, lactate based maintenance substrates provided primary metabolites and H2, for methanogenic reduction of CO2, to a rumen fluid inoculum. In batch incubation assays, the polylactate Hydrogen Release Compound eXtended® (HRC-X) as maintenance substrate caused

This tree is not big enough for the both of us: symptoms of Phytophthora ramorum on California bay laurel are lower when insect herbivores are abundant

Science.gov (United States)

Kerry E. Wininger; Nathan Rank

2017-01-01

Leaves of California bay laurel (Umbellularia californica) are considered the primary natural source of inoculum for the devastating forest disease sudden oak death (Phytophthora ramorum), and yet this plant and the insects associated with its leaves remain understudied. This is unfortunate due to the role herbivorous...

Studying properties of carbonaceous reducers and process of forming primary titanium slags

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. K. Balgabekov

2014-10-01

Full Text Available When smelting a rich titanium slag the most suitable are low-ash reducers, and the studies revealed the suitability for this purpose of special coke and coal. An important property of a reducer is its specific resistance. Therefore there were carried out studies for measuring electric resistance of briquettes consisting of ilmenite concentrate and different carbonaceous reducers. It is recommended to jointly smelt the briquetted and powdered burden (the amount of the powdered burden varies form 20 tо 50 %, this leads to the increase of technical-economic indicators of the process.

Phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation in primary angle-closure suspect, primary angle-closure and primary angle-closure glaucoma with cataract

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kun Zeng

2013-08-01

Full Text Available AIM: To evaluate the features and clinical outcomes of cataract extraction by phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation in primary angle-closure suspect(PACS, primary angle-closure(PACand primary angle-closure glaucoma(PACGwith cataract.METHODS:Phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation was performed on 86 cases(86 eyesdiagnosed as PACS, PAC and PACG co-existing cataract from January to December 2012. All cases were followed up for 3 months to 1 year. Pre-operative and post-operative visual acuity, intraocular pressure(IOP, gonioscopy, ultrasound biomicroscopy(UBM, visual field and usage of anti-glaucomaous eye drops were recorded.RESULTS:Zonular dialysis existed in 19 eyes(22%. The post-operative visual acuity improved in 84 eyes(98%. The post-operative visual acuity was CONCLUSION: PACS, PAC and PACG co-existing zonular dialysis is common. Phacoemulsification with IOL implantation can reduce IOP, deepen anterior chamber and open angle.

Interactive effects of aluminum, phosphorus and mycorrhizae on growth and nutrient uptake of Panicum virgatum L. (Poaceae).

Science.gov (United States)

Koslowsky, S D; Boener, R E

1989-01-01

The effects of Al on Panicum virgatum (switchgrass), a widespread perennial grass, were determined in relation to factors which might interact with Al in the soil. Plants were grown for 8 weeks in sand culture and were treated with 3 Al levels (0.5, 2.0, 5.0 mM), 2 P levels (0.065, 0.161 mM), 2 inoculum types (vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) inoculum or VAM-free soil inoculum) and 2 inoculum sources (a high Al forest in NY or a low Al forest in Ohio) in a factorial design. Plant growth decreased with increasing Al and increased with increasing P, but the Al effect was less at high P than low P. VAM-inoculated plants outgrew non-VAM plants, especially at low and medium Al levels. Total P and Ca uptake decreased with increasing Al concentration, especially at low P levels. VAM inoculation did not result in increased P uptake at any Al level though VAM plants took up significantly more Ca than non-VAM plants at any Al level. VAM plants had lower tissue Al concentrations and took up less Al than non-VAM plants; Al uptake increased with increasing soil Al in non-VAM plants but not in VAM plants. Plants given inoculum from the high Al site had significantly lower tissue Al than plants given the low Al site inoculum, regardless of VAM status. We conclude that the presence of a VAM infection, moderate levels of soil P, and the source of the inoculum can reduce the effects of soluble Al. We discuss potential physiological and edaphic mechanisms by which Al may be immobilized and Ca availability increased in the presence of VAM fungi and other soil microflora.

Degradation of soil cyanide by single and mixed cultures of Pseudomonas stutzeri and Bacillus subtilis.

Science.gov (United States)

Nwokoro, Ogbonnaya; Dibua, Marie Esther Uju

2014-03-01

The aim of this investigation was to study whether certain bacteria could be used for cyanide degradation in soil. The bacteria Pseudomonas stutzeri and Bacillus subtilis were selected based on their good growth in a minimal medium containing 0.8 mg mL-1 potassium cyanide (KCN). In this study we tested their ability to reduce cyanide levels in a medium containing 1.5 mg mL-1 of KCN. Although both microorganisms reduced cyanide levels, Pseudomonas stutzeri was the more effective test organism. Later on, the selected cultures were grown, diluted and their various cell concentrations were used individually and in combination to test their ability of cyanide degradation in soil samples collected around a cassava processing mill. Bacillus subtilis caused degradation of soil cyanide from 0.218 mg g-1 soil immediately with an inoculum concentration of 0.1 (OD600nm) to 0.072 mg g-1 soil after 10 days with an inoculum concentration of 0.6 (OD600nm) implying a 66.9 % reduction. Pseudomonas stutzeri cell concentration of 0.1 (OD600nm) decreased soil cyanide from 0.218 mg g-1 soil initially to 0.061 mg g-1 soil after 10 days with an inoculum concentration of 0.6 (OD600nm) (72 % reduction). The mixed culture of the two bacteria produced the best degradation of soil cyanide from 0.218 mg g-1 soil sample with a combined inoculum concentration of 0.1 (OD600nm) initially to 0.025 mg g-1 soil with a combined inoculum concentration of 0.6 (OD600nm) after 10 days incubation resulting in an 88.5 % degradation of soil cyanide. The analysed bacteria displayed high cyanide degradation potential and may be useful for efficient decontamination of cyanide contaminated sites.

Process evaluation of the data-driven quality improvement in primary care (DQIP) trial: active and less active ingredients of a multi-component complex intervention to reduce high-risk primary care prescribing.

Science.gov (United States)

Grant, Aileen; Dreischulte, Tobias; Guthrie, Bruce

2017-01-07

Two to 4% of emergency hospital admissions are caused by preventable adverse drug events. The estimated costs of such avoidable admissions in England were £530 million in 2015. The data-driven quality improvement in primary care (DQIP) intervention was designed to prompt review of patients vulnerable from currently prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and anti-platelets and was found to be effective at reducing this prescribing. A process evaluation was conducted parallel to the trial, and this paper reports the analysis which aimed to explore response to the intervention delivered to clusters in relation to participants' perceptions about which intervention elements were active in changing their practice. Data generation was by in-depth interview with key staff exploring participant's perceptions of the intervention components. Analysis was iterative using the framework technique and drawing on normalisation process theory. All the primary components of the intervention were perceived as active, but at different stages of implementation: financial incentives primarily supported recruitment; education motivated the GPs to initiate implementation; the informatics tool facilitated sustained implementation. Participants perceived the primary components as interdependent. Intervention subcomponents also varied in whether and when they were active. For example, run charts providing feedback of change in prescribing over time were ignored in the informatics tool, but were motivating in some practices in the regular e-mailed newsletter. The high-risk NSAID and anti-platelet prescribing targeted was accepted as important by all interviewees, and this shared understanding was a key wider context underlying intervention effectiveness. This was a novel use of process evaluation data which examined whether and how the individual intervention components were effective from the perspective of the professionals delivering changed care to patients. These

Conditions Affecting Shelf-Life of Inoculated Legume Seed

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Greg Gemell

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Microbial inoculants are becoming more available as sustainable alternatives to fertilizers and other agrichemicals in broad-acre cropping. However, with the exception of legume inoculants little is understood about effective delivery and survival of the inoculum. Legume inoculants are applied to both seed and soil but seed inoculation is the most economical technique. Large quantities of pasture seed in Australia are inoculated by commercial seed coating companies, but the long-term survival of seed-applied inoculum is variable and monitoring of viability requires specialist microbiology skills and facilities. The aim of our research was to define optimum storage conditions for survival of rhizobia on legume seed and evaluate water activity as a means of monitoring shelf-life. The relationship between survival and water activity varied according to seed species, inoculum preparation, coating ingredients, initial water activity and time suggesting that storage conditions would need to be defined for each different combination. Although drying seeds after coating significantly reduced viable numbers of rhizobia, survival of rhizobia on dried commercially coated lucerne seed after 11 weeks was less variable than seeds that had not been dried. The highest numbers were maintained when seeds remained dry with water activities of between 0.47 and 0.38. The quality of inoculated seed could be improved by reducing the death rate of inoculum during preparation and providing optimum storage conditions for long-term survival.

Digestibility of Betung Bamboo Fiber Following Fungal Pretreatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Widya Fatriasari

2014-10-01

Full Text Available This research evaluated the effect of fungal pretreatment of betung bamboo fibers and enzymatic- and microwave-assisted hydrolysis on the reducing sugar yield. The enzymatic hydrolysis of the pretreated biomass was carried out with cellulase and 10 and 20 FPU/g of substrate in a shaking incubator at 50 °C and 150 rpm for 48 h. The sulfuric acid concentration used in the microwave-assisted acid hydrolysis was 1.0, 2.5, and 5%, either with or without the addition of activated carbon. Microwave irradiation (330 Watt was applied for 5–12.5 min. The yield of reducing sugar was better with the microwave-assisted acid hydrolysis, and the yield tended to increase with an increase in the irradiation time. Based on the dry weight of the initial biomass (bamboo, pretreatment with 5% inoculum loading resulted in a higher reducing sugar yield (17.06% than with 10% inoculum loading (14.54%. At a 1% acid concentration, the formation of brown compounds decreased, followed by a reduction in the reducing sugar yield. The addition of activated carbon at a 1% acid concentration seemed to be of no benefit with respect to the yield in the microwave-assisted acid hydrolysis. The pretreatment with the 5% inoculum loading for 12.5 min at 1% acid concentration resulted in the highest reducing sugar yield. Under these conditions, the yield was 6.3-fold that of the reducing sugar yield using 20 FPU/g of cellulase. The rate of bamboo hollocellulose hydrolysis reached 22.75% of the maximum theoretical reducing sugar reducing sugar of dry biomass.

Potential sources for initial inoculum and dispersal pattern of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

With proper scouting on mildew development to determine the timing of first round of fungicide application, it may be possible to reduce the nuinber of applications from the recommended six rounds of sulphur to three or four at sites in these districts. Further studies to determine the impact of off-season immature shoots and ...

Hippuristanol Reduces the Viability of Primary Effusion Lymphoma Cells both in Vitro and in Vivo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masachika Senba

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL caused by Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (also known as human herpesvirus-8 shows serious lymphomatous effusion in body cavities. PEL is difficult to treat and there is no standard treatment strategy. Hippuristanol is extracted from Okinawan coral Isis hippuris, and inhibits translational initiation by blocking eukaryotic initiation factor 4A, an ATP-dependent RNA helicase, binding to mRNA. Recently, there has been much interest in targeting translation initiation as an anticancer therapy. Here, we show that treatment of PEL cell lines with hippuristanol resulted in cell cycle arrest at G1 phase, and induced caspases activation and apoptosis. Hippuristanol also reduced the expression of cyclin D2, CDK2, CDK4, CDK6 and prosurvival XIAP and Mcl-1 proteins. Activation of activator protein-1, signal transducers and activators of transcription protein 3 and Akt pathways plays a critical role in the survival and growth of PEL cells. Hippuristanol suppressed the activities of these three pathways by inhibiting the expression of JunB, JunD, c-Fos, signal transducers and activators of transcription protein 3 and Akt proteins. In a xenograft mouse model that showed ascites and diffused organ invasion of PEL cells, treatment with hippuristanol significantly inhibited the growth and invasion of PEL cells compared with untreated mice. The results of the in vitro and in vivo experiments underline the potential usefulness of hippuristanol in the treatment of PEL.

Influence of feedstock-to-inoculum ratio on performance and microbial community succession during solid-state thermophilic anaerobic co-digestion of pig urine and rice straw.

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Lingyu; Xie, Li; Kinh, Co Thi; Suenaga, Toshikazu; Hori, Tomoyuki; Riya, Shohei; Terada, Akihiko; Hosomi, Masaaki

2018-03-01

This study investigated the effect of the feedstock-to-inoculum (F/I) ratio on performance of the solid-state anaerobic co-digestion of pig urine and rice straw inoculated with a solid digestate, and clarified the microbial community succession. A 44-day biochemical methane potential test at F/I ratios of 0.5, 1, 2 and 3 at 55 °C and a 35-day large-scale batch test at F/I ratios of 0.5 and 3 at 55 °C were conducted to investigate the effects of F/I ratio on anaerobic digestibility and analyze microbial community succession, respectively. The highest cumulative methane yield was 353.7 m 3 /t VS in the large-scale batch test. Volatile fatty acids did not accumulate at any F/I ratios. The volatile solids reduction rate was highest at a F/I ratio of 0.5. Microbial community structures were similar between F/I ratios of 3 and 0.5, despite differences in digestion performance, suggesting that stable operation can be achieved at these ratios. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Expansion of donor-reactive host T cells in primary graft failure after allogeneic hematopoietic SCT following reduced-intensity conditioning.

Science.gov (United States)

Koyama, M; Hashimoto, D; Nagafuji, K; Eto, T; Ohno, Y; Aoyama, K; Iwasaki, H; Miyamoto, T; Hill, G R; Akashi, K; Teshima, T

2014-01-01

Graft rejection remains a major obstacle in allogeneic hematopoietic SCT following reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC-SCT), particularly after cord blood transplantation (CBT). In a murine MHC-mismatched model of RIC-SCT, primary graft rejection was associated with activation and expansion of donor-reactive host T cells in peripheral blood and BM early after SCT. Donor-derived dendritic cells are at least partly involved in host T-cell activation. We then evaluated if such an expansion of host T cells could be associated with graft rejection after RIC-CBT. Expansion of residual host lymphocytes was observed in 4/7 patients with graft rejection at 3 weeks after CBT, but in none of the 17 patients who achieved engraftment. These results suggest the crucial role of residual host T cells after RIC-SCT in graft rejection and expansion of host T cells could be a marker of graft rejection. Development of more efficient T cell-suppressive conditioning regimens may be necessary in the context of RIC-SCT.

Applying organizational behavior theory to primary care.

Science.gov (United States)

Mullangi, Samyukta; Saint, Sanjay

2017-03-01

Addressing the mounting primary care shortage in the United States has been a focus of educators and policy makers, especially with the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 and the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act in 2015, placing increased pressure on the system. The Association of American Medical Colleges recently projected a shortage of as many as 65,000 primary care physicians by 2025, in part because fewer than 20% of medical students are picking primary care for a career. We examined the issue of attracting medical students to primary care through the lens of organizational behavior theory. Assuming there are reasons other than lower income potential for why students are inclined against primary care, we applied various principles of the Herzberg 2-factor theory to reimagine the operational flow and design of primary care. We conclude by proposing several solutions to enrich the job, such as decreasing documentation requirements, reducing the emphasis on specialty consultations, and elevating physicians to a supervisory role.

Exploring the outcomes in studies of primary frozen shoulder

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rodgers, Sara; Brealey, Stephen; Jefferson, Laura

2014-01-01

PURPOSE: In our study we explored the need to define a core outcome set for primary frozen shoulder. METHODS: We investigated the outcomes used by studies included in a systematic review of the management of primary frozen shoulder; surveyed which primary outcome measures health care professionals...... and 104 respondents, respectively) were most often cited by health care professionals as the primary outcome measure that should be used. Searches identified one paper that included patients' views. Outcomes of importance to patients were pain at night, general pain, reduced mobility (resulting...

Proteasome inhibitors induce apoptosis and reduce viral replication in primary effusion lymphoma cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saji, Chiaki [Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812 (Japan); Higashi, Chizuka; Niinaka, Yasufumi [Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Chuoh-shi 409-3898 (Japan); Yamada, Koji [Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812 (Japan); Noguchi, Kohji [Faculty of Pharmacy, Keio University, 1-5-30 Shiba-koen, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8512 (Japan); Fujimuro, Masahiro, E-mail: fuji2@mb.kyoto-phu.ac.jp [Department of Cell Biology, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, Misasagi-Shichonocho 1, Yamashinaku, Kyoto 607-8412 (Japan)

2011-12-02

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Constitutive NF-{kappa}B signaling is essential for the survival and growth of PEL cells. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer NF-{kappa}B signaling is upregulated by the proteasome-dependent degradation of I{kappa}B{alpha}. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Proteasome inhibitors suppress NF-{kappa}B signaling and induce apoptosis in PEL cells through stabilization of I{kappa}B{alpha}. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Proteasome inhibitors suppress viral replication in PEL cells during lytic KSHV infection. -- Abstract: Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is an aggressive neoplasm caused by Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV). This study provides evidence that proteasomal activity is required for both survival of PEL cells stably harboring the KSHV genome and viral replication of KSHV. We evaluated the cytotoxic effects of proteasome inhibitors on PEL cells. The proteasome inhibitors MG132, lactacystin, and proteasome inhibitor I dramatically inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis of PEL cells through the accumulation of p21 and p27. Furthermore, proteasome inhibitors induced the stabilization of NF-{kappa}B inhibitory molecule (I{kappa}B{alpha}) and suppressed the transcriptional activity of NF-{kappa}B in PEL cells. The NF-{kappa}B specific inhibitor BAY11-7082 also induced apoptosis in PEL cells. The constitutive activation of NF-{kappa}B signaling is essential for the survival and growth of B cell lymphoma cells, including PEL cells. NF-{kappa}B signaling is upregulated by proteasome-dependent degradation of I{kappa}B{alpha}. The suppression of NF-{kappa}B signaling by proteasome inhibitors may contribute to the induction of apoptosis in PEL cells. In addition, proteasome activity is required for KSHV replication in KSHV latently infected PEL cells. MG132 reduced the production of progeny virus from PEL cells at low concentrations, which do not affect PEL cell growth. These findings suggest that proteasome

The Effect of Initial Inoculum Source on the Microbial Community Structure and Dynamics in Laboratory-Scale Sequencing Batch Reactors

KAUST Repository

Hernandez, Susana

2011-07-01

Understanding the factors that shapes the microbial community assembly in activated sludge wastewater treatment processes provide a conceptual foundation for improving process performance. The aim of this study was to compare two major theories (deterministic theory and neutral theory) regarding the assembly of microorganisms in activated sludge: Six lab-scale activated sludge sequencing batch reactors were inoculated with activated sludge collected from three different sources (domestic, industrial, and sugar industry WWTP). Additionally, two reactors were seeded with equal proportion of sludge from the three WWTPs. Duplicate reactors were used for each sludge source (i.e. domestic, industrial, sugar and mix). Reactors were operated in parallel for 11 weeks under identical conditions. Bacterial diversity and community structure in the eight SBRs were assessed by 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing. The 16S rRNA gene sequences were analyzed using taxonomic and clustering analysis and by measuring diversity indices (Shannon-weaver and Chao1 indices). Cluster analysis revealed that the microbial community structure was dynamic and that replicate reactors evolved differently. Also the microbial community structure in the SBRs seeded with a different sludge did not converge after 11 weeks of operation under identical conditions. These results suggest that history and distribution of taxa in the source inoculum were stronger regulating factors in shaping bacterial community structure than environmental factors. This supports the neutral theory which states that the assembly of the local microbial community from the metacommunity is random and is regulated by the size and diversity of the metacommunity. Furthermore, sludge performance, measured by COD and ammonia removal, confirmed that broad-scale functions (e.g. COD removal) are not influenced by dynamics in the microbial composition, while specific functions (e.g. nitrification) are more susceptible to these changes.

Reduced TCA flux in diabetic myotubes: A governing influence on the diabetic phenotype?

Science.gov (United States)

Gaster, Michael

2009-10-02

The diabetic phenotype is complex, requiring elucidation of key initiating defects. It is unknown whether the reduced tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) flux in skeletal muscle of obese and obese type 2 diabetic (T2D) subjects is of primary origin. Acetate oxidation (measurement of TCA-flux) was significantly reduced in primary myotube cultures established from T2D versus lean subjects. Acetate oxidation was acutely stimulated by insulin and respiratory uncoupling. Inhibition of TCA flux in lean myotubes by malonate was followed by a measured decline in; acetate oxidation, complete palmitate oxidation, lipid uptake, glycogen synthesis, ATP content and increased glucose uptake, while glucose oxidation was unaffected. Acute TCA inhibition did not induce insulin resistance. Thus the reduced TCA cycle flux in T2D skeletal muscle may be of primary origin. The diabetic phenotype of increased basal glucose uptake and glucose oxidation, the reduced complete lipid oxidation and increased respiratory quotient, are likely to be adaptive responses to the reduced TCA cycle flux.

Effects of Aerobic Training on Primary Dysmenorrhea Symptomatology in College Females.

Science.gov (United States)

Israel, Richard G.; And Others

1985-01-01

This study investigated the effects of a 12-week aerobic training program on menstrual distress symptoms in college females with clinically diagnosed primary dysmenorrhea. The findings suggest that aerobic training can significantly reduce the symptoms associated with primary dysmenorrhea. (Author/MT)

Primary prevention of colorectal cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Andrew T; Giovannucci, Edward L

2010-06-01

Colorectal cancer has been strongly associated with a Western lifestyle. In the past several decades, much has been learned about the dietary, lifestyle, and medication risk factors for this malignancy. Although there is controversy about the role of specific nutritional factors, consideration of dietary pattern as a whole appears useful for formulating recommendations. For example, several studies have shown that high intake of red and processed meats, highly refined grains and starches, and sugars is related to increased risk of colorectal cancer. Replacing these factors with poultry, fish, and plant sources as the primary source of protein; unsaturated fats as the primary source of fat; and unrefined grains, legumes and fruits as the primary source of carbohydrates is likely to lower risk of colorectal cancer. Although a role for supplements, including vitamin D, folate, and vitamin B6, remains uncertain, calcium supplementation is likely to be at least modestly beneficial. With respect to lifestyle, compelling evidence indicates that avoidance of smoking and heavy alcohol use, prevention of weight gain, and maintenance of a reasonable level of physical activity are associated with markedly lower risks of colorectal cancer. Medications such as aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and postmenopausal hormones for women are associated with substantial reductions in colorectal cancer risk, though their utility is affected by associated risks. Taken together, modifications in diet and lifestyle should substantially reduce the risk of colorectal cancer and could complement screening in reducing colorectal cancer incidence.

Reducing High-Users' Visits to the Emergency Department by a Primary Care Intervention for the Uninsured: A Retrospective Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Meng-Han; Xirasagar, Sudha; Carroll, Scott; Bryan, Charles S; Gallagher, Pamela J; Davis, Kim; Jauch, Edward C

2018-01-01

Reducing avoidable emergency department (ED) visits is an important health system goal. This is a retrospective cohort study of the impact of a primary care intervention including an in-hospital, free, adult clinic for poor uninsured patients on ED visit rates and emergency severity at a nonprofit hospital. We studied adult ED visits during August 16, 2009-August 15, 2011 (preintervention) and August 16, 2011-August 15, 2014 (postintervention). We compared pre- versus post-mean annual visit rates and discharge emergency severity index (ESI; triage and resource use-based, calculated Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality categories) among high-users (≥3 ED visits in 12 months) and occasional users. Annual adult ED visit volumes were 16 372 preintervention (47.5% by high-users), versus 18 496 postintervention. High-users' mean annual visit rates were 5.43 (top quartile) and 0.94 (bottom quartile) preintervention, versus 3.21 and 1.11, respectively, for returning high-users, postintervention (all P users were lower (lowest and top quartile rates, 0.6 and 3.23) than preintervention high-users' rates in the preintervention period. Visit rates of the top quartile of occasional users also declined. Subgroup analysis of medically uninsured high-users showed similar results. Upon classifying preintervention high-users by emergency severity, postintervention mean ESI increased 24.5% among the lowest ESI quartile, and decreased 12.2% among the top quartile. Pre- and post-intervention sample demographics and comorbidities were similar. The observed reductions in overall ED visit rates, particularly low-severity visits; highest reductions observed among high-users and the top quartile of occasional users; and the pattern of changes in emergency severity support a positive impact of the primary care intervention.

Reducing High-Users’ Visits to the Emergency Department by a Primary Care Intervention for the Uninsured: A Retrospective Study

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Meng-Han; Xirasagar, Sudha; Carroll, Scott; Bryan, Charles S.; Gallagher, Pamela J.; Davis, Kim; Jauch, Edward C.

2018-01-01

Reducing avoidable emergency department (ED) visits is an important health system goal. This is a retrospective cohort study of the impact of a primary care intervention including an in-hospital, free, adult clinic for poor uninsured patients on ED visit rates and emergency severity at a nonprofit hospital. We studied adult ED visits during August 16, 2009-August 15, 2011 (preintervention) and August 16, 2011-August 15, 2014 (postintervention). We compared pre- versus post-mean annual visit rates and discharge emergency severity index (ESI; triage and resource use–based, calculated Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality categories) among high-users (≥3 ED visits in 12 months) and occasional users. Annual adult ED visit volumes were 16 372 preintervention (47.5% by high-users), versus 18 496 postintervention. High-users’ mean annual visit rates were 5.43 (top quartile) and 0.94 (bottom quartile) preintervention, versus 3.21 and 1.11, respectively, for returning high-users, postintervention (all P users were lower (lowest and top quartile rates, 0.6 and 3.23) than preintervention high-users’ rates in the preintervention period. Visit rates of the top quartile of occasional users also declined. Subgroup analysis of medically uninsured high-users showed similar results. Upon classifying preintervention high-users by emergency severity, postintervention mean ESI increased 24.5% among the lowest ESI quartile, and decreased 12.2% among the top quartile. Pre- and post-intervention sample demographics and comorbidities were similar. The observed reductions in overall ED visit rates, particularly low-severity visits; highest reductions observed among high-users and the top quartile of occasional users; and the pattern of changes in emergency severity support a positive impact of the primary care intervention. PMID:29591539

Seed coating with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi as an ecotechnologicalapproach for sustainable agricultural production of common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveira, Rui S; Rocha, Inês; Ma, Ying; Vosátka, Miroslav; Freitas, Helena

2016-01-01

The exploitation of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi has become of great interest in agriculture due to their potential roles in reducing the need for agrochemicals, while improving plant growth and nutrition. Nevertheless, the application of AM fungi by dispersing inocula in granular form to open agricultural fields is not feasible because nontargeted spreading of inocula over large surface areas results in high cost per plant. Seed coating has the potential to significantly reduce the amount of inoculum needed, resulting in cost reduction and increased efficiency. The aim of this study was to assess whether seed coating with AM fungal inoculum is a feasible delivery system for production of common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Wheat seeds were coated with inoculum of Rhizophagus irregularis BEG140 and grown under different fertilization conditions: (1) none, (2) partial, or (3) complete. Data indicated that mycorrhizal inoculation via seed coating significantly increased the dry weight of shoot and seed spikes of wheat associated with reduced fertilization. Assessment of nutritional status of wheat showed that plants inoculated with R. irregularis via seed coating displayed enhanced stem concentrations of potassium (K), sulfur (S), and zinc (Zn). There were no significant differences in root colonization between plants conventionally inoculated with R. irregularis in soil and those inoculated via seed coating. Seed coating with AM fungi may be as effective as conventional soil inoculation and may contribute to reduce the utilization of chemical fertilizers. The application of AM via seed coating is proposed as an ecotechnological approach for sustainable agricultural wheat production.

Sharing a Host Plant (Wheat [Triticum aestivum]) Increases the Fitness of Fusarium graminearum and the Severity of Fusarium Head Blight but Reduces the Fitness of Grain Aphids (Sitobion avenae)

Science.gov (United States)

Drakulic, Jassy; Caulfield, John; Woodcock, Christine; Jones, Stephen P. T.; Linforth, Robert; Bruce, Toby J. A.

2015-01-01

We hypothesized that interactions between fusarium head blight-causing pathogens and herbivores are likely to occur because they share wheat as a host plant. Our aim was to investigate the interactions between the grain aphid, Sitobion avenae, and Fusarium graminearum on wheat ears and the role that host volatile chemicals play in mediating interactions. Wheat ears were treated with aphids and F. graminearum inoculum, together or separately, and disease progress was monitored by visual assessment and by quantification of pathogen DNA and mycotoxins. Plants exposed to both aphids and F. graminearum inoculum showed accelerated disease progression, with a 2-fold increase in disease severity and 5-fold increase in mycotoxin accumulation over those of plants treated only with F. graminearum. Furthermore, the longer the period of aphid colonization of the host prior to inoculation with F. graminearum, the greater the amount of pathogen DNA that accumulated. Headspace samples of plant volatiles were collected for use in aphid olfactometer assays and were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and GC-coupled electroantennography. Disease-induced plant volatiles were repellent to aphids, and 2-pentadecanone was the key semiochemical underpinning the repellent effect. We measured aphid survival and fecundity on infected wheat ears and found that both were markedly reduced on infected ears. Thus, interactions between F. graminearum and grain aphids on wheat ears benefit the pathogen at the expense of the pest. Our findings have important consequences for disease epidemiology, because we show increased spread and development of host disease, together with greater disease severity and greater accumulation of pathogen DNA and mycotoxin, when aphids are present. PMID:25769834

Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 supplementation reduces gastrointestinal dysfunction in an animal model of IBS

OpenAIRE

Brun, Paola; Scarpa, Melania; Marchiori, Chiara; Sarasin, Gloria; Caputi, Valentina; Porzionato, Andrea; Giron, Maria Cecilia; Palù, Giorgio; Castagliuolo, Ignazio

2017-01-01

Background We evaluated the effect of Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 on intestinal neuromuscular anomalies in an IBS-type mouse model of gastrointestinal motor dysfunctions elicited by Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 (HSV-1) exposure. Methods Mice were inoculated intranasally with HSV-1 (102 PFU) or vehicle at time 0 and 4 weeks later by the intragastric (IG) route (108 PFU). Six weeks after IG inoculum, mice were randomly allocated to receive oral gavage with either S. boulardii (107 CFU/day...

Evaluating Active Interventions to Reduce Student Procrastination

OpenAIRE

Martin, Joshua Deckert

2015-01-01

Procrastination is a pervasive problem in education. In computer science, procrastination and lack of necessary time management skills to complete programming projects are viewed as primary causes of student attrition. The most effective techniques known to reduce procrastination are resource-intensive and do not scale well to large classrooms. In this thesis, we examine three course interventions designed to both reduce procrastination and be scalable for large classrooms. Reflective writ...

Primary and Secondary Variants of Psychopathy in a Volunteer Sample Are Associated With Different Neurocognitive Mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Sethi, Arjun; McCrory, Eamon; Puetz, Vanessa; Hoffmann, Ferdinand; Knodt, Annchen R; Radtke, Spenser R; Brigidi, Bartholomew D; Hariri, Ahmad R; Viding, Essi

2018-04-12

Recent work has indicated that there at least two distinct subtypes of psychopathy. Primary psychopathy is characterized by low anxiety and thought to result from a genetic predisposition, whereas secondary psychopathy is characterized by high anxiety and thought to develop in response to environmental adversity. Primary psychopathy is robustly associated with reduced neural activation to others' emotions and, in particular, distress. However, it has been proposed that the secondary presentation has different neurocognitive correlates. Primary (n = 50), secondary (n = 100), and comparison (n = 82) groups were drawn from a large volunteer sample (N = 1444) using a quartile-split approach across psychopathic trait (affective-interpersonal) and anxiety measures. Participants performed a widely utilized emotional face processing task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. The primary group showed reduced amygdala and insula activity in response to fear. The secondary group did not differ from the comparison group in these regions. Instead, the secondary group showed reduced activity compared with the comparison group in other areas, including the superior temporal sulcus/inferior parietal lobe, thalamus, pallidum, and substantia nigra. Both psychopathy groups also showed reduced activity in response to fear in the anterior cingulate cortex. During anger processing, the secondary group exhibited reduced activity in the anterior cingulate cortex compared with the primary group. Distinct neural correlates of fear processing characterize individuals with primary and secondary psychopathy. The reduced neural response to fear that characterizes individuals with the primary variant of psychopathic traits is not observed in individuals with the secondary presentation. The neurocognitive mechanisms underpinning secondary psychopathy warrant further systematic investigation. Copyright © 2018 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights

Primary thyroid lymphoma: CT findings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Hyo-Cheol; Han, Moon Hee E-mail: hanmh@radcom.snu.ac.kr; Kim, Keon Ha; Jae, Hwan Jun; Lee, Sang Hyun; Kim, Sam Soo; Kim, Kwang Hyun; Chang, Kee-Hyun

2003-06-01

Introduction: To evaluate the computed tomographic (CT) findings of primary thyroid lymphoma. Methods and material: The clinicopathological data and CT images of nine patients with primary thyroid lymphoma were retrospectively reviewed. The CT appearances were classified into three types: type 1, a solitary nodule surrounded by normal thyroid tissue; type 2, multiple nodules in the thyroid, and type 3, a homogeneously enlarged both thyroid glands with a reduced attenuation with or without peripheral thin hyperattenuating thyroid tissue. Results: All patients had a rapidly enlarging thyroid mass and coexistent Hashimoto's thyroiditis. One patient showed type 1 pattern, three type 2, and five type 3. Six patients had homogeneous tumor isoattenuating to surrounding muscles. The tumors had a strong tendency to compress normal remnant thyroid and the surrounding structure without invasion. Conclusion: Primary thyroid lymphoma should be included in the differential diagnosis when old female had a homogeneous thyroidal mass isoattenuating to muscles, which does not invade surrounding structures.

Comparison of depression symptoms between primary depression and secondary-to-schizophrenia depression.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahim, Twana; Rashid, Roshe

2017-11-01

This study exclusively aimed to clinically assess which symptom pattern discriminates primary depression from depression-secondary to-schizophrenia. A total of 98 patients with primary depression and 71 patients with secondary-to-schizophrenia depression were assessed for identifying the clinical phenomena of depression. Diagnosis of schizophrenia was confirmed by Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Each participant was, however, assessed by Patient Health Questionnaire-9 as well as Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS) for possible concurrent depressive symptoms. Depressed mood, loss of interest, reduced energy and pathological guilt were more common in primary depression, whereas sleep disturbance and guilty ideas of reference were more amounting towards the diagnosis of depression secondary-to-schizophrenia. It is clinically hard to differentiate primary from secondary-to-schizophrenia depression, especially in the absence of obvious psychotic symptoms. However, the classical symptoms of depression like subjective depressed mood, anhedonia, reduced energy and pathological guilt are more prominent in the primary depression.

Reducing children's classroom sitting time using sit-to-stand desks: findings from pilot studies in UK and Australian primary schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Clemes, Stacy A; Barber, Sally E; Bingham, Daniel D; Ridgers, Nicola D; Fletcher, Elly; Pearson, Natalie; Salmon, Jo; Dunstan, David W

2016-09-01

This research examined the influence of sit-to-stand desks on classroom sitting time in primary school children. Pilot controlled trials with similar intervention strategies were conducted in primary schools in Melbourne, Australia, and Bradford, UK. Sit-to-stand desks replaced all standard desks in the Australian intervention classroom. Six sit-to-stand desks replaced a bank of standard desks in the UK intervention classroom. Children were exposed to the sit-to-stand desks for 9-10 weeks. Control classrooms retained their normal seated desks. Classroom sitting time was measured at baseline and follow-up using the activPAL3 inclinometer. Thirty UK and 44 Australian children provided valid activPAL data at baseline and follow-up. The proportion of time spent sitting in class decreased significantly at follow-up in both intervention groups (UK: -9.8 ± 16.5% [-52.4 ± 66.6 min/day]; Australian: -9.4 ± 10% [-43.7 ± 29.9 min/day]). No significant changes in classroom sitting time were observed in the UK control group, while a significant reduction was observed in the Australian control group (-5.9 ± 11.7% [-28.2 ± 28.3 min/day]). Irrespective of implementation, incorporating sit-to-stand desks into classrooms appears to be an effective way of reducing classroom sitting in this diverse sample of children. Longer term efficacy trials are needed to determine effects on children's health and learning. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Water quality control device and water quality control method for reactor primary coolant system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wada, Yoichi; Ibe, Eishi; Watanabe, Atsushi.

1995-01-01

The present invention is suitable for preventing defects due to corrosion of structural materials in a primary coolant system of a BWR type reactor. Namely, a concentration measuring means measures the concentration of oxidative ingredients contained in a reactor water. A reducing electrode is disposed along a reactor water flow channel in the primary coolant system and reduces the oxidative ingredients. A reducing counter electrode is disposed along the reactor water flow channel in the primary coolant system, and electrically connected to the reducing electrode. The reactor structural materials are used as a reference electrode providing a reference potential to the reducing electrode and the reducing counter electrode. A potential control means controls the potential of the reducing electrode relative to the reference potential based on the signals from the concentration measuring means. A stable reference potential in a region where an effective oxygen concentration is stable can be obtained irrespective of the change of operation conditions by using the reactor structural materials disposed to a boiling region in the reactor core as a reference electrode. As a result, the water quality can be controlled at high accuracy. (I.S.)

Reduced TCA Flux in Diabetic Myotubes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gaster, Michael

2012-01-01

The diabetic phenotype is complex, requiring elucidation of key initiating defects. Diabetic myotubes express a primary reduced tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle flux but at present it is unclear in which part of the TCA cycle the defect is localised. In order to localise the defect we studied ATP p...... production of investigated substrate combinations was significantly reduced in mitochondria isolated from type 2 diabetic subjects compared to lean. However, when ATP synthesis rates at different substrate combinations were normalized to the corresponding individual pyruvate-malate rate...

Primary water chemistry for NPP with VVER-TOI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Susakin, S.N.; Brykov, S.I.; Zadonsky, N.V.; Bystrova, O.S.

2012-09-01

with proportioning of gaseous hydrogen does not need changes in the primary water chemistry parameters. The important purpose of improving the primary water chemistry of VVER-TOI is the enhancing of operational reliability of the primary equipment and the core, as well as reducing the dose commitments related to accumulation of activated corrosion products and reducing the amount of the generated radioactive processing waste. Due to the above-mentioned, the design of VVER-TOI reactor provides for proportioning of the reagent with zinc ions, depleted in zinc-64 isotope, into the primary coolant for reducing the intensity of the processes of rise in deposits on the heat exchange surfaces and of accumulation of activated corrosion products on the primary equipment surfaces under power operation. (authors)

Investigating mechanisms of alkalinization for reducing primary breast tumor invasion.

Science.gov (United States)

Robey, Ian F; Nesbit, Lance A

2013-01-01

The extracellular pH (pHe) of many solid tumors is acidic as a result of glycolytic metabolism and poor perfusion. Acidity promotes invasion and enhances metastatic potential. Tumor acidity can be buffered by systemic administration of an alkaline agent such as sodium bicarbonate. Tumor-bearing mice maintained on sodium bicarbonate drinking water exhibit fewer metastases and survive longer than untreated controls. We predict this effect is due to inhibition of tumor invasion. Reducing tumor invasion should result in fewer circulating tumor cells (CTCs). We report that bicarbonate-treated MDA-MB-231 tumor-bearing mice exhibited significantly lower numbers of CTCs than untreated mice (P cancer where systemic alkalinization slows the rate of invasion.

Long-term use of hydroxychloroquine reduces antiphospholipid antibodies levels in patients with primary antiphospholipid syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Nuri, Entela; Taraborelli, Mara; Andreoli, Laura; Tonello, Marta; Gerosa, Maria; Calligaro, Antonia; Argolini, Lorenza Maria; Kumar, Rajesh; Pengo, Vittorio; Meroni, Pier Luigi; Ruffatti, Amelia; Tincani, Angela

2017-02-01

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) was suggested to play a role in lowering antiphospholipid antibody titers and preventing thrombotic recurrences in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, but few data are available in patients with primary antiphospholipid syndrome (PAPS). In this retrospective, propensity score-matched cohort study, we evaluated the impact of HCQ on aPL titers and the incidence of thrombotic events in 57 exposed patients compared to 57 not exposed patients. These were matched for sex/type of disease onset/follow-up duration, age at the beginning of the follow-up ±10 years and initial date of the follow-up ±5 years. At baseline, no significant differences in demographical, clinical and serological features were observed between the two groups except for positive anti-extractable nuclear antigen antibodies (21 % in HCQ exposed vs 0 % in HCQ not exposed, P = 0.001). Both the levels of IgG anti-cardiolipin and IgG/IgM anti-β2-glycoprotein I (anti-β2GPI) were significantly reduced at end of follow-up compared to the baseline in HCQ-exposed patients, while there were no differences in the other group. Moreover, anti-β2GPI IgG titers were significantly decreased when the end of follow-up was compared between the two groups (P < 0.002). Among patients with a history of thrombosis, the annual incidence of recurrence was 1.16 % in HCQ exposed and 1.71 % in not exposed patients, with a significant reduction in the incidence of arterial events (0 vs 1.14 %). This study shows a strong reduction in aPL titers together with an apparent decrease in the incidence of arterial thrombosis recurrence in PAPS patients treated with HCQ.

Cardiac autonomic control in adolescents with primary hypertension

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Havlíceková Z

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Impairment in cardiovascular autonomic regulation participates in the onset and maintenance of primary hypertension. Objective The aim of the present study was to evaluate cardiac autonomic control using long-term heart rate variability (HRV analysis in adolescents with primary hypertension. Subjects and methods Twenty two adolescent patients with primary hypertension (5 girls/17 boys aged 14-19 years and 22 healthy subjects matched for age and gender were enrolled. Two periods from 24-hour ECG recording were evaluated by HRV analysis: awake state and sleep. HRV analysis included spectral power in low frequency band (LF, in high frequency band (HF, and LF/HF ratio. Results In awake state, adolescents with primary hypertension had lower HF and higher LF and LF/HF ratio. During sleep, HF was lower and LF/HF ratio was higher in patients with primary hypertension. Conclusions A combination of sympathetic predominance and reduced vagal activity might represent a potential link between psychosocial factors and primary hypertension, associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity.

Health technology assessment and primary data collection for reducing uncertainty in decision making.

Science.gov (United States)

Goeree, Ron; Levin, Les; Chandra, Kiran; Bowen, James M; Blackhouse, Gord; Tarride, Jean-Eric; Burke, Natasha; Bischof, Matthias; Xie, Feng; O'Reilly, Daria

2009-05-01

Health care expenditures continue to escalate, and pressures for increased spending will continue. Health care decision makers from publicly financed systems, private insurance companies, or even from individual health care institutions, will continue to be faced with making difficult purchasing, access, and reimbursement decisions. As a result, decision makers are increasingly turning to evidence-based platforms to help control costs and make the most efficient use of existing resources. Most tools used to assist with evidence-based decision making focus on clinical outcomes. Health technology assessment (HTA) is increasing in popularity because it also considers other factors important for decision making, such as cost, social and ethical values, legal issues, and factors such as the feasibility of implementation. In some jurisdictions, HTAs have also been supplemented with primary data collection to help address uncertainty that may still exist after conducting a traditional HTA. The HTA process adopted in Ontario, Canada, is unique in that assessments are also made to determine what primary data research should be conducted and what should be collected in these studies. In this article, concerns with the traditional HTA process are discussed, followed by a description of the HTA process that has been established in Ontario, with a particular focus on the data collection program followed by the Programs for Assessment of Technology in Health Research Institute. An illustrative example is used to show how the Ontario HTA process works and the role value of information analyses plays in addressing decision uncertainty, determining research feasibility, and determining study data collection needs.

A Meta-Analysis of Interventions to Reduce Adolescent Cannabis Use

Science.gov (United States)

Bender, Kimberly; Tripodi, Stephen J.; Sarteschi, Christy; Vaughn, Michael G.

2011-01-01

Objective: This meta-analytic review assesses the effectiveness of substance abuse interventions to reduce adolescent cannabis use. Method: A systematic search identified 15 randomized controlled evaluations of interventions to reduce adolescent cannabis use published between 1960 and 2008. The primary outcome variables, frequency of cannabis use,…

Primary energy and greenhouse gas implications of increasing biomass production through forest fertilization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sathre, Roger [Ecotechnology, Mid Sweden University, Ostersund (Sweden); Gustavsson, Leif [Ecotechnology, Mid Sweden University, Ostersund (Sweden); Bergh, Johan [Ecotechnology, Mid Sweden University, Ostersund (Sweden); Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp (Sweden)

2010-04-15

In this study we analyze the primary energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) implications of increasing biomass production by fertilizing 10% of Swedish forest land. We estimate the primary energy use and GHG emissions from forest management including production and application of N and NPK fertilizers. Based on modelled growth response, we then estimate the net primary energy and GHG benefits of using biomaterials and biofuels obtained from the increased forest biomass production. The results show an increased annual biomass harvest of 7.4 million t dry matter, of which 41% is large-diameter stemwood. About 6.9 PJ/year of additional primary energy input is needed for fertilizer production and forest management. Using the additional biomass for fuel and material substitution can reduce fossil primary energy use by 150 or 164 PJ/year if the reference fossil fuel is fossil gas or coal, respectively. About 22% of the reduced fossil energy use is due to material substitution and the remainder is due to fuel substitution. The net annual primary energy benefit corresponds to about 7% of Sweden's total primary energy use. The resulting annual net GHG emission reduction is 11.9 million or 18.1 million tCO{sub 2equiv} if the reference fossil fuel is fossil gas or coal, respectively, corresponding to 18% or 28% of the total Swedish GHG emissions in 2007. A significant one-time carbon stock increase also occurs in wood products and forest tree biomass. These results suggest that forest fertilization is an attractive option for increasing energy security and reducing net GHG emission.

Primary energy and greenhouse gas implications of increasing biomass production through forest fertilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sathre, Roger; Gustavsson, Leif; Bergh, Johan

2010-01-01

In this study we analyze the primary energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) implications of increasing biomass production by fertilizing 10% of Swedish forest land. We estimate the primary energy use and GHG emissions from forest management including production and application of N and NPK fertilizers. Based on modelled growth response, we then estimate the net primary energy and GHG benefits of using biomaterials and biofuels obtained from the increased forest biomass production. The results show an increased annual biomass harvest of 7.4 million t dry matter, of which 41% is large-diameter stemwood. About 6.9 PJ/year of additional primary energy input is needed for fertilizer production and forest management. Using the additional biomass for fuel and material substitution can reduce fossil primary energy use by 150 or 164 PJ/year if the reference fossil fuel is fossil gas or coal, respectively. About 22% of the reduced fossil energy use is due to material substitution and the remainder is due to fuel substitution. The net annual primary energy benefit corresponds to about 7% of Sweden's total primary energy use. The resulting annual net GHG emission reduction is 11.9 million or 18.1 million tCO 2equiv if the reference fossil fuel is fossil gas or coal, respectively, corresponding to 18% or 28% of the total Swedish GHG emissions in 2007. A significant one-time carbon stock increase also occurs in wood products and forest tree biomass. These results suggest that forest fertilization is an attractive option for increasing energy security and reducing net GHG emission.

Primary energy and greenhouse gas implications of increasing biomass production through forest fertilization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sathre, Roger; Gustavsson, Leif [Ecotechnology, Mid Sweden University, Oestersund (Sweden); Bergh, Johan [Ecotechnology, Mid Sweden University, Oestersund (Sweden); Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp (Sweden)

2010-04-15

In this study we analyze the primary energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) implications of increasing biomass production by fertilizing 10% of Swedish forest land. We estimate the primary energy use and GHG emissions from forest management including production and application of N and NPK fertilizers. Based on modelled growth response, we then estimate the net primary energy and GHG benefits of using biomaterials and biofuels obtained from the increased forest biomass production. The results show an increased annual biomass harvest of 7.4 million t dry matter, of which 41% is large-diameter stemwood. About 6.9 PJ/year of additional primary energy input is needed for fertilizer production and forest management. Using the additional biomass for fuel and material substitution can reduce fossil primary energy use by 150 or 164 PJ/year if the reference fossil fuel is fossil gas or coal, respectively. About 22% of the reduced fossil energy use is due to material substitution and the remainder is due to fuel substitution. The net annual primary energy benefit corresponds to about 7% of Sweden's total primary energy use. The resulting annual net GHG emission reduction is 11.9 million or 18.1 million tCO{sub 2equiv} if the reference fossil fuel is fossil gas or coal, respectively, corresponding to 18% or 28% of the total Swedish GHG emissions in 2007. A significant one-time carbon stock increase also occurs in wood products and forest tree biomass. These results suggest that forest fertilization is an attractive option for increasing energy security and reducing net GHG emission. (author)

Dynamic gamma camera scintigraphy in primary hypoovarism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peshev, N.; Mladenov, B.; Topalov, I.; Tsanev, Ts.

1988-01-01

Twenty-seven patients with primary hypoovarism and 10 controls were examined. After intravenous injection of 111 to 175 MBq 99m Tc pertechnetate, dynamic gamma camera scintigraphy for 15 minutes was carried out. In the patients with primary amenorrhea no functioning ovarial tissue was visualized or the ovaries were diminished in size, strongly reduced and non-homogenous accumulation of the radionuclide with unclear and uneven delineation were observed. In the patients with primary infertility, the gamma camera investigation gave information not only about the presence of ovarial parenchyma, but about the extent of the inflammatory process, too. In the patients after surgical intervention, the dynamic radioisotope investigation gave information about the volume and the site of the surgical intervention, as well as about the conditions of the residual parenchyma

Development of Functional Microfold (M Cells from Intestinal Stem Cells in Primary Human Enteroids.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joshua D Rouch

Full Text Available Intestinal microfold (M cells are specialized epithelial cells that act as gatekeepers of luminal antigens in the intestinal tract. They play a critical role in the intestinal mucosal immune response through transport of viruses, bacteria and other particles and antigens across the epithelium to immune cells within Peyer's patch regions and other mucosal sites. Recent studies in mice have demonstrated that M cells are generated from Lgr5+ intestinal stem cells (ISCs, and that infection with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium increases M cell formation. However, it is not known whether and how these findings apply to primary human small intestinal epithelium propagated in an in vitro setting.Human intestinal crypts were grown as monolayers with growth factors and treated with recombinant RANKL, and assessed for mRNA transcripts, immunofluorescence and uptake of microparticles and S. Typhimurium.Functional M cells were generated by short-term culture of freshly isolated human intestinal crypts in a dose- and time-dependent fashion. RANKL stimulation of the monolayer cultures caused dramatic induction of the M cell-specific markers, SPIB, and Glycoprotein-2 (GP2 in a process primed by canonical WNT signaling. Confocal microscopy demonstrated a pseudopod phenotype of GP2-positive M cells that preferentially take up microparticles. Furthermore, infection of the M cell-enriched cultures with the M cell-tropic enteric pathogen, S. Typhimurium, led to preferential association of the bacteria with M cells, particularly at lower inoculum sizes. Larger inocula caused rapid induction of M cells.Human intestinal crypts containing ISCs can be cultured and differentiate into an epithelial layer with functional M cells with characteristic morphological and functional properties. This study is the first to demonstrate that M cells can be induced to form from primary human intestinal epithelium, and that S. Typhimurium preferentially infect these cells in an

Soil amendments improve microbial ecology parameters of "topsoil inoculum" used in post-mining restoration

Science.gov (United States)

Kumaresan, Deepak; Munoz-Rojas, Miriam; Moreira-Grez, Benjamin; Kariman, Khalil; Whiteley, Andrew

2017-04-01

Mine operations generate substantial volumes of waste substrates, which are crushed and/or chemically treated waste rock from which ores are extracted. Establishment of rehabilitated landforms using post-mining substrates (i.e. waste rocks, tailings) that typically exhibit extreme conditions (such as high pH, nutrient deficiency, excessive salinity and metal toxicity) can be a major environmental problem and a critical issue during mine closure operations. More importantly, mine sites are located predominantly in arid or semi-arid lands where our understanding of basic ecosystem processes and microbial interactions with native plants (e.g. Eucalyptus spp., Acacia spp., Grevillea spp. in Western Australia) are limited. Despite the wide acknowledgement on the impact of microbial functional diversity on overall soil and plant health, no detailed attention has been paid to understand the role of belowground microbial functional diversity in the context of mine rehabilitation strategies. In this research, we investigated the role of nitrogen-based and microbial consortia amendments on improving the microbial ecology parameters of "topsoil inoculum" and subsequently its cascading effect on seedling establishment and plant morphology of Acacia ancistrocarpa, a legume native to the Pilbara and other regions of Western Australia and commonly used in arid zone restoration. The study was conducted under controlled environmental conditions in potted plants using topsoil retrieved from previously stockpiled material as growth media. A morphological assessment was undertaken to measure shoot length, shoot weight, root length, root area and root weight. Soil chemical properties, e.g. carbon, nitrogen and trace metals concentrations were determined Microbial activity was measured with the 1-day CO2 test, which determines soil microbial respiration rate based on the measurement of the CO2 burst produced after moistening dry soil (Muñoz-Rojas et al., 2016). Bacterial and archaeal

Mindfulness Meditation for Primary Headache Pain: A Meta-Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qiang Gu

2018-01-01

Conclusions: Mindfulness meditation may reduce pain intensity and is a promising treatment option for patients. Clinicians may consider mindfulness meditation as a viable complementary and alternative medical option for primary headache.

[Reducing stress levels and anxiety in primary-care physicians through training and practice of a mindfulness meditation technique].

Science.gov (United States)

Franco Justo, Clemente

2010-11-01

To check the effectiveness of a mindfulness development meditation technique on stress and anxiety in a group of primary-care physicians. Quasi-experimental with pretest/posttest/follow-up measurements in a control group and an experimental group. SITE: University of Almeria. 38 primary-care physicians enrolled in a Teaching Aptitude Course (CAP). An experimental group and a control group were formed with 19 participants in each. The experimental group took a psycho-educational meditation program for training and practice in mindfulness. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Strain Questionnaire and the State-Trait Anxiety Questionnaire were used to measure stress and anxiety levels. A comparative statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney non-parametric U test, finding a significant reduction in all the primary-care physician stress and anxiety variables in the experimental group compared to the control group in pretest-posttest and follow-up tests. The results of this study support the effectiveness of mindfulness development meditation techniques in decreasing stress and anxiety in primary-care physicians. Nevertheless, the study shows various limitations that would have to be corrected in successive studies to bring more validity to the results. Copyright © 2009 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Importance of Bacterial Replication and Alveolar Macrophage-Independent Clearance Mechanisms during Early Lung Infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae

Science.gov (United States)

Camberlein, Emilie; Cohen, Jonathan M.; José, Ricardo; Hyams, Catherine J.; Callard, Robin; Chimalapati, Suneeta; Yuste, Jose; Edwards, Lindsey A.; Marshall, Helina; van Rooijen, Nico; Noursadeghi, Mahdad

2015-01-01

Although the importance of alveolar macrophages for host immunity during early Streptococcus pneumoniae lung infection is well established, the contribution and relative importance of other innate immunity mechanisms and of bacterial factors are less clear. We have used a murine model of S. pneumoniae early lung infection with wild-type, unencapsulated, and para-amino benzoic acid auxotroph mutant TIGR4 strains to assess the effects of inoculum size, bacterial replication, capsule, and alveolar macrophage-dependent and -independent clearance mechanisms on bacterial persistence within the lungs. Alveolar macrophage-dependent and -independent (calculated indirectly) clearance half-lives and bacterial replication doubling times were estimated using a mathematical model. In this model, after infection with a high-dose inoculum of encapsulated S. pneumoniae, alveolar macrophage-independent clearance mechanisms were dominant, with a clearance half-life of 24 min compared to 135 min for alveolar macrophage-dependent clearance. In addition, after a high-dose inoculum, successful lung infection required rapid bacterial replication, with an estimated S. pneumoniae doubling time of 16 min. The capsule had wide effects on early lung clearance mechanisms, with reduced half-lives of 14 min for alveolar macrophage-independent and 31 min for alveolar macrophage-dependent clearance of unencapsulated bacteria. In contrast, with a lower-dose inoculum, the bacterial doubling time increased to 56 min and the S. pneumoniae alveolar macrophage-dependent clearance half-life improved to 42 min and was largely unaffected by the capsule. These data demonstrate the large effects of bacterial factors (inoculum size, the capsule, and rapid replication) and alveolar macrophage-independent clearance mechanisms during early lung infection with S. pneumoniae. PMID:25583525

Primary orbital precursor T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stenman, Lisa; Persson, Marta; Enlund, Fredrik

2016-01-01

Primary T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL) in the eye region is very rare. The present study described a unique case of T-LBL involving the extraocular muscles. A 22-year-old male patient presented with a 3-week history of headache, reduced visual acuity and edema of the left eye. Clinical...... knowledge, this is the first report of a case of T-LBL involving the extraocular muscles. Although primary T-LBL in the eye region is very rare, our findings demonstrate that lymphoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with similar symptoms....

Improvement of lipase production from Geotrichum sp. in shaken flasks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maldonadoa Resende Rafael

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This work is focused on the study of different variables on inoculum build-up aiming to improve the lipase production by Geotrichum sp. by means a sequential strategy of experimental design. The effects of inoculum size, corn steep liquor concentration, volume of inoculum, pH of medium, age of inoculum and soybean oil concentration on lipase activity were assessed by means of two factorial experimental designs. A maximum lipase activity of 35.20±0.8 U/mL was obtained with a inoculum composed of one circular area of 0.78cm2 containing spores, 50 mL of inoculum volume medium, 12 hours of inoculum age, 15% w/v of corn steep liquor concentration, 1.0%w/v of soybean oil concentration and initial pH 5.0 at 30°C and 150 rpm in flasks. This work showed that an enhancement of lipase activity can be obtained using a sequential statistical factorial approach to define the variables for inoculum build-up.

Synthesis of 1-primary alkylamino-o-carboranes by reduction of 1-primary alkylnitro-o-carboranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zakharkin, L.I.; Ol'shevskaya, V.A.; Vinogradova, L.E.

1999-01-01

By action of 1-sodium-o-carboranes in liquid ammonia on α,β-unsaturated nitro compounds an easy addition of 1-sodium-o-carboranes to 1-4 positions of α,β-unsaturated nitro compounds is observed resulting in o-carborane nitro derivatives. Primary alkylamino-o-carboranes isolated as a hydrochlorides have been prepared by reducing some o-carborane nitro derivatives with LiAlH 4 in ether solutions [ru

Pupillary Responses to Full-Field Chromatic Stimuli Are Reduced in Patients with Early-Stage Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Najjar, Raymond P; Sharma, Sourabh; Atalay, Eray; Rukmini, Annadata V; Sun, Christopher; Lock, Jing Zhan; Baskaran, Mani; Perera, Shamira A; Husain, Rahat; Lamoureux, Ecosse; Gooley, Joshua J; Aung, Tin; Milea, Dan

2018-03-21

To evaluate the ability of chromatic pupillometry to reveal abnormal pupillary responses to light in patients with early-stage primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and to test whether the degree of pupillometric impairment correlates with structural hallmarks of optic nerve damage in the disease. Cross-sectional study. Forty-six patients with early-stage POAG (63.4±8.3 years, 63% male, 87% ethnic-Chinese) and 90 age-matched healthy controls (61.4±8.6 years, 34% male, 89% ethnic-Chinese). Patients with POAG had a visual field mean deviation (VFMD) of -6 decibels or better on automated perimetry. Each participant underwent a monocular 2-minute exposure to blue light (462 nm) followed by another 2-minute exposure to red light (638 nm) using a modified Ganzfeld dome equipped with a light-emitting diode lighting system. The light stimuli intensity was increased logarithmically to evaluate the combined extrinsic and intrinsic response of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs). Light-induced changes in horizontal pupil diameter were assessed monocularly using infrared pupillography. Baseline-adjusted, light-induced pupillary constriction amplitudes were calculated, and individual irradiance-response curves were constructed for each stimulus. Pupillary constriction amplitudes were compared between groups and across light intensities using a linear mixed model analysis. The linear relationship between pupillometric parameters and different structural and functional features of glaucoma was assessed using Pearson's correlation analysis. Light-induced pupillary constriction was reduced in patients with early-stage POAG compared with controls at moderate to high irradiances (≥11 Log photons/cm 2 /s) of blue (P = 0.003) and red (P early-stage POAG. Patients with early-stage POAG exhibit reduced pupillary responses to moderate and high irradiances of blue and red lights. This wavelength-independent functional alteration correlates with structural

Adding ultrasound to clinical examination reduced frequency of enthesitis in primary care psoriasis patients with musculoskeletal complaints.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Ven, Myrthe; Karreman, Maren C; Weel, Angelique E A M; Tchetverikov, Ilja; Vis, Marijn; Nijsten, Tamar E C; Hazes, Johanna M W; Luime, Jolanda J

2016-01-01

Part of the psoriasis patients with musculoskeletal complaints will have inflammation of the entheses. Entheseal inflammation is difficult to assess by clinical examination only. Therefore, we aimed to determine the frequency of clinically relevant ultrasound inflammation at the most commonly assessed entheses (MASEI; Madrid Sonographic Enthesis Index) in primary care psoriasis patients with one or more tender entheses. Adult primary care psoriasis patients with musculoskeletal complaints (tender enthesis or arthritis at physical examination) had an ultrasound examination of seven entheses according to the MASEI. Clinically relevant ultrasound inflammation was defined as active inflammation on ultrasound in combination with at least one clinical feature at the same enthesis. Active ultrasound inflammation contained positive power Doppler signal or in case of the plantar aponeurosis increased thickness. Structural changes entailed calcifications, enthesophytes, increased thickness, hypoechogeneicity indicating irregular fibre structure and erosions. Clinically, an enthesis was scored positive by a tender enthesis at clinical examination, reported pain in the history or self-reported pain in the questionnaires. Of 542 primary care psoriasis patient, 111 patients had tender entheses and/or arthritis. These patients were both clinically and ultrasonographically evaluated. Active ultrasound inflammation accompanied with pain or tenderness at the enthesis was found in 36% of the patients (n=40). Most common were inflammation at the knee (n=11) and at the plantar aponeurosis (n=10). Structural changes were observed in 95% of the psoriasis patients independent of their clinical manifestation. We found concurrent presence of ultrasound inflammatory changes and clinical symptoms in 36% of the primary care psoriasis patients who had tenderness at one or more entheseal sites.

Characterization of fungal inoculum used in soil bioremediation Caracterização de inóculo fúngico em biorremediação de solo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nara Ballaminut

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Studies have indicated the capacity of basidiomycetes to degrade recalcitrant organopollutants. However, the age of the fungal inoculum to obtain a more effective degradation has not been defined. The criterion used is total colonization of the substrate. Psilocybe castanella CCB444 and Lentinus crinitus CCB274 have been evaluated in soils containing hexachlorobenzene. In the present study, the physiological conditions of the fungal inocula were characterized on solid substrate (sugarcane bagasse, starch and soy flour. Colonization of the substrate, loss of organic matter, pH variation, organic carbon, total nitrogen, fungal biomass and enzymatic activity were evaluated over 30 days of incubation. Colonization of the substrate was almost complete after 20 days for both species, with about 90% of organic matter remaining on the substrates. The pH continued to be acid during incubation. The highest enzymatic production was observed at 10 days for L. crinitus and at 5 days for P. castanella. The fungi presented growth up to 30 days. The C/N ratio of the inocula showed little variation. The use among 10 and 15-day-old inoculum is adequate since sufficient nutrients are left to guarantee survival of the fungus, vigorous colonization of the substrate, a growing biomass and an active enzymatic system, thus permitting fungal growth in soil.Estudos indicam capacidade de basidiomicetos em degradar organopoluentes recalcitrantes. Porém, ainda não foi padronizada a idade do inóculo fúngico a ser aplicado para que ocorra uma degradação mais efetiva. O critério utilizado é colonização total do substrato. Psilocybe castanella CCB444 e Lentinus crinitus CCB274 têm sido avaliados em solos com hexaclorobenzeno. No presente trabalho, foram caracterizadas as condições fisiológicas dos inóculos fúngicos em substrato sólido (bagaço de cana-de-açúcar , amido e farinha de soja. Determinou-se a colonização do substrato, perda de matéria org

Primary and secondary effects of real-time feedback to reduce vertical loading rate during running.

Science.gov (United States)

Baggaley, M; Willy, R W; Meardon, S A

2017-05-01

Gait modifications are often proposed to reduce average loading rate (AVLR) during running. While many modifications may reduce AVLR, little work has investigated secondary gait changes. Thirty-two rearfoot runners [16M, 16F, 24.7 (3.3) years, 22.72 (3.01) kg/m 2 , >16 km/week] ran at a self-selected speed (2.9 ± 0.3 m/s) on an instrumented treadmill, while 3D mechanics were calculated via real-time data acquisition. Real-time visual feedback was provided in a randomized order to cue a forefoot strike (FFS), a minimum 7.5% decrease in step length, or a minimum 15% reduction in AVLR. AVLR was reduced by FFS (mean difference = 26.4 BW/s; 95% CI = 20.1, 32.7; P < 0.001), shortened step length (8.4 BW/s; 95% CI = 2.9, 14.0; P = 0.004), and cues to reduce AVLR (14.9 BW/s; 95% CI = 10.2, 19.6; P < 0.001). FFS, shortened step length, and cues to reduce AVLR all reduced eccentric knee joint work per km [(-48.2 J/kg*m; 95% CI = -58.1, -38.3; P < 0.001), (-35.5 J/kg*m; 95% CI = -42.4, 28.6; P < 0.001), (-23.1 J/kg*m; 95% CI = -33.3, -12.9; P < 0.001)]. However, FFS and cues to reduce AVLR also increased eccentric ankle joint work per km [(54.49 J/kg*m; 95% CI = 45.3, 63.7; P < 0.001), (9.20 J/kg*m; 95% CI = 1.7, 16.7; P = 0.035)]. Potentially injurious secondary effects associated with FFS and cues to reduce AVLR may undermine their clinical utility. Alternatively, a shortened step length resulted in small reductions in AVLR, without any potentially injurious secondary effects. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Lorenzo Tomatis and primary prevention of environmental cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huff James

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract The leading 20th century proponent for primary prevention of environmental cancer was Dr. Lorenzo Tomatis, the former Director of the International Agency for Research on Cancer and founder of the IARC Monographs program. This paper is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Tomatis – eminent scientist, scholar, teacher, humanitarian, and public health champion - and includes many perspectives that he promoted throughout his career, with original quotations from some of his scientific writings on primary prevention of environmental cancer. Any attempt by us to simply summarize his views would only detract from the power and logic of his language. “Cancer still remains a mainly lethal disease. Primary prevention remains the most relevant approach to reduce mortality through a reduction in incidence”1.

Managing obesity in primary care.

Science.gov (United States)

Goldie, Christine; Brown, Jenny

Obesity is a complex problem and often difficult to tackle in primary care. A year-long pilot of a practice nurse-led scheme that used a holistic approach towards self-care in obesity management was set up to reduce the cardiovascular risk of patients who were obese and improve their quality of life. This person-centred approach may offer an important tool in the management of these patients in the GP surgery.

Phytotherapy in primary health care

Science.gov (United States)

Antonio, Gisele Damian; Tesser, Charles Dalcanale; Moretti-Pires, Rodrigo Otavio

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE To characterize the integration of phytotherapy in primary health care in Brazil. METHODS Journal articles and theses and dissertations were searched for in the following databases: SciELO, Lilacs, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Theses Portal Capes, between January 1988 and March 2013. We analyzed 53 original studies on actions, programs, acceptance and use of phytotherapy and medicinal plants in the Brazilian Unified Health System. Bibliometric data, characteristics of the actions/programs, places and subjects involved and type and focus of the selected studies were analyzed. RESULTS Between 2003 and 2013, there was an increase in publications in different areas of knowledge, compared with the 1990-2002 period. The objectives and actions of programs involving the integration of phytotherapy into primary health care varied: including other treatment options, reduce costs, reviving traditional knowledge, preserving biodiversity, promoting social development and stimulating inter-sectorial actions. CONCLUSIONS Over the past 25 years, there was a small increase in scientific production on actions/programs developed in primary care. Including phytotherapy in primary care services encourages interaction between health care users and professionals. It also contributes to the socialization of scientific research and the development of a critical vision about the use of phytotherapy and plant medicine, not only on the part of professionals but also of the population. PMID:25119949

Environmental and occupational interventions for primary prevention of cancer: a cross-sectorial policy framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Espina, Carolina; Porta, Miquel; Schüz, Joachim; Aguado, Ildefonso Hernández; Percival, Robert V; Dora, Carlos; Slevin, Terry; Guzman, Julietta Rodriguez; Meredith, Tim; Landrigan, Philip J; Neira, Maria

2013-04-01

Nearly 13 million new cancer cases and 7.6 million cancer deaths occur worldwide each year; 63% of cancer deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. A substantial proportion of all cancers are attributable to carcinogenic exposures in the environment and the workplace. We aimed to develop an evidence-based global vision and strategy for the primary prevention of environmental and occupational cancer. We identified relevant studies through PubMed by using combinations of the search terms "environmental," "occupational," "exposure," "cancer," "primary prevention," and "interventions." To supplement the literature review, we convened an international conference titled "Environmental and Occupational Determinants of Cancer: Interventions for Primary Prevention" under the auspices of the World Health Organization, in Asturias, Spain, on 17-18 March 2011. Many cancers of environmental and occupational origin could be prevented. Prevention is most effectively achieved through primary prevention policies that reduce or eliminate involuntary exposures to proven and probable carcinogens. Such strategies can be implemented in a straightforward and cost-effective way based on current knowledge, and they have the added benefit of synergistically reducing risks for other noncommunicable diseases by reducing exposures to shared risk factors. Opportunities exist to revitalize comprehensive global cancer control policies by incorporating primary interventions against environmental and occupational carcinogens.

Temporal acoustic measures distinguish primary progressive apraxia of speech from primary progressive aphasia.

Science.gov (United States)

Duffy, Joseph R; Hanley, Holly; Utianski, Rene; Clark, Heather; Strand, Edythe; Josephs, Keith A; Whitwell, Jennifer L

2017-05-01

The purpose of this study was to determine if acoustic measures of duration and syllable rate during word and sentence repetition, and a measure of within-word lexical stress, distinguish speakers with primary progressive apraxia of speech (PPAOS) from nonapraxic speakers with the agrammatic or logopenic variants of primary progressive aphasia (PPA), and control speakers. Results revealed that the PPAOS group had longer durations and reduced rate of syllable production for most words and sentences, and the measure of lexical stress. Sensitivity and specificity indices for the PPAOS versus the other groups were highest for longer multisyllabic words and sentences. For the PPAOS group, correlations between acoustic measures and perceptual ratings of AOS were moderately high to high. Several temporal measures used in this study may aid differential diagnosis and help quantify features of PPAOS that are distinct from those associated with PPA in which AOS is not present. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Suppression of Phytophthora ramorum infestations through silvicultural treatment in California's north coast

Science.gov (United States)

Yana Valachovic; Chris Lee; Brendan Twieg; David Rizzo; Richard Cobb; Radoslaw Glebocki

2013-01-01

In 2006, three forested sites infested with Phytophthora ramorum in Humboldt County, California were subjected to different combinations of treatments designed to reduce inoculum and control spread. One treatment, consisting of removal of all California bay laurel (Umbellularia californica (Hook. & Arn.) Nutt.) and tanoak...

Harnessing the microbiome to reduce Fusarium head blight

Science.gov (United States)

Fusarium graminearum (Fg), the primary fungal pathogen responsible for Fusarium head blight (FHB), reduces crop yield and contaminates grain with trichothecene mycotoxins that are deleterious to plant, human and animal health. In this presentation, we will discuss two different research projects tha...

T/sub hot/ reduction: a program for lowering primary temperatures on a PWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Augustine, D.B.; DiTommaso, S.M.; Manz, E.M.; Reister, P.

1987-01-01

This paper focuses on the key technical issues addressed in a program to support operation of the Byron Unit 1 pressurized water reactor at primary side temperatures significantly lowered with respect at primary side temperatures significantly lowered with respect to the original design temperatures. These operating temperatures were lowered in order to reduce the potential for initiation of primary water stress corrosion cracking in the steam generator tubing. The efforts of this program were aimed at maintaining operation of the unit at the maximum possible power level at the reduced temperatures. In addition, the program is designed to allow for cycle-to-cycle flexibility within a range of operating temperatures from the original design temperatures to temperatures lowered by ∼ 11 0 C (20 0 F)

The use of Design of Experiments and Response Surface Methodology to optimize biomass and lipid production by the oleaginous marine green alga, Nannochloropsis gaditana in response to light intensity, inoculum size and CO2.

Science.gov (United States)

Hallenbeck, Patrick C; Grogger, Melanie; Mraz, Megan; Veverka, Donald

2015-05-01

Biodiesel produced from microalgal lipids is being considered as a potential source of renewable energy. However, a number of hurdles will have to be overcome if such a process is to become practical. One important factor is the volumetric production of biomass and lipid that can be achieved. The marine alga Nannochloropsis gaditana is under study since it is known to be highly oleaginous and has a number of other attractive properties. Factors that might be important in biomass and lipid production by this alga are light intensity, inoculum size and CO2. Here we have carried out for the first time a RSM-DOE study of the influence of these important culture variables and define conditions that maximize biomass production, lipid content (BODIPY® fluorescence) and total lipid production. Moreover, flow cytometry allowed the examination on a cellular level of changes that occur in cellular populations as they age and accumulate lipids. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tranexamic acid reduces blood loss and blood transfusions in primary total hip arthroplasty: a prospective randomized double-blind study in 40 patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Husted, Henrik; Blønd, Lars; Sonne-Holm, Stig

2003-01-01

INTRODUCTION: We performed a prospective, randomized, double-blind study on 40 patients scheduled for primary total hip arthroplasty due to arthrosis or osteonecrosis to determine the effect of tranexamic acid on per- and postoperative blood losses and on the number of blood transfusions needed...... blood losses at removal of the drain 24 hours after the operation and the number of blood transfusions. RESULTS: Patients receiving tranexamic acid had a mean peroperative blood loss of 480 mL versus 622 mL in patients receiving placebo (p = 0.3), a postoperative blood loss of 334 mL versus 609 mL (p...... = 0.001), a total blood loss of 814 mL versus 1231 mL (p = 0.001) and a total need for 4 blood transfusions versus 25 (p = 0.04). No patient in either group had symptoms of deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism or prolonged wound drainage. INTERPRETATION: Transemic acid is effective in reducing...

New electric technologies to reduce global warming impacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Courtright, H.A.

1994-01-01

Advanced electric technologies hold significant potential to reduce global warming impact through reduction of primary fuel needed to power end-use applications. These reductions can occur in two forms: (1) reduced kilowatt-hour usage and power plant emissions through efficiency improvements and technological enhancements of existing electrically-driven applications; (2) the development of new electric technologies to replace traditional fossil-fuel driven applications which can result in less overall primary energy consumption and lower overall emissions. Numerous new electric technologies are presently being developed by the Electric Power Research Institute. The technologies reviewed in this paper include: Microwave Fabric Dryer, Advanced Heat Pumps, Heat Pump Water Heater, Infrared Sand Reclaimer, Freeze Concentration, Membrane Water Recovery, Microwave Petrochemical Production, Infrared Drying, and Electric Vehicles. Full commercialization of these technologies can result in significant energy savings and CO 2 reductions, in addition to improving the competitiveness of businesses using these technologies

Which features of primary care affect unscheduled secondary care use? A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Huntley, Alyson; Lasserson, Daniel; Wye, Lesley; Morris, Richard; Checkland, Kath; England, Helen; Salisbury, Chris; Purdy, Sarah

2014-05-23

To conduct a systematic review to identify studies that describe factors and interventions at primary care practice level that impact on levels of utilisation of unscheduled secondary care. Observational studies at primary care practice level. Studies included people of any age of either sex living in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries with any health condition. The primary outcome measure was unscheduled secondary care as measured by emergency department attendance and emergency hospital admissions. 48 papers were identified describing potential influencing features on emergency department visits (n=24 studies) and emergency admissions (n=22 studies). Patient factors associated with both outcomes were increased age, reduced socioeconomic status, lower educational attainment, chronic disease and multimorbidity. Features of primary care affecting unscheduled secondary care were more complex. Being able to see the same healthcare professional reduced unscheduled secondary care. Generally, better access was associated with reduced unscheduled care in the USA. Proximity to healthcare provision influenced patterns of use. Evidence relating to quality of care was limited and mixed. The majority of research was from different healthcare systems and limited in the extent to which it can inform policy. However, there is evidence that continuity of care is associated with reduced emergency department attendance and emergency hospital admissions. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Integrated equipment for increasing and maintaining coolant pressure in primary circuit of PWR nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sykora, D.

1986-01-01

An open heat pump circuit is claimed connected to the primary circuit. The pump circuit consists of a steam pressurizer with a built-in steam distributor, a compressor, an expander, a reducing valve, an auxiliary pump, and of water and steam pipes. The operation is described and a block diagram is shown of integrated equipment for increasing and maintaining pressure in the nuclear power plant primary circuit. The appropriate entropy diagram is also shown. The advantage of the open pump circuit consists in reducing the electric power input and electric power consumption for the steam pressurizers, removing entropy loss in heat transfer with high temperature gradient, in the possibility of inserting, between the expander and the auxiliary pump, a primary circuit coolant treatment station, in simplified design and manufacture of the high-pressure steam pressurizer vessel, reducing the weight of the steam pressurizer by changing its shape from cylindrical to spherical, increasing the rate of pressure growth in the primary circuit. (E.S.)

Irradiation of meat for the production of fermented sausage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dickson, J.S.; Maxcy, R.B.

1985-01-01

A study assessing the potential of gamma irradiation for reducing pathogenic microflora in the production of fermented sausage revealed that an irradiation dose of 500 Krad could reduce total aerobic microflora in commercial sausage meat batter for up to 2.2 log cycles. Coliform and staphylococci counts were reduced to acceptably safe levels, allowing the use of a lower inoculum level, a longer fermentation time, and a more uniform fermentation and fermented product

Irradiation of meat for the production of fermented sausage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dickson, J. S.; Maxcy, R. B.

1985-07-15

A study assessing the potential of gamma irradiation for reducing pathogenic microflora in the production of fermented sausage revealed that an irradiation dose of 500 Krad could reduce total aerobic microflora in commercial sausage meat batter for up to 2.2 log cycles. Coliform and staphylococci counts were reduced to acceptably safe levels, allowing the use of a lower inoculum level, a longer fermentation time, and a more uniform fermentation and fermented product.

Comparison of various microbial inocula for the efficient anaerobic digestion of Laminaria hyperborea.

Science.gov (United States)

Sutherland, Alastair D; Varela, Joao C

2014-01-23

The hydrolysis of seaweed polysaccharides is the rate limiting step in anaerobic digestion (AD) of seaweeds. Seven different microbial inocula and a mixture of these (inoculum 8) were therefore compared in triplicate, each grown over four weeks in static culture for the ability to degrade Laminaria hyperborea seaweed and produce methane through AD. All the inocula could degrade L. hyperborea and produce methane to some extent. However, an inoculum of slurry from a human sewage anaerobic digester, one of rumen contents from seaweed-eating North Ronaldsay sheep and inoculum 8 used most seaweed volatile solids (VS) (means ranged between 59 and 68% used), suggesting that these each had efficient seaweed polysaccharide digesting bacteria. The human sewage inoculum, an inoculum of anaerobic marine mud mixed with rotting seaweed and inoculum 8 all developed to give higher volumes of methane (means between 41 and 62.5 ml g-1 of seaweed VS by week four) ,compared to other inocula (means between 3.5 and 27.5 ml g-1 VS). Inoculum 8 also gave the highest acetate production (6.5 mmol g-1 VS) in a single-stage fermenter AD system and produced most methane (8.4 mL mmol acetate-1) in phase II of a two-stage AD system. Overall inoculum 8 was found to be the most efficient inoculum for AD of seaweed. The study therefore showed that selection and inclusion of efficient polysaccharide hydrolysing bacteria and methanogenic archaea in an inoculum offer increased methane productivity in AD of L. hyperborea. This inoculum will now being tested in larger scale (10L) continuously stirred reactors optimised for feed rate and retention time to determine maximum methane production under single-stage and two-stage AD systems.

Rust dissolution and removal by iron-reducing bacteria: A potential rehabilitation of rusted equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Starosvetsky, J.; Kamari, R.; Farber, Y.; Bilanović, D.; Armon, R.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • The present study demonstrated the high reductive capacity of both strains: the collection S. oneidensis and the wild strain Geobacter spp. (soil isolate). • The experimental strains were successful in Fe 3+ reduction for both states: soluble and crystalline (originally prepared from rust). • Rust dissolution can be improved by: addition of AFC at low concentration (0.2 g/l), increasing bacterial initial inoculum and rust reactive surface. • Both experimental IRB strains were able to completely remove previously formed rust on carbon steel coupons. • Additional results (not showed) revealed that culture S. oneidensis and the environmental isolate Geobacter spp., apparently have a different mechanism of iron reduction that requires further study. - Abstract: Iron reducing bacteria (IRB), to be used in rust dissolution and removal, have been isolated and enriched from different environmental sources. Comparative measurements revealed that a soil isolate (Geobacter sulfurreducens sp.) had the highest reductive activity equivalent to Shewanella oneidensis (strain CIP 106686, pure culture). Both reductive microorganisms can use Fe 3+ ions as electron acceptors from soluble as well as from crystalline sources. In nutrient medium containing soluble Fe 3+ , the highest reductive activity obtained for G. sulfurreducens sp. and S. oneidensis was 93 and 97% respectively. Successful removal of rust from carbon steel coupons has been achieved with both experimental bacteria.

Improving Universal Suicide Prevention Screening in Primary Care by Reducing False Negatives

Science.gov (United States)

2017-09-01

craig.bryan@utah.edu 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) University of Utah 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT...screening methods by reducing false negative rates; and (c) to systematically quantify false negative rates across various patient subgroups (e.g., gender ...c) to systematically quantify false negative rates across various patient subgroups (e.g., gender , race, age, deployment history, etc.) to identify

Third sector primary care for vulnerable populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Crampton, P; Dowell, A; Woodward, A

2001-12-01

This paper aims to describe and explain the development of third sector primary care organisations in New Zealand. The third sector is the non-government, non-profit sector. International literature suggests that this sector fulfils an important role in democratic societies with market-based economies, providing services otherwise neglected by the government and private for-profit sectors. Third sector organisations provided a range of social services throughout New Zealand's colonial history. However, it was not until the 1980s that third sector organisations providing comprehensive primary medical and related services started having a significant presence in New Zealand. In 1994 a range of union health centres, tribally based Mäori health providers, and community-based primary care providers established a formal network -- Health Care Aotearoa. While not representing all third sector primary care providers in New Zealand, Health Care Aotearoa was the best-developed example of a grouping of third sector primary care organisations. Member organisations served populations that were largely non-European and lived in deprived areas, and tended to adopt population approaches to funding and provision of services. The development of Health Care Aotearoa has been consistent with international experience of third sector involvement -- there were perceived "failures" in government policies for funding primary care and private sector responses to these policies, resulting in lack of universal funding and provision of primary care and continuing patient co-payments. The principal policy implication concerns the role of the third sector in providing primary care services for vulnerable populations as a partial alternative to universal funding and provision of primary care. Such an alternative may be convenient for proponents of reduced state involvement in funding and provision of health care, but may not be desirable from the point of view of equity and social cohesion

Some experiments on the primary electron acceptor in reaction centres from Rhodopseudomanas sphaeroides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wraight, C A; Cogdell, R J; Clayton, R K

1975-01-01

The bacterial reaction center absorbance change at 450 nm (A-450), assigned to an anionic semiquinone, has been suggested as a candidate for the reduced form of the primary electron acceptor in bacterial photosynthesis. In reaction centers of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides we have found kinetic discrepancies between the decay of A-450 and the recovery of photochemical competence. In addition, no proton uptake is measurable on the first turnover, although subsequent ones elicit one proton bound per electron. These results are taken to indicate that the acceptor reaction after a long dark period may be different for the first turnover than for subsequent ones. It is suggested that A-450 is still a likely candidate for the acceptor function but that in reaction centers, additional quinone may act as an adventitious primary acceptor when the ''true'' primary acceptor is reduced. Alternatively, the primary acceptor may act in a ''ping-pong'' fashion with respect to subsequent photoelectrons.

Design of the RTO/RC ITER primary pumping system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ladd, P.; Ibbott, C; Janeschitz, G.; Martin, E.

2000-01-01

The primary pumping system is needed not only to exhaust helium ash resulting from the DT reaction but also excess fuelling gas injected during the fusion burn, which can extend for 100's to 1000's of seconds, and to perform a variety of other functions. The prevailing environmental conditions, principally nuclear radiation, tritium exposure, magnetic fields, and the need for containment, have a significant impact on the design and selection of equipment. This paper presents the design of the Reduced Technical Objectives/Reduced Cost (RTO/RC) ITER primary pumping system with particular emphasis on the nuclear aspects of the design. Component selection and equipment layout issues to meet established requirements for the system are reviewed together with the R and D that is being undertaken to support the design. In addition, serviceability and maintainability issues related to this system are also discussed

Reducing the use of out-of-hours primary care services: A survey among Dutch general practitioners

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Keizer, E.; Maassen, I.; Smits, M.; Wensing, M.; Giesen, P.

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Out-of-hours primary care services have a high general practitioner (GP) workload with increasing costs, while half of all contacts are non-urgent. OBJECTIVES: To identify views of GPs to influence the use of the out-of-hours GP cooperatives. METHODS: Cross-sectional survey study among a

Do Offshore Wind Farms Influence Marine Primary Production?

Science.gov (United States)

Tweddle, J. F.; Murray, R. B. O.; Gubbins, M.; Scott, B. E.

2016-02-01

Primary producers (phytoplankton) form the basis of marine food-webs, supporting production of higher trophic levels, and act as a sink of CO2. We considered the impact of proposed large scale offshore wind farms in moderately deep waters (> 45 m) off the east coast of Scotland on rates of primary production. A 2 stage modelling process was used, employing state-of-the-art 3-D hydrographic models with the ability to capture flow at the spatial resolution of 10 m combined with 1-D vertical modelling using 7 years of local forcing data. Through influencing the strength of stratification via changes in current flow, large (100 m) modelled wind turbine foundations had a significant effect on primary producers, consistently reducing total annual primary production, although within the range of natural interannual variability. The percentage reduction was largest over submarine banks less than 54 m in depth, and was outside the range of natural interannual variability. Smaller (10 m) turbine foundations had no discernible effect on total annual primary production. The results indicate that smaller foundations should be favored as a mitigation measure, in terms of effects on primary production, and this type of analysis should be considered within sectoral planning and licensing processes for future renewable energy developments.

Fiscal Decentralization and Disparity of Access to Primary Education in Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shinta Doriza

2013-12-01

Full Text Available In education, one crusial issue of development is the disparity of primary education access. Using 440 regions database from 2005-2009, this study is aim to analize the impact of fiscal decentralization in reducing the enrolement of primary education in Indonesia. Three factors were included, i.e fiscal decentralization, socioeconomic factors and regional characteristics. The result of panel data estimation using fixed-effect approach on this study is that DAK for Education, DAK Non Education, and PAD have significant impact in reducing education acess disparity along with poverty and regional characteristic such as Java-non Java regions. For education level, another variable was also found significant including education of the society and regional characteristic such as proliferated-non proliferated regions. In general there is a facts and proves that fiscal decentralization improve education access equality, but several effort need to done to optimalize the equalization of primary education access in Indonesia.

Efficacy of soil solarization, Trichoderma harzianum, and coffee pulp amendment against Armillaria sp

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Otieno, W.; Termorshuizen, A.J.; Jeger, M.J.

2003-01-01

Soil solarization was evaluated singly or in combination with Trichoderma harzianum infestation or coffee pulp amendment for its effect on wood-borne inoculum of an Armillaria sp. pathogenic on tea. Solarization increased maximum soil temperatures at 10 cm depth by 9-12degreesC and reduced viability

Long term studies on the anaerobic biodegradability of MTBE and other gasoline ethers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Waul, Christopher Kevin; Arvin, Erik; Schmidt, Jens Ejbye

2009-01-01

to investigate the anaerobic biodegradability of MTBE and other gasoline ethers. Inoculums collected from various environments were used, along with different electron acceptors. Only one set of the batch experiments showed a 30-60% conversion of MTBE to tert-butyl alcohol under Fe(III)-reducing conditions...

Optimization of the liquid biofertilizer production in batch fermentation with by-product from MSG

Science.gov (United States)

Namfon, Panjanapongchai; Ratchanok, Sahaworarak; Chalida, Daengbussade

2017-03-01

The long term use of chemical fertilizers destroyed the friability of soil which obviously decreased quantity and quality of crops and especially affect microorganisms living in soils. The bio-fertilizer with microbial consortium is an environmental friendly alternative to solve this bottleneck due to harboring soil microorganisms such as Bacillus sp., Micrococcus sp., Pseudomonas sp., Staphylococcus sp. and Deinococcus sp. produced with natural by-product or waste from industries that is alternative and sustainable such as nutrient-rich (by-product) from Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG) for producing liquid biofertilizer by batch fermentation. In this work, the concentration of reducing sugar from substrate as main carbon source was evaluated in shake flask with mixed cultures. The optimal conditions were studied comparing with two levels of reducing sugar concentration (10, 20 g/L) and inoculums concentration (10, 20 %v/v) with using (2×2) full factorial design. The results indicated that the by-product from monosodium glutamate is feasible for fermentation and inoculums concentration is mainly influenced the batch fermentation process. Moreover, the combined 20 g/L and 10%v/v were considerably concluded as an optimal condition, of which the concentration of vegetative cells and spores attained at 8.29×109 CFU/mL and 1.97×105 CFU/mL, respectively. Their spores cell yields from reducing sugar (Yx/s) were obtained at 1.22×106 and 3.34×105 CFU/g were markedly different. In conclusion, the liquid Biofertilizer was produced satisfactorily at 20 g/L reducing sugar and 10% v/v inoculums in shake flask culture. Moreover, these results suggested that the by-product from monosodium glutamate is feasible for low-cost substrate in economical scale and environmental-friendly.

Reduced anaerobic and aerobic performance in children with primary ciliary dyskinesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Simsek, Senem; Inal-Ince, Deniz; Cakmak, Aslihan; Emiralioglu, Nagehan; Calik-Kutukcu, Ebru; Saglam, Melda; Vardar-Yagli, Naciye; Ozcelik, Hayriye Ugur; Sonbahar-Ulu, Hazal; Bozdemir-Ozel, Cemile; Kiper, Nural; Arikan, Hulya

2018-05-01

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) restricts lifestyle and increases morbidity. The aim of the study was to investigate anaerobic and aerobic performance in children with PCD and their healthy counterparts. Thirty-one children with PCD and 29 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects were studied. Pulmonary function, hand grip strength (HGS), quadriceps strength (QMS), physical activity, anaerobic capacity (muscle power sprint test), and aerobic performance (modified shuttle walk test (MSWT)) were determined. Pulmonary function, HGS, QMS, mean anaerobic power (MAP), and MSWT distance in PCD were significantly lower than those of healthy subjects (p aerobic performance is impaired in PCD from the early stages. Age determines anaerobic performance. Gender is the determinant of aerobic performance. Whether skeletal muscle characteristics and sex-related changes in body composition affect anaerobic and aerobic capacity in PCD children warrants further study. What is Known: • Exercise performance is determined by anaerobic and aerobic power. • Few studies have shown that PCD patients have lower aerobic performance which is associated with impaired lung function. What is New: • The present research indicated that both anaerobic and aerobic exercise capacity determined using field testing is impaired in PCD from the early stages. • Anaerobic capacity was found to be independently associated with age in PCD. Higher aerobic performance is independently associated with male gender.

Reduced TCA flux in diabetic myotubes: A governing influence on the diabetic phenotype?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gaster, Michael

2009-01-01

The diabetic phenotype is complex, requiring elucidation of key initiating defects. It is unknown whether the reduced tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) flux in skeletal muscle of obese and obese type 2 diabetic (T2D) subjects is of primary origin. Acetate oxidation (measurement of TCA-flux) was sign......The diabetic phenotype is complex, requiring elucidation of key initiating defects. It is unknown whether the reduced tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) flux in skeletal muscle of obese and obese type 2 diabetic (T2D) subjects is of primary origin. Acetate oxidation (measurement of TCA...

Mentoring Beginning Teachers in Primary Schools: Research Review

Science.gov (United States)

Spooner-Lane, Rebecca

2017-01-01

While mentoring programmes have proven to be successful in reducing attrition and improving teaching ability in beginning teachers, there remains a lack of research delineating the key components of effective mentoring programmes in primary education. This integrative research review examines empirical studies conducted since 2000 on the nature…

The Universal Provision of Primary Education: Who Benefits?

Science.gov (United States)

Ou, Dongshu

2016-01-01

Few studies have investigated the causal spillover effects of compulsory education on children's siblings. Using a regression discontinuity method, I find that Hong Kong's 1971 free compulsory primary education policy reduced the dropout probability for the eldest siblings of full policy beneficiaries, especially for children in low-income…

Non-Markovian reduced dynamics based upon a hierarchical effective-mode representation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burghardt, Irene [Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 7, 60438 Frankfurt (Germany); Martinazzo, Rocco [Dipartimento di Chimica, Universita degli Studi di Milano, v. Golgi 19, 20133 Milano (Italy); Hughes, Keith H. [School of Chemistry, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW (United Kingdom)

2012-10-14

A reduced dynamics representation is introduced which is tailored to a hierarchical, Mori-chain type representation of a bath of harmonic oscillators which are linearly coupled to a subsystem. We consider a spin-boson system where a single effective mode is constructed so as to absorb all system-environment interactions, while the residual bath modes are coupled bilinearly to the primary mode and among each other. Using a cumulant expansion of the memory kernel, correlation functions for the primary mode are obtained, which can be suitably approximated by truncated chains representing the primary-residual mode interactions. A series of reduced-dimensional bath correlation functions is thus obtained, which can be expressed as Fourier-Laplace transforms of spectral densities that are given in truncated continued-fraction form. For a master equation which is second order in the system-bath coupling, the memory kernel is re-expressed in terms of local-in-time equations involving auxiliary densities and auxiliary operators.

Contributing to the wellbeing of primary health care workers in PNG.

Science.gov (United States)

Davy, Carol

2007-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how organisational frames of reference, which are neither not appropriately communicated nor supported, affect the wellbeing of workers. A review of the literature is used to develop a new model linking ambiguous frames of reference with reduced levels of workers' wellbeing. This is then tested using data collected in a study involving primary health care workers in Papua New Guinea (PNG). This paper finds that, for these particular workers, the model linking ambiguous frames of reference and reduced worker wellbeing is valid. The paper shows that there is a need for further research into a variety of areas including the importance of frames of reference to worker wellbeing, the significance of reference groups to organisational frames of reference and the consequences of reduced worker wellbeing in developing countries. In this paper, recommendations for changes to current PNG primary health care management practices, including ensuring the support for as well as communicating the organisational frame of reference, are discussed. The paper shows that the experiences of these particular primary health care workers not only demonstrates the validity of the new model but also brings a unique perspective to the field of worker wellbeing, which up until now has been dominated by research conducted in western countries.

Core Sulphate-Reducing Microorganisms in Metal-Removing Semi-Passive Biochemical Reactors and the Co-Occurrence of Methanogens

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maryam Rezadehbashi

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Biochemical reactors (BCRs based on the stimulation of sulphate-reducing microorganisms (SRM are emerging semi-passive remediation technologies for treatment of mine-influenced water. Their successful removal of metals and sulphate has been proven at the pilot-scale, but little is known about the types of SRM that grow in these systems and whether they are diverse or restricted to particular phylogenetic or taxonomic groups. A phylogenetic study of four established pilot-scale BCRs on three different mine sites compared the diversity of SRM growing in them. The mine sites were geographically distant from each other, nevertheless the BCRs selected for similar SRM types. Clostridia SRM related to Desulfosporosinus spp. known to be tolerant to high concentrations of copper were members of the core microbial community. Members of the SRM family Desulfobacteraceae were dominant, particularly those related to Desulfatirhabdium butyrativorans. Methanogens were dominant archaea and possibly were present at higher relative abundances than SRM in some BCRs. Both hydrogenotrophic and acetoclastic types were present. There were no strong negative or positive co-occurrence correlations of methanogen and SRM taxa. Knowing which SRM inhabit successfully operating BCRs allows practitioners to target these phylogenetic groups when selecting inoculum for future operations.

Managing chronic conditions in a South African primary care context ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Managing chronic conditions in a South African primary care context: ... is an approach to motivating behaviour change in general health care settings. ... They had mixed experiences with skills for agenda setting and reducing resistance.

The role of encouragement in primary schools

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lalić Nataša Z.

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Encouragement can be applied in several important segments: creation of a positive social and emotional atmosphere, creation of a positive learning environment, use of preventive techniques in some discipline-related situations, type of intervention when dealing with behavioral problems of students and in the strategy of strengthening students self-confidence. The paper deals with the frequency and manners in which encouragement is used. One of the primary segments in which encouragement is exercised is teacher-student relation, where both verbal and non-verbal encouragement approval, praise, reward and example have large rational and emotional significance. The research comprises the results of systematic observation of individual encouragement tools with their characteristics and functions in primary school teaching practice. The research has been conducted in three primary schools in Belgrade. The quantitative indicators show the reduced frequency of encouragement with the growing age of students. The collected results reveal that in relation to the tested variables the teacher’s personality plays an important role. This suggests the need for teachers to be instructed on the possibilities and conditions for the use of encouragement with primary school children.

Adaptive immune responses to booster vaccination against yellow fever virus are much reduced compared to those after primary vaccination

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kongsgaard, Michael; Bassi, Maria Rosaria; Rasmussen, Michael

2017-01-01

Outbreaks of Yellow Fever occur regularly in endemic areas of Africa and South America frequently leading to mass vaccination campaigns straining the availability of the attenuated Yellow Fever vaccine, YF-17D. The WHO has recently decided to discontinue regular booster-vaccinations since a single...... vaccination is deemed to confer life-long immune protection. Here, we have examined humoral (neutralizing antibody) and cellular (CD8 and CD4 T cell) immune responses in primary and booster vaccinees (the latter spanning 8 to 36 years after primary vaccination). After primary vaccination, we observed strong...... cellular immune responses with T cell activation peaking ≈2 weeks and subsiding to background levels ≈ 4 weeks post-vaccination. The number of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells declined over the following years. In >90% of vaccinees, in vitro expandable T cells could still be detected >10 years post-vaccination...

Reducing Resistance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindell, Johanna

care may influence decisions on antibiotic use. Based on video-and audio recordings of physician-patient consultations it is investigated how treatment recommendations are presented, can be changed, are forecast and explained, and finally, how they seemingly meet resistance and how this resistance......Antibiotic resistance is a growing public health problem both nationally and internationally, and efficient strategies are needed to reduce unnecessary use. This dissertation presents four research studies, which examine how communication between general practitioners and patients in Danish primary...... is responded to.The first study in the dissertation suggests that treatment recommendations on antibiotics are often done in a way that encourages patient acceptance. In extension of this, the second study of the dissertation examines a case, where acceptance of such a recommendation is changed into a shared...

Primary decomposition of zero-dimensional ideals over finite fields

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Shuhong; Wan, Daqing; Wang, Mingsheng

2009-03-01

A new algorithm is presented for computing primary decomposition of zero-dimensional ideals over finite fields. Like Berlekamp's algorithm for univariate polynomials, the new method is based on the invariant subspace of the Frobenius map acting on the quotient algebra. The dimension of the invariant subspace equals the number of primary components, and a basis of the invariant subspace yields a complete decomposition. Unlike previous approaches for decomposing multivariate polynomial systems, the new method does not need primality testing nor any generic projection, instead it reduces the general decomposition problem directly to root finding of univariate polynomials over the ground field. Also, it is shown how Groebner basis structure can be used to get partial primary decomposition without any root finding.

Lifestyle modification: A primary prevention approach to colorectal cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Early detection of cancer through screening is an important step in decreasing both morbidity and mortality. Likewise, specific modifiable lifestyle behaviors are associated with reduced risk of colorectal cancer. Lifestyle practices have also been shown to maximize health after the primary treatmen...

Effect of rotation of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) with fonio (Digitaria exilis) and millet (Pennisetum glaucum) on Macrophomina phaseolina densities and cowpea yield

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ndiaye, M.; Termorshuizen, A.J.; Bruggen, van A.H.C.

2008-01-01

Macrophomina phaseolina, the causal agent of charcoal rot, causes great damage to cowpea in the Sahel. One of the few options to manage the disease is by cropping nonhosts that may reduce the soil inoculum below a damage threshold level. To test this, fonio (Digitaria exilis) and millet (Pennisetum

Isolation and Characterization of Ralstonia solanacearum Causing ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Prof. Ogunji

Soil samples were collected from seven states in Nigeria known for high incidence of tomato bacterial ... (Rs) is a soil borne bacterial pathogen and a major limiting ..... crops such as maize could also reduce inoculum density ... bacterial blight wilt. (Pseudomonas solanacearum). Annals Applied Biology 111: 125-133. Denny ...

Upgrading primary heat transport pump seals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Graham, T.; Metcalfe, R.; Rhodes, D.; McInnes, D.

1995-01-01

Changes in the operating environment at the Bruce-A Nuclear Generating Station created the need for an upgraded Primary Heat Transport Pump (PHTP) seal. In particular, the requirement for low pressure running during more frequent start-ups exposed a weakness of the CAN2 seal and reduced its reliability. The primary concern at Bruce-A was the rotation of the CAN2 No. 2 stators in their holders. The introduction of low pressure running exacerbated this problem, giving rapid wear of the stator back face, overheating, and thermocracking. In addition, the resulting increase in friction between the stator and its holder increased stationary-side hysteresis and thereby changed the seal characteristic to the point where interseal pressure oscillations became prevalent. The resultant increased hysteresis also led to hard rubbing of the seal faces during temperature transients. An upgraded seal was required for improved reliability to avoid forced outages and to reduce maintenance costs. This paper describes this upgraded 'replacement seal' and its performance history. In spite of the 'teething' problems detailed in this paper, there have been no forced outages due to the replacement seal, and in the words of a seal maintenance worker at Bruce-A, 'it allows me to go home and sleep at night instead of worrying about seal failures.' (author)

Global Warming Responses at the Primary Secondary Interface: 2. Potential Effectiveness of Education

Science.gov (United States)

Skamp, Keith; Boyes, Eddie; Stannistreet, Martin

2009-01-01

In an earlier paper (Skamp, Boyes, & Stanisstreet, 2009b), students' beliefs and willingness to act in relation to 16 specific actions related to global warming were compared across the primary secondary interface. More primary students believed in the effectiveness of most actions to reduce global warming and were willing to take those…

Serum heme oxygenase-1 levels in patients with primary dysmenorrhea.

Science.gov (United States)

Aksoy, Ayse Nur; Laloglu, Esra; Ozkaya, Alev Lazoglu; Yilmaz, Emsal Pınar Topdagi

2017-04-01

Primary dysmenorrhea effects the life-quality of women negatively. The aim of this study was to evaluate heme oxygenase-1 (HO1) activity together with malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) levels in patients with primary dysmenorrhea. A total of 28 nulliparous women with the diagnosis of primary dysmenorrhea and 26 healthy controls were included in this study. On the first day of menstruation, all patients underwent ultrasound examination to exclude pelvic pathology and the visual analogue scale was applied to patients. Patient's visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, age, body mass index (BMI), menstrual cycle length (day), length of bleeding (day) were recorded. In the same day, fasting blood samples were taken from each patient for biochemical analysis. Serum MDA, NO and HO1 levels were found to be higher in women with primary dysmenorrhea compared to healthy controls (p = 0.012, p = 0.009, p dysmenorrhea. Antioxidant support might be helpful to reduce pain severity in primary dysmenorrhea.

Microcycle Conidiation in Cercospora zeae-maydis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lapaire, Carrie L; Dunkle, Larry D

2003-02-01

ABSTRACT Conidia of Cercospora zeae-maydis are the primary inoculum causing gray leaf spot of maize. On nutrient-deficient substrates, but not on water on the leaf surface, conidia germinate and develop secondary conidia on conidiophores produced from germ tubes or conidial cells. A population of conidia increases its numbers more than twofold by 2 days on the surface of a water droplet and by fourfold on trichomes. This microcycle conidiation is suppressed by hydrogen peroxide and ammonium compounds but not by nitrate compounds, amino acids, or simple sugars. Microcycle conidiation is sensitive to alpha-amanitin and cycloheximide, suggesting that new RNA and proteins must be synthesized. Upon transfer from a humid to a dry atmosphere, secondary conidia and conidiophores dehydrate and collapse. Mature, dehydrated, secondary conidia are liberated by wind speeds approximately one-third those required to liberate hydrated conidia. The dispersed secondary conidia can rehydrate and germinate normally. Because this microcycle conidiation occurs at the expense of endogenous reserves, the ability to produce secondary conidia is lost after four successive cycles without a period of growth on nutrient media. This alternative method of maintaining inoculum potential during periods of fluctuating relative humidity may have epidemiological consequences when primary conidia fail to infect.

Drug and radiation sensitivity measurements of successful primary monolayer culturing of human tumor cells using cell-adhesive matrix and supplemented medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baker, F.L.; Spitzer, G.; Ajani, J.A.

1986-01-01

The limitations of the agar suspension culture method for primary culturing of human tumor cells prompted development of a monolayer system optimized for cell adhesion and growth. This method grew 83% of fresh human tumor cell biopsy specimens, cultured and not contaminated, from a heterogeneous group of 396 tumors including lung cancer (93 of 114, 82%); melanoma (54 of 72, 75%); sarcoma (46 of 59, 78%); breast cancer (35 of 39, 90%); ovarian cancer (16 of 21, 76%); and a miscellaneous group consisting of gastrointestinal, genitourinary, mesothelioma, and unknown primaries (78 of 91, 86%). Cell growth was characterized morphologically with Papanicolaoustained coverslip cultures and cytogenetically with Giemsastained metaphase spreads. Morphological features such as nuclear pleomorphism, chromatin condensation, basophilic cytoplasm, and melanin pigmentation were routinely seen. Aneuploid metaphases were seen in 90% of evaluable cultures, with 15 of 28 showing 70% or more aneuploid metaphases. Colony-forming efficiency ranged between 0.01 and 1% of viable tumor cells, with a median efficiency of 0.2%. This culture system uses a low inoculum of 25,000 viable cells per well which permitted chemosensitivity testing of nine drugs at four doses in duplicate from 2.2 X 10(6) viable tumor cells and radiation sensitivity testing at five doses in quadruplicate from 0.6 X 10(6) cells. Cultures were analyzed for survival by computerized image analysis of crystal violet-stained cells. Drug sensitivity studies showed variability in sensitivity and in survival curve shape with exponential cell killing for cisplatin, Adriamycin, and etoposide, and shouldered survival curves for 5-fluorouracil frequently seen. Radiation sensitivity studies also showed variability in both sensitivity and survival curve shape. Many cultures showed exponential cell killing, although others had shouldered survival curves

Lifestyle and risk factor management in people at high risk of cardiovascular disease. A report from the European Society of Cardiology European Action on Secondary and Primary Prevention by Intervention to Reduce Events (EUROASPIRE) IV cross-sectional survey in 14 European regions

OpenAIRE

Kotseva, Kornelia; De Bacquer, Dirk; De Backer, Guy; Ryden, Lars; Jennings, Catriona; Gyberg, Viveca; Abreu, Ana; Aguiar, Carlos; Conde, Almudena C.; Davletov, Kairat; Dilic, Mirza; Dolzhenko, Maryna; Gaita, Dan; Georgiev, Borislav; Gotcheva, Nina

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: European Action on Secondary and Primary Prevention by Intervention to Reduce Events (EUROASPIRE) IV in primary care was a cross-sectional survey carried out by the European Society of Cardiology, EURObservational Research Programme in 2014-2015 in 71 centres from 14 European countries. The main objective was to determine whether the 2012 Joint European Societies' guidelines on cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention in people at high CVD risk have been followed in clinical practi...

Clinical presentation of primary hypothyroidism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmed, B.; Hussain, T.; Memon, A. R.; Solangi, G. A.

2001-01-01

Objective: To determine the clinical preparation of primary hypothyroidism at the time of diagnosis. Design: It was an observational and prospective study. Place and Duration of Study: Civil Hospital, Karachi from 1st January 1997 to 31st December 1997. Subjects and Methods: Forty-eight consecutive cases of primary hypothyroidism were included. A detailed history with special emphasis on symptoms and signs was conducted and the findings observed were noted in previously made proforma. Results: Primary hypothyroidism was found to be 5 times more common in female patients, with male to female ratio 1:5, majority of cases (33.33%) were between 41 to 50 years of age. The common symptoms at the time of presentation were tiredness (95.8%), weakness (91.6%), weight gain (85.4%), hoarseness of voice (83.3%), cold intolerance (77.0%) and constipation (75.0%) in patients. Physical signs observed were delayed relaxation of ankle jerk (93.7%), periorbital edema (83.3%), thick tongue (62.5%), goiter (50.0%), dry and coarse skin (47.9%) in patients. Serum, TSH, T4 and T3 were performed in all cases through immunoradiometric technique. Serum TSH was markedly elevated, with normal to reduced T4 and T3 levels in all cases. Conclusion: Primary hypothyroidism was found more common in female than male of the age group 41-50 years. Weakness, tiredness, hoarseness of voice and constipation were the common symptoms noted. The diagnosis is almost certain on clinical grounds if the patient happens to have delayed relaxation of ankle jerks and periorbital puffiness. (author)

Effects of a Theory-Based Education Program to Prevent Overweightness in Primary School Children

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kocken, P.L.; Scholten, A.M.; Westhoff,E.; Kok, B.P.H.; Taal, E.M.; Goldbohm, R.A.

2016-01-01

The effectiveness of the “Extra Fit!” (EF!) education program in promoting healthy diet and physical activity to prevent and reduce overweightness among primary school children aged 9 to 11 was evaluated. A randomized controlled design was carried out in 45 primary schools (n = 1112) in the

Novel Dental Cement to Combat Biofilms and Reduce Acids for Orthodontic Applications to Avoid Enamel Demineralization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ning Zhang

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Orthodontic treatments often lead to biofilm buildup and white spot lesions due to enamel demineralization. The objectives of this study were to develop a novel bioactive orthodontic cement to prevent white spot lesions, and to determine the effects of cement compositions on biofilm growth and acid production. 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC, nanoparticles of silver (NAg, and dimethylaminohexadecyl methacrylate (DMAHDM were incorporated into a resin-modified glass ionomer cement (RMGI. Enamel shear bond strength (SBS was determined. Protein adsorption was determined using a micro bicinchoninic acid method. A dental plaque microcosm biofilm model with human saliva as inoculum was used to investigate metabolic activity, colony-forming units (CFU and lactic acid production. Incorporating 3% of MPC, 1.5% of DMAHDM, and 0.1% of NAg into RMGI, and immersing in distilled water at 37 °C for 30 days, did not decrease the SBS, compared to control (p > 0.1. RMGI with 3% MPC + 1.5% DMAHDM + 0.1% NAg had protein amount that was 1/10 that of control. RMGI with triple agents (MPC + DMAHDM + NAg had much stronger antibacterial property than using a single agent or double agents (p < 0.05. Biofilm CFU on RMGI with triple agents was reduced by more than 3 orders of magnitude, compared to commercial control. Biofilm metabolic activity and acid production were also greatly reduced. In conclusion, adding MPC + DMAHDM + NAg in RMGI substantially inhibited biofilm viability and acid production, without compromising the orthodontic bracket bond strength to enamel. The novel bioactive cement is promising for orthodontic applications to hinder biofilms and plaque buildup and enamel demineralization.

Evaluation of non-chemical seed treatment methods for control of Alternaria brassicicola on cabbage seeds

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Amein, T.; Wright, Al S.; Wikstrom, M.; Koch, E.; Schmitt, A.; Stephan, D.; Jahn, M.; Tinivella, F.; Gullino, M.L.; Forsberg, G.; Werner, S.; Wolf, van der J.M.; Groot, S.P.C.

2011-01-01

Due to the lack of foliar fungicide use, the organic production of Brassica seeds free of Alternaria spp. is difficult. Therefore, effective seed treatments certified for use in organic farming are needed to eradicate or at least effec­tively reduce the seed-borne inoculum. We here report results of

Reduced TCA Flux in Diabetic Myotubes: Determined by Single Defects?

Science.gov (United States)

Gaster, Michael

2012-01-01

The diabetic phenotype is complex, requiring elucidation of key initiating defects. Diabetic myotubes express a primary reduced tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle flux but at present it is unclear in which part of the TCA cycle the defect is localised. In order to localise the defect we studied ATP production in isolated mitochondria from substrates entering the TCA cycle at various points. ATP production was measured by luminescence with or without concomitant ATP utilisation by hexokinase in mitochondria isolated from myotubes established from eight lean and eight type 2 diabetic subjects. The ATP production of investigated substrate combinations was significantly reduced in mitochondria isolated from type 2 diabetic subjects compared to lean. However, when ATP synthesis rates at different substrate combinations were normalized to the corresponding individual pyruvate-malate rate, there was no significant difference between groups. These results show that the primary reduced TCA cycle flux in diabetic myotubes is not explained by defects in specific part of the TCA cycle but rather results from a general downregulation of the TCA cycle.

Characteristics of effective schools in facing and reducing bullying

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kyriakides, Leonidas; Creemers, Bert Peter Maria

This article examines whether variation in school effectiveness in terms of reducing bullying can be attributed to differences in their classroom and school learning environment. All 6th grade students (n = 1504) of 35 primary schools in Cyprus participated in this study. The revised Olweus

The effectiveness of a de-implementation strategy to reduce low-value blood management techniques in primary hip and knee arthroplasty: a pragmatic cluster-randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Voorn, Veronique M A; Marang-van de Mheen, Perla J; van der Hout, Anja; Hofstede, Stefanie N; So-Osman, Cynthia; van den Akker-van Marle, M Elske; Kaptein, Ad A; Stijnen, Theo; Koopman-van Gemert, Ankie W M M; Dahan, Albert; Vliet Vlieland, Thea P M M; Nelissen, Rob G H H; van Bodegom-Vos, Leti

2017-05-30

Perioperative autologous blood salvage and preoperative erythropoietin are not (cost) effective to reduce allogeneic transfusion in primary hip and knee arthroplasty, but are still used. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a theoretically informed multifaceted strategy to de-implement these low-value blood management techniques. Twenty-one Dutch hospitals participated in this pragmatic cluster-randomized trial. At baseline, data were gathered for 924 patients from 10 intervention and 1040 patients from 11 control hospitals undergoing hip or knee arthroplasty. The intervention included a multifaceted de-implementation strategy which consisted of interactive education, feedback on blood management performance, and a comparison with benchmark hospitals, aimed at orthopedic surgeons and anesthesiologists. After the intervention, data were gathered for 997 patients from the intervention and 1096 patients from the control hospitals. The randomization outcome was revealed after the baseline measurement. Primary outcomes were use of blood salvage and erythropoietin. Secondary outcomes included postoperative hemoglobin, length of stay, allogeneic transfusions, and use of local infiltration analgesia (LIA) and tranexamic acid (TXA). The use of blood salvage (OR 0.08, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.30) and erythropoietin (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.09 to 0.97) reduced significantly over time, but did not differ between intervention and control hospitals (blood salvage OR 1.74 95% CI 0.27 to 11.39, erythropoietin OR 1.33, 95% CI 0.26 to 6.84). Postoperative hemoglobin levels were significantly higher (β 0.21, 95% CI 0.08 to 0.34) and length of stay shorter (β -0.36, 95% CI -0.64 to -0.09) in hospitals receiving the multifaceted strategy, compared with control hospitals and after adjustment for baseline. Transfusions did not differ between the intervention and control hospitals (OR 1.06, 95% CI 0.63 to 1.78). Both LIA (OR 0.0, 95% CI 0.0 to 0.0) and TXA (OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.2 to 0

Suicidal ideations, plans and attempts in primary care: cross-sectional study of consultants at primary health care system in Morocco.

Science.gov (United States)

Oneib, Bouchra; Sabir, Maria; Otheman, Yassine; Abda, Naima; Ouanass, Abderrazzak

2016-01-01

The aim of the study is to estimate the prevalence of suicidal ideation among Moroccan consultants in primary health care system. We conducted a cross sectional survey in three health care centers in two cities of Morocco to estimate the prevalence of suicidal ideation, plan and suicide attempts among 396 consultants in the primary health care system, using the Mini International neuropsychiatric interview. Patients were 18 years and older, without known psychiatric or chronic somatic disease. Statistical analysis was performed by the SPSS 13.0 software. The prevalence of suicidal ideation was 5.3%, and 2.7% of the patients planned their suicide and 1.2% tried to commit suicide. The multivariate analysis did not demonstrate significant association. Suicidal ideation, plan and suicide attempts are prevalent in primary health care patients, but they are still under diagnosed. An adequate training of physicians and the establishment of education programs is essential to reduce the rate of suicide.

Life cycle primary energy analysis of residential buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gustavsson, Leif; Joelsson, Anna [Ecotechnology, Department of Engineering and Sustainable Development, Mid Sweden University, SE-831 25 Oestersund (Sweden)

2010-02-15

The space heating demand of residential buildings can be decreased by improved insulation, reduced air leakage and by heat recovery from ventilation air. However, these measures result in an increased use of materials. As the energy for building operation decreases, the relative importance of the energy used in the production phase increases and influences optimization aimed at minimizing the life cycle energy use. The life cycle primary energy use of buildings also depends on the energy supply systems. In this work we analyse primary energy use and CO{sub 2} emission for the production and operation of conventional and low-energy residential buildings. Different types of energy supply systems are included in the analysis. We show that for a conventional and a low-energy building the primary energy use for production can be up to 45% and 60%, respectively, of the total, depending on the energy supply system, and with larger variations for conventional buildings. The primary energy used and the CO{sub 2} emission resulting from production are lower for wood-framed constructions than for concrete-framed constructions. The primary energy use and the CO{sub 2} emission depend strongly on the energy supply, for both conventional and low-energy buildings. For example, a single-family house from the 1970s heated with biomass-based district heating with cogeneration has 70% lower operational primary energy use than if heated with fuel-based electricity. The specific primary energy use with district heating was 40% lower than that of an electrically heated passive row house. (author)

Hormone replacement for osteoporosis in women with primary biliary cirrhosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rudic, Jelena S; Poropat, Goran; Krstic, Miodrag N

2011-01-01

Women with primary biliary cirrhosis often suffer from postmenopausal osteoporosis due to their age, or osteoporosis secondary to their liver disease, or treatments provided for their liver disease. Hormone replacement increases bone mineral density and reduces fractures in postmenopausal women...

Complete factorial design to adjust pH and sugar concentrations in the inoculum phase of Ralstonia solanacearum to optimize P(3HB production.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karine Laste Macagnan

Full Text Available Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate (P(3HB is a biodegradable plastic biopolymer that accumulates as lipophilic inclusions in the cytoplasm of some microorganisms. The biotechnological process by which P(3HB is synthesized occurs in two phases. The first phase involves cell growth in a complex culture medium, while the second phase involves polymer accumulation in the presence of excess carbon sources. As such, the efficiency of the second phase depends on the first phase. The aim of this study was to evaluate culture media with different concentrations of sucrose and glucose and different pH values in the inoculum phase of Ralstonia solanacearum RS with the intention of identifying methods by which the biomass yield could be increased, subsequently enhancing the yield of P(3HB. The culture medium was formulated according to the experimental planning type of central composite rotational design 22. The independent variables were pH and sugar concentration (sucrose and glucose, and the dependent variables were OD600nm, dry cell weight (DCW, and P(3HB yield. The highest cell growth, estimated by the OD600nm (20.6 and DCW (5.35 values, was obtained when sucrose was used in the culture medium at a concentration above 35 g.L-1 in combination with an acidic pH. High polymer (45% accumulation was also achieved under these conditions. Using glucose, the best results for OD600nm (12.5 and DCW (2.74 were also obtained at acidic pH but with a sugar concentration at the minimum values evaluated. Due to the significant accumulation of polymer in the cells that were still in the growth phase, the accumulating microorganism P(3HB Ralstonia solanacearum RS can be classified as having type II metabolism in relation to the polymer accumulation phase, which is different from other Ralstonia spp. studied until this time.

Aspirin for Primary Prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

Richman, Ilana B; Owens, Douglas K

2017-07-01

Aspirin reduces the risk of nonfatal myocardial infarction and stroke, and the risk of colorectal cancer. Aspirin increases the risk of gastrointestinal and intracranial bleeding. The best available evidence supports initiating aspirin in select populations. In 2016, the US Preventive Services Task Force recommended initiating aspirin for the primary prevention of both cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer among adults ages 50 to 59 who are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Adults 60 to 69 who are at increased cardiovascular disease risk may also benefit. There remains considerable uncertainty about whether younger and older patients may benefit. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Inoculum development by using activated sludge to remove hydrogen sulphide (H2S through biofiltration* Desarrollo de un inóculo microbiano empleando lodos activados para la remoción de ácido sulfhídrico (H2S mediante biofiltración*

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carmona Salgado Yezid

2005-12-01

Full Text Available Different activated sludges were used for developing an inoculum able to degrade hydrogen sulphide in a pilot scale biofiltration plant using two different support materials: sugarcane bagasse and this bagasse mixed with pumice stone. Adapting and selecting microbial species which degrade hydrogen sulphide (H2S was aided by adding nutrients plus a specific substrate to the activated sludge. Population variation was monitored within the different trophic groups in the biofiter medium during pilot scale plant operation, a general trend towards sulphur-oxidising bacteria (SOB growth being observed as was a decrease in heterotrophic bacteria, molds and yeasts. The activated sludge which showed the highest substrate degradation speed was selected for standardising inoculum preparation; the different nutritional mediums were evaluated during this process. Measuring some variables for controlling the process led to choosing the pH for determining the proper point of inoculum adaptation for this specific substrate. The inoculation procedure and support characteristics in terms of establishing and developing the microbial species increased biofilter removal efficiency by up to 99% from start-up. Key words: biofilter, activated sludge, adapted microorganisms, sulphur-oxidising bacteria, respirometry. Este artículo es el resultado de un proyecto cofinanciado por Colciencias y desarrollado por un grupo de investigadores vinculados al proyecto a través de las entidades CorporaciónSe utilizaron lodos activados de diferentes orígenes para el desarrollo de un inóculo apto para la degradación de ácido sulfhídrico en un sistema piloto de biofiltración con dos unidades de diferentes materiales de soporte: bagazo de caña en un caso y una mezcla de este y piedra pómez en el otro. Mediante la adición a los lodos activados, de medio nutritivo con un sustrato específico, se favoreció el proceso de adaptación y selección de las especies

Reduction of Escherichia coli O157:H7 viability on leafy green vegetables by treatment with a bacteriophage mixture and trans-cinnamaldehyde.

Science.gov (United States)

Viazis, Stelios; Akhtar, Mastura; Feirtag, Joellen; Diez-Gonzalez, Francisco

2011-02-01

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 has been recognized as a major foodborne pathogen responsible for frequent gastroenteritis outbreaks. Phages and essential oils can be used as a natural antimicrobial method to reduce bacterial pathogens from the food supply. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of a bacteriophage cocktail, BEC8, alone and in combination with the essential oil trans-cinnameldehyde (TC) on the viability of a mixture of EHEC O157:H7 strains applied on whole baby romaine lettuce and baby spinach leaves. The EHEC O157:H7 strains used were Nal(R) mutants of EK27, ATCC 43895, and 472. Exponentially growing cells from tryptic soy (TS) broth cultures were spot inoculated on leaves and dried. EHEC cells were placed at low, medium, and high inoculum levels (10(4), 10(5), and 10(6) CFU/mL, respectively). Appropriate controls, BEC8 (approx. 10(6) PFU/leaf), and TC (0.5% v/v) were applied on treated leaves. The leaves were incubated at 4, 8, 23, and 37 °C in Petri dishes with moistened filter papers. EHEC survival was determined using standard plate count on nalidixic acid (50 μg/mL) Sorbitol MacConkey agar. No survivors were detected when both leaves were treated with BEC8 or TC individually at low inoculum levels after 24 h at 23 and 37 °C. When the EHEC inoculum size increased and/or incubation temperature decreased, the efficacy of BEC8 and TC decreased. However, when the two treatments were combined, no survivors were detected after 10 min at all temperatures and inoculum levels on both leafy greens. These results indicated that the BEC8/TC combination was highly effective against EHEC on both leafy greens. This combination could potentially be used as an antimicrobial to inactivate EHEC O157:H7 and reduce their incidence in the food chain. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Do Independent Sector Treatment Centres (ISTC) impact on specialist registrar training in primary hip and knee arthroplasty?

Science.gov (United States)

Clamp, Jonathan A; Baiju, Dean; Copas, David P; Hutchinson, James W; Rowles, John M

2008-09-01

The introduction of Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) is likely to reduce specialist registrar (SpR) operative experience during higher surgical training (HST). A further negative impact on training by local Independent Sector Treatment Centres (ISTCs) could reduce experience, and thus competence, in primary joint arthroplasty at completion of higher surgical training. Retrospective case note and radiograph analysis of patients receiving primary hip and knee arthroplasty in a teaching hospital, before and after the establishment of a local ISTC. Patients and operative details were recorded from the selected case notes. Corresponding radiographs were assessed and the severity of the disease process assessed. Fewer primary hip and knee replacements were performed by SpRs in the time period after the establishment of an ISTC. ISTCs may adversely affect SpR training in primary joint arthroplasty.

Rationale and Design of the Reduce Elevated Left Atrial Pressure in Patients With Heart Failure (Reduce LAP-HF) Trial

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hasenfuss, Gerd; Gustafsson, Finn; Kaye, David

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is characterized by elevated left atrial pressure during rest and/or exercise. The Reduce LAP-HF (Reduce Elevated Left Atrial Pressure in Patients With Heart Failure) trial will evaluate the safety and performance of the Interatrial...... Shunt Device (IASD) System II, designed to directly reduce elevated left atrial pressure, in patients with HFpEF. METHODS: The Reduce LAP-HF Trial is a prospective, nonrandomized, open-label trial to evaluate a novel device that creates a small permanent shunt at the level of the atria. A minimum of 60...... patients with ejection fraction ≥40% and New York Heart Association functional class III or IV heart failure with a pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) ≥15 mm Hg at rest or ≥25 mm Hg during supine bike exercise will be implanted with an IASD System II, and followed for 6 months to assess the primary...

Bioremediation of treated wood with fungi

Science.gov (United States)

Barbara L. Illman; Vina W. Yang

2006-01-01

The authors have developed technologies for fungal bioremediation of waste wood treated with oilborne or metal-based preservatives. The technologies are based on specially formulated inoculum of wood-decay fungi, obtained through strain selection to obtain preservative-tolerant fungi. This waste management approach provides a product with reduced wood volume and the...

Treatment of real wastewater using co-culture of immobilized Chlorella vulgaris and suspended activated sludge.

Science.gov (United States)

Mujtaba, Ghulam; Lee, Kisay

2017-09-01

The use of algal-bacterial symbiotic association establishes a sustainable and cost-effective strategy in wastewater treatment. Using municipal wastewater, the removal performances of inorganic nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and organic pollutants were investigated by the co-culture system having different inoculum ratios (R) of suspended activated sludge to alginate-immobilized microalgae Chlorella vulgaris. The co-culture reactors with lower R ratios obtained more removal of nitrogen than in pure culture of C. vulgaris. The reactor with R = 0.5 (sludge/microalgae) showed the highest performance representing 66% removal after 24 h and 95% removal after 84 h. Phosphorus was completely eliminated (100%) in the co-culture system with inoculum ratios of 0.5 and 1.0 after 24 h and in the pure C. vulgaris culture after 36 h. The COD level was greatly reduced in the activated sludge reactor, while, it was increasing in pure C. vulgaris culture after 24 h of incubation. However, COD was almost stabilized after 24 h in the reactors with high R ratios such as 2.0, 5.0, and 10 due to the higher concentration of activated sludge. The growth of C. vulgaris was promoted from 0.03 g/L/d to 0.05 g/L/d in the co-culture of low inoculum ratios such as R = 0.5, implying that there exist an optimum inoculum ratio in the co-culture system in order to achieve efficient removal of nutrients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Surface topography regulates wnt signaling through control of primary cilia structure in mesenchymal stem cells

Science.gov (United States)

McMurray, R. J.; Wann, A. K. T.; Thompson, C. L.; Connelly, J. T.; Knight, M. M.

2013-01-01

The primary cilium regulates cellular signalling including influencing wnt sensitivity by sequestering β-catenin within the ciliary compartment. Topographic regulation of intracellular actin-myosin tension can control stem cell fate of which wnt is an important mediator. We hypothesized that topography influences mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) wnt signaling through the regulation of primary cilia structure and function. MSCs cultured on grooves expressed elongated primary cilia, through reduced actin organization. siRNA inhibition of anterograde intraflagellar transport (IFT88) reduced cilia length and increased active nuclear β-catenin. Conversely, increased primary cilia assembly in MSCs cultured on the grooves was associated with decreased levels of nuclear active β-catenin, axin-2 induction and proliferation, in response to wnt3a. This negative regulation, on grooved topography, was reversed by siRNA to IFT88. This indicates that subtle regulation of IFT and associated cilia structure, tunes the wnt response controlling stem cell differentiation. PMID:24346024

Linking agricultural practices, mycorrhizal fungi, and traits mediating plant-insect interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Barber, Nicholas A; Kiers, E Toby; Theis, Nina; Hazzard, Ruth V; Adler, Lynn S

2013-10-01

Agricultural management has profound effects on soil communities. Activities such as fertilizer inputs can modify the composition of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) communities, which form important symbioses with the roots of most crop plants. Intensive conventional agricultural management may select for less mutualistic AMF with reduced benefits to host plants compared to organic management, but these differences are poorly understood. AMF are generally evaluated based on their direct growth effects on plants. However, mycorrhizal colonization also may alter plant traits such as tissue nutrients, defensive chemistry, or floral traits, which mediate important plant-insect interactions like herbivory and pollination. To determine the effect of AMF from different farming practices on plant performance and traits that putatively mediate species interactions, we performed a greenhouse study by inoculating Cucumis sativus (cucumber, Cucurbitaceae) with AMF from conventional farms, organic farms, and a commercial AMF inoculum. We measured growth and a suite of plant traits hypothesized to be important predictors of herbivore resistance and pollinator attraction. Several leaf and root traits and flower production were significantly affected by AMF inoculum. Both conventional and organic AMF reduced leaf P content but increased Na content compared to control and commercial AMF. Leaf defenses were unaffected by AMF treatments, but conventional AMF increased root cucurbitacin C, the primary defensive chemical of C. sativus, compared to organic AMF. These effects may have important consequences for herbivore preference and population dynamics. AMF from both organic and conventional farms decreased flower production relative to commercial and control treatments, which may reduce pollinator attraction and plant reproduction. AMF from both farm types also reduced seed germination, but effects on plant growth were limited. Our results suggest that studies only considering AMF

Physical control of primary productivity on a seasonal scale in ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Keywords. Primary production; upwelling; winter cooling; Ekman-pumping, nutrient transport; Arabian Sea ... on the other hand, is driven by advection from the Somalia upwelling. Surface cooling and convection resulting from reduced solar radiation and increased evaporation make the northern region productive in winter.

Integrated Current Balancing Transformer for Primary Parallel Isolated Boost Converter

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sen, Gökhan; Ouyang, Ziwei; Thomsen, Ole Cornelius

2011-01-01

A simple, PCB compatible integrated solution is proposed for the current balancing requirement of the primary parallel isolated boost converter (PPIBC). Input inductor and the current balancing transformer are merged into the same core, which reduces the number of components allowing a cheaper...

Fibromyalgia: management strategies for primary care providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Arnold, L M; Gebke, K B; Choy, E H S

2016-02-01

Fibromyalgia (FM), a chronic disorder defined by widespread pain, often accompanied by fatigue and sleep disturbance, affects up to one in 20 patients in primary care. Although most patients with FM are managed in primary care, diagnosis and treatment continue to present a challenge, and patients are often referred to specialists. Furthermore, the lack of a clear patient pathway often results in patients being passed from specialist to specialist, exhaustive investigations, prescription of multiple drugs to treat different symptoms, delays in diagnosis, increased disability and increased healthcare resource utilisation. We will discuss the current and evolving understanding of FM, and recommend improvements in the management and treatment of FM, highlighting the role of the primary care physician, and the place of the medical home in FM management. We reviewed the epidemiology, pathophysiology and management of FM by searching PubMed and references from relevant articles, and selected articles on the basis of quality, relevance to the illness and importance in illustrating current management pathways and the potential for future improvements. The implementation of a framework for chronic pain management in primary care would limit unnecessary, time-consuming, and costly tests, reduce diagnostic delay and improve patient outcomes. The patient-centred medical home (PCMH), a management framework that has been successfully implemented in other chronic diseases, might improve the care of patients with FM in primary care, by bringing together a team of professionals with a range of skills and training. Although there remain several barriers to overcome, implementation of a PCMH would allow patients with FM, like those with other chronic conditions, to be successfully managed in the primary care setting. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The efficiency and safety of fibrin sealant for reducing blood loss in primary total hip arthroplasty: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhiyuan; Xiao, Lin; Guo, Hao; Zhao, Guanghui; Ma, Jianbing

2017-01-01

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is associated with substantial blood loss. The objective of present systematic review and meta-analysis is to provide evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the efficiency and safety of administration of fibrin sealant (FS) for reducing blood loss in patients undergoing primary THA. Potential relevant studies were identified from electronic databases including Medline, PubMed, Embase, ScienceDirect, web of science and Cochrane Library. Gray academic studies were also identified from the reference list of included studies. There was no language restriction. Pooling of data was carried out by using RevMan 5.1. Six randomized controlled trials (RCTs) met the inclusion criteria. Current meta-analysis indicated that there were significant differences in terms of total blood loss (MD = -153.77, 95% CI: -287.21 to -20.34, P = 0.02), postoperative hemoglobin level (MD = -0.25, 95% CI: -0.46 to -0.05, P = 0.02) and transfusion rate (RD = -0.12, 95% CI: -0.22 to -0.03, P = 0.01) between groups. No significant differences were found regarding the incidence of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) (RD = 0.00, 95% CI: -0.01to 0.01, P = 0.51) or other side effects. Administration of fibrin sealant in total hip arthroplasty may reduce total blood loss, postoperative hemoglobin decline and transfusion requirements. Moreover, no adverse effect was related to FS. Due to the limited quality of the evidence currently available, higher quality RCTs are required. Copyright © 2016 IJS Publishing Group Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Acquiring a Pet Dog Significantly Reduces Stress of Primary Carers for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Prospective Case Control Study

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, H. F.; Hall, S.; Hames, A.; Hardiman, J.; Mills, R.; Mills, D. S.

2015-01-01

This study describes the impact of pet dogs on stress of primary carers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Stress levels of 38 primary carers acquiring a dog and 24 controls not acquiring a dog were sampled at: Pre-intervention (17 weeks before acquiring a dog), post-intervention (3-10 weeks after acquisition) and follow-up…

[Statins and ASS for primary prevention of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease].

Science.gov (United States)

Goltz, L; Bodechtel, U; Siepmann, T

2014-02-01

Whereas statins and acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) are considered gold standard for secondary prevention following myocardial infarction or atherotrombotic stroke, there are inconsistent data on the use of these drugs for primary prevention in patients with increased cardiovascular risk. Some meta-analyses indicated that the use of statins and ASA for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease can reduce the risk of cardiovascular events such as ischemic stroke or myocardial infarction. However, the effects of primary prevention with statins and ASA on mortality varied in the data included in these meta-analyses. Therefore the guidelines of the German College of General Practitioners and Family Physicians recommend primary prevention with statins and ASA only in those patients who have a 10-year risk of cardiovascular events which exceeds 20 %. Divergently, primary prevention with ASA is not recommended by the European Society of Cardiology. Observational studies suggested that treatment success of primary prevention with statins and ASA depends on various factors such as adherence to medication and prescription behavior of physicians. This review summarizes the current literature on primary prevention of cardiovascular events with ASA and statins. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Impact of implant design on primary stability of orthodontic mini-implants.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilmes, Benedict; Ottenstreuer, Stephanie; Su, Yu-Yu; Drescher, Dieter

2008-01-01

Skeletal anchorage with mini-implants has greatly broadened the treatment possibilities in orthodontics over the last few years. To reduce implant failure rates, it is advisable to obtain adequate primary stability. The aim of this study was to quantitatively analyze the impact of implant design and dimension on primary stability. Forty-two porcine iliac bone segments were prepared and embedded in resin. To evaluate the primary stability, we documented insertion torques of the following mini-implants: Aarhus Screw, AbsoAnchor, LOMAS, Micro-Anchorage-System, ORLUS and Spider Screw. In each bone, five Dual Top Screws were inserted for reference purposes to achieve comparability among the specimens. We observed wide variation in insertion torques and hence primary stability, depending on mini-implant design and dimension; the great impact that mini-implant diameter has on insertion torques was particularly conspicuous. Conical mini-implants achieved higher primary stabilities than cylindrical designs. The diameter and design of the mini-implant thread have a distinctive impact on primary stability. Depending on the region of insertion and local bone quality, the choice of the mini-implant design and size is crucial to establish sufficient primary stability.

Trends and volatility in sub Saharan Africa’s key primary commodity exports

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew Ocran

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Using a GARCH model the paper sought to test the hypothesis that price volatility of key Sub Saharan Africa primary commodity exports, have not changed over the past four decades. Whilst crude oil, aluminium, cocoa and six others have not experienced significant change in price volatility over the period, nine other major commodities recorded changes. Efforts need to be made to extensively diversify the portfolio of agricultural commodity exports by including new products of which price volatilities in the past decades have been reduced. This is crucial for countries that depend on up to three primary commodities for the bulk of their foreign exchange earnings. Other measures such as value addition can also help in reducing impacts of unfavourable price movements.

Comparing primary energy attributed to renewable energy with primary energy equivalent to determine carbon abatement in a national context.

Science.gov (United States)

Gallachóir, Brian P O; O'Leary, Fergal; Bazilian, Morgan; Howley, Martin; McKeogh, Eamon J

2006-01-01

The current conventional approach to determining the primary energy associated with non-combustible renewable energy (RE) sources such as wind energy and hydro power is to equate the electricity generated from these sources with the primary energy supply. This paper compares this with an approach that was formerly used by the IEA, in which the primary energy equivalent attributed to renewable energy was equated with the fossil fuel energy it displaces. Difficulties with implementing this approach in a meaningful way for international comparisons lead to most international organisations abandoning the primary energy equivalent methodology. It has recently re-emerged in prominence however, as efforts grow to develop baseline procedures for quantifying the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions avoided by renewable energy within the context of the Kyoto Protocol credit trading mechanisms. This paper discusses the primary energy equivalent approach and in particular the distinctions between displacing fossil fuel energy in existing plant or in new plant. The approach is then extended provide insight into future primary energy displacement by renewable energy and to quantify the amount of CO2 emissions avoided by renewable energy. The usefulness of this approach in quantifying the benefits of renewable energy is also discussed in an energy policy context, with regard to increasing security of energy supply as well as reducing energy-related GHG (and other) emissions. The approach is applied in a national context and Ireland is case study country selected for this research. The choice of Ireland is interesting in two respects. The first relates to the high proportion of electricity only fossil fuel plants in Ireland resulting in a significant variation between primary energy and primary energy equivalent. The second concerns Ireland's poor performance to date in limiting GHG emissions in line with its Kyoto target and points to the need for techniques to quantify the potential

Control of Root-Knot Nematodes on Tomato by the Endoparasitic Fungus Meria coniospora

OpenAIRE

Jansson, Hans-Börje; Jeyaprakash, A.; Zuckerman, Bert M.

1985-01-01

The endoparasitic nematophagous fungus Meria coniospora reduced root-knot nematode galling on tomatoes in greenhouse pot trials. The fungus was introduced to pots by addition of conidia at several inoculum levels directly to the soil or addition of nematodes infected with M. coniospora to the soil; both methods reduced root galling by root-knot nematodes. These studies represent a part of a recently initiated effort to evaluate the potential of endoparasitic nematophagous fungi for biocontrol...

Deposition and incorporation of corrosion product to primary coolant suppressing method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsuzuki, Yasuo; Hasegawa, Naoyoshi; Fujioka, Tsunaaki.

1992-01-01

In a PWR type nuclear power plant, the concentration of dissolved nitrogen in primary coolants is increased by controlling the nitrogen partial pressure in a volume controlling tank gas phase portion or addition of water in a primary system water supply tank containing dissolved nitrogen to a primary system. Then ammonium is formed by a reaction with hydrogen dissolved in the primary coolants in the field of radiation rays, to control the concentration of ammonium in the coolants within a range from 0.5 to 3.5 ppm, and operate the power plant. As a result, deposition and incorporation of corrosion products to the structural materials of the primary system equipments during plant operation (pH 6.8 to 8.0) are suppressed. In other words, deposition of particulate corrosion products on the surface of fuel cladding tubes and the inner surface of pipelines in the primary system main equipments is prevented and incorporation of ionic radioactive corrosion products to the oxide membranes on the inner surface of the pipelines of the primary system main equipments is suppressed, to greatly reduce the radiation dose rate of the primary system pipelines. Thus, operator's radiation exposure can be decreased upon shut down of the plant. (N.H.)

Bivalirudin Started during Emergency Transport for Primary PCI

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Steg, Philippe Gabriel; van 't Hof, Arnoud; Hamm, Christian W

2013-01-01

Bivalirudin, as compared with heparin and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors, has been shown to reduce rates of bleeding and death in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Whether these benefits persist in contemporary practice characterized by prehospital initiation...... of treatment, optional use of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors and novel P2Y12 inhibitors, and radial-artery PCI access use is unknown....

Primary shutdown system monitoring unit for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, Tahir Kamal; Balasubramanian, R.; Agilandaeswari, K.

2013-01-01

Shut off rods made up of neutron absorbing material are used as Primary Shutdown System. To reduce the power of the reactor under certain abnormal operating conditions, these rods must go down into the core within a specified time. Any malfunctioning in the movement of rods cannot be tolerated and Secondary Shutdown System (SSS) must be actuated within stipulated time to reduce the reactor power. A special safety critical, hardwired electronics unit has been designed to detect failure of PSS Shut off rods movements and generate trip signals for initiating SSS. (author)

Tacrolimus versus cyclosporin as primary immunosuppression for lung transplant recipients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Penninga, Luit; Penninga, Ida Elisabeth Irene; Møller, Christian H

2013-01-01

Lung transplantation is a well-accepted treatment for people with most end-stage lung diseases. Although both tacrolimus and cyclosporin are used as primary immunosuppressive agents in lung transplant recipients, it is unclear which of these drugs is better in reducing rejection and death without...

Obstetric outcomes in reduced and non-reduced twin pregnancies. A single hospital experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

UmmKulthoum E. AlShelaly

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Objectives: To compare pregnancy outcomes between high-order multiple pregnancies resulting from assisted reproductive technology (ART reduced to twins and non-reduced pregnancies, and to evaluate indications for using ART. Methods: This is a descriptive retrospective review of women with high-order multiple pregnancies reduced to twin carried out at the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between December 2010 and December 2013. The control group consisted of subjects with twin pregnancies who received their fertility treatment at the same hospital during the same period. Results: One hundred and twelve women were included in this study. Of women reaching fetal viability, significantly more women delivered before the thirtieth week in the study group (50% versus 12%, p<0.004. Miscarriage/delivery prior to fetal viability, chorioamnionitis, and preterm premature rupture of membranes were statistically higher in the study group. A total of 83% of the miscarriages in the study group were in women carrying 4 or more fetuses initially, and 50% of women in the study group were multiparous with no clear indication for fertility treatment. Conclusion: Although fetal reduction is a safe procedure, it is associated with complications. Primary prevention of high-order multiple pregnancy is recommended.

Effect of seed sludge on characteristics and microbial community of aerobic granular sludge.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Zhiwei; Pan, Yuejun; Zhang, Kun; Ren, Nanqi; Wang, Aijie

2010-01-01

Aerobic granular sludge was cultivated by using different kinds of seed sludge in sequencing batch airlift reactor. The influence of seed sludge on physical and chemical properties of granular sludge was studied; the microbial community structure was probed by using scanning electron microscope and polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE). The results showed that seed sludge played an important role on the formation of aerobic granules. Seed sludge taken from beer wastewater treatment plant (inoculum A) was more suitable for cultivating aerobic granules than that of sludge from municipal wastewater treatment plant (inoculum B). Cultivated with inoculum A, large amount of mature granules formed after 35 days operation, its SVI reached 32.75 mL/g, and SOUR of granular sludge was beyond 1.10 mg/(g x min). By contrast, it needed 56 days obtaining mature granules using inoculum B. DGGE profiles indicated that the dominant microbial species in mature granules were 18 and 11 OTU when inoculum A and B were respectively employed as seed sludge. The sequencing results suggested that dominant species in mature granules cultivated by inoculum A were Paracoccus sp., Devosia hwasunensi, Pseudoxanthomonas sp., while the dominant species were Lactococcus raffinolactis and Pseudomonas sp. in granules developed from inoculum B.

Dissection of niche competition between introduced and indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi with respect to soybean yield responses.

Science.gov (United States)

Niwa, Rieko; Koyama, Takuya; Sato, Takumi; Adachi, Katsuki; Tawaraya, Keitaro; Sato, Shusei; Hirakawa, Hideki; Yoshida, Shigenobu; Ezawa, Tatsuhiro

2018-05-09

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi associate with most land plants and deliver phosphorus to the host. Identification of biotic/abiotic factors that determine crop responses to AM fungal inoculation is an essential step for successful application of the fungi in sustainable agriculture. We conducted three field trials on soybean with a commercial inoculum and developed a new molecular tool to dissect interactions between the inoculum and indigenous fungi on the MiSeq sequencing platform. Regression analysis indicated that sequence read abundance of the inoculum fungus was the most significant factor that determined soybean yield responses to the inoculation, suggesting that dominance of the inoculum fungus is a necessary condition for positive yield responses. Agricultural practices (fallow/cropping in the previous year) greatly affected the colonization levels (i.e. read abundances) of the inoculum fungus via altering the propagule density of indigenous AM fungi. Analysis of niche competition revealed that the inoculum fungus competed mainly with the indigenous fungi that are commonly distributed in the trial sites, probably because their life-history strategy is the same as that of the inoculum fungus. In conclusion, we provide a new framework for evaluating the significance of environmental factors towards successful application of AM fungi in agriculture.

Role of the primary health care team in preventing accidents to children.

OpenAIRE

Kendrick, D

1994-01-01

Accidents are the most common cause of mortality in children and account for considerable childhood morbidity. The identification of risk factors for childhood accidents suggests that many are predictable and therefore preventable. Numerous interventions have been found to be effective in reducing the morbidity and mortality from childhood accidents. The scope for accident prevention within the primary care setting and the roles of the members of the primary health care team are discussed. Fi...

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) reduces pain, fatigue, and hyperalgesia while restoring central inhibition in primary fibromyalgia

OpenAIRE

Dailey, Dana L; Rakel, Barbara A; Vance, Carol GT; Liebano, Richard E; Anand, Amrit S; Bush, Heather M; Lee, Kyoung S; Lee, Jennifer E; Sluka, Kathleen A

2013-01-01

Because TENS works by reducing central excitability and activating central inhibition pathways, we tested the hypothesis that TENS would reduce pain and fatigue and improve function and hyperalgesia in people with fibromyalgia who have enhanced central excitability and reduced inhibition. The current study used a double-blinded randomized, placebo controlled cross-over design to test effects of a single treatment of TENS in people with fibromyalgia. Three treatments were assessed in random or...

Antifibrinolytic drugs for treating primary postpartum haemorrhage.

Science.gov (United States)

Shakur, Haleema; Beaumont, Danielle; Pavord, Sue; Gayet-Ageron, Angele; Ker, Katharine; Mousa, Hatem A

2018-02-20

Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) - heaving bleeding within the first 24 hours after giving birth - is one of the main causes of death of women after childbirth. Antifibrinolytics, primarily tranexamic acid (TXA), have been shown to reduce bleeding in surgery and safely reduces mortality in trauma patients with bleeding without increasing the risk of adverse events.An earlier Cochrane review on treatments for primary PPH covered all the various available treatments - that review has now been split by types of treatment. This new review concentrates only on the use of antifibrinolytic drugs for treating primary PPH. To determine the effectiveness and safety of antifibrinolytic drugs for treating primary PPH. We searched Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth's Trials Register, ClinicalTrials.gov, the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (28 May 2017) and reference lists of retrieved studies. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs), including cluster-randomised trials of antifibrinolytic drugs (aprotinin, TXA, epsilon-aminocaproic acid (EACA) and aminomethylbenzoic acid, administered by whatever route) for primary PPH in women.Participants in the trials were women after birth following a pregnancy of at least 24 weeks' gestation with a diagnosis of PPH, regardless of mode of birth (vaginal or caesarean section) or other aspects of third stage management.We have not included quasi-randomised trials, or cross-over studies. Studies reported as abstracts have not been included if there was insufficient information to allow assessment of risk of bias.In this review we only identified studies looking at TXA. Two review authors independently extracted data from each study using an agreed form. We entered data into Review Manager software and checked for accuracy.For key review outcomes, we rated the quality of the evidence as 'high', 'moderate', 'low' or 'very low' according to the GRADE approach. Three trials (20,412 women) met our inclusion criteria. Two trials

Bridging a divide: architecture for a joint hospital-primary care data warehouse.

Science.gov (United States)

An, Jeff; Keshavjee, Karim; Mirza, Kashif; Vassanji, Karim; Greiver, Michelle

2015-01-01

Healthcare costs are driven by a surprisingly small number of patients. Predicting who is likely to require care in the near future could help reduce costs by pre-empting use of expensive health care resources such as emergency departments and hospitals. We describe the design of an architecture for a joint hospital-primary care data warehouse (JDW) that can monitor the effectiveness of in-hospital interventions in reducing readmissions and predict which patients are most likely to be admitted to hospital in the near future. The design identifies the key governance elements, the architectural principles, the business case, the privacy architecture, future work flows, the IT infrastructure, the data analytics and the high level implementation plan for realization of the JDW. This architecture fills a gap in bridging data from two separate hospital and primary care organizations, not a single managed care entity with multiple locations. The JDW architecture design was well received by the stakeholders engaged and by senior leadership at the hospital and the primary care organization. Future plans include creating a demonstration system and conducting a pilot study.

Oncology in primary health care

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendoza del Pino, Mario Valentín

2009-01-01

The book O ncology in the primary health care , constitutes an important contribution to the prevention and treatment of cancer, from a very comprehensive assessment. It's a disease that is the second leading cause of death in our country, to much pain and suffering is for the patient and their family. The book has a very useful for basic health equipment approach, since it emphasizes that cancer can be prevented if achieved in the population changes in lifestyle. The book is valued not correct food as responsible for one third of all cancers. Currently important research being developed in relation to psiconeuroinmuno-Endocrinology, who is studying the association between psychological factors and the development of cancer valuing that kept stress and depression reduces the antitumor activity of the immune system; that made programs with encouraging results where the treatment of cancer has joined elements of psychotherapy, immunotherapy and the use of the biotherapy. The focus of the book fills an important place in the primary health care and is an indispensable guide for professionals at this level of care (author)

[Peculiarities of growth of the monocellular green algae culture after the influence of electromagnetic field in deuterated water-containing media].

Science.gov (United States)

Semenov, K T; Aslanian, R R

2013-01-01

Exposing the inoculum of monocellular green algae Dunalialla tertiolecta and Tetraselmis viridis to 50 Hz electromagnetic field for several hours resulted in a reduced growth rate in both cultures. It was ascertained that heavy water inhibited growth of algae Dunaliella tertiolecta. The light water activated growth of the culture in the exponential phase only.

Primary and secondary organic aerosols in summer 2016 in Beijing

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Rongzhi; Wu, Zepeng; Li, Xiao; Wang, Yujue; Shang, Dongjie; Xiao, Yao; Li, Mengren; Zeng, Limin; Wu, Zhijun; Hallquist, Mattias; Hu, Min; Guo, Song

2018-03-01

To improve air quality, the Beijing government has employed several air pollution control measures since the 2008 Olympics. In order to investigate organic aerosol sources after the implementation of these measures, ambient fine particulate matter was collected at a regional site in Changping (CP) and an urban site at the Peking University Atmosphere Environment Monitoring Station (PKUERS) during the Photochemical Smog in China field campaign in summer 2016. Chemical mass balance (CMB) modeling and the tracer yield method were used to apportion primary and secondary organic sources. Our results showed that the particle concentration decreased significantly during the last few years. The apportioned primary and secondary sources explained 62.8 ± 18.3 and 80.9 ± 27.2 % of the measured OC at CP and PKUERS, respectively. Vehicular emissions served as the dominant source. Except for gasoline engine emissions, the contributions of all the other primary sources decreased. In addition, the anthropogenic SOC, i.e., toluene SOC, also decreased, implying that deducting primary emissions can reduce anthropogenic SOA. In contrast to the SOA from other regions in the world where biogenic SOA was dominant, anthropogenic SOA was the major contributor to SOA, implying that deducting anthropogenic VOC emissions is an efficient way to reduce SOA in Beijing. Back-trajectory cluster analysis results showed that high mass concentrations of OC were observed when the air mass was from the south. However, the contributions of different primary organic sources were similar, suggesting regional particle pollution. The ozone concentration and temperature correlated well with the SOA concentration. Different correlations between day and night samples suggested different SOA formation pathways. Significant enhancement of SOA with increasing particle water content and acidity was observed in our study, suggesting that aqueous-phase acid-catalyzed reactions may be the important SOA formation

Assessment of the Effectiveness of Ectomycorrhizal Inocula to Promote Growth and Root Ectomycorrhizal Colonization in Pinus patula Seedlings Using the Most Probable Number Technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuel Restrepo-Llano

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate the response of Pinus patula seedlings to two inocula types: soil from a Pinus plantation (ES and an in vitro produced inoculum (EM. The most probable number method (MPN was used to quantify ectomycorrhizal propagule density (EPD in both inocula in a 7-order dilution series ranging from 100 (undiluted inoculum to 10−6 (the most diluted inoculum. The MPN method allowed establishing differences in the number of infective ectomycorrhizal propagules’ density (EPD (ES=34 per g; EM=156 per g. The results suggest that the EPD of an inoculum may be a key factor that influences the successfulness of the inoculation. The low EPD of the ES inoculum suggests that soil extracted from forest plantations had very low effectiveness for promoting root colonization and plant growth. In contrast, the high EPD found in the formulated inoculum (EM reinforced the idea that it is better to use proven high quality inocula for forest nurseries than using soil from a forestry plantation.

Histological evaluation of AMPK signalling in primary breast cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hadad, Sirwan M; Hardie, David G; Fleming, Stewart; Thompson, Alastair M; Baker, Lee; Quinlan, Philip R; Robertson, Katherine E; Bray, Susan E; Thomson, George; Kellock, David; Jordan, Lee B; Purdie, Colin A

2009-01-01

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) acts as a cellular fuel gauge that responds to energy stress by suppressing cell growth and biosynthetic processes, thus ensuring that energy-consuming processes proceed only if there are sufficient metabolic resources. Malfunction of the AMPK pathway may allow cancer cells to undergo uncontrolled proliferation irrespective of their molecular energy levels. The aim of this study was to examine the state of AMPK phosphorylation histologically in primary breast cancer in relation to clinical and pathological parameters. Immunohistochemistry was performed using antibodies to phospho-AMPK (pAMPK), phospho-Acetyl Co-A Carboxylase (pACC) an established target for AMPK, HER2, ERα, and Ki67 on Tissue Micro-Array (TMA) slides of two cohorts of 117 and 237 primary breast cancers. The quick score method was used for scoring and patterns of protein expression were compared with clinical and pathological data, including a minimum 5 years follow up. Reduced signal, compared with the strong expression in normal breast epithelium, using a pAMPK antibody was demonstrated in 101/113 (89.4%) and 217/236 (91.9%) of two cohorts of patients. pACC was significantly associated with pAMPK expression (p = 0.007 & p = 0.014 respectively). For both cohorts, reduced pAMPK signal was significantly associated with higher histological grade (p = 0.010 & p = 0.021 respectively) and axillary node metastasis (p = 0.061 & p = 0.039 respectively). No significant association was found between pAMPK and any of HER2, ERα, or Ki67 expression, disease-free survival or overall survival. This study extends in vitro evidence through immunohistochemistry to confirm that AMPK is dysfunctional in primary breast cancer. Reduced signalling via the AMPK pathway, and the inverse relationship with histological grade and axillary node metastasis, suggests that AMPK re-activation could have therapeutic potential in breast cancer

A Participatory Model of the Paradox of Primary Care

Science.gov (United States)

Homa, Laura; Rose, Johnie; Hovmand, Peter S.; Cherng, Sarah T.; Riolo, Rick L.; Kraus, Alison; Biswas, Anindita; Burgess, Kelly; Aungst, Heide; Stange, Kurt C.; Brown, Kalanthe; Brooks-Terry, Margaret; Dec, Ellen; Jackson, Brigid; Gilliam, Jules; Kikano, George E.; Reichsman, Ann; Schaadt, Debbie; Hilfer, Jamie; Ticknor, Christine; Tyler, Carl V.; Van der Meulen, Anna; Ways, Heather; Weinberger, Richard F.; Williams, Christine

2015-01-01

prevention visits, but there are reduced illness visits among people in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Supplemental appendices provide a working version of the model and worksheets that allow readers to run their own experiments that vary model parameters. CONCLUSION This simulation model provides insights into possible mechanisms for the paradox of primary care and shows how participatory group model building can be used to evaluate hypotheses about the behavior of such complex systems as primary health care and population health. PMID:26371267

Comparison between Primary Teacher Educators' and Primary School Teachers' Beliefs of Primary Geography Education Quality

Science.gov (United States)

Bent, Gert Jan; Bakx, Anouke; den Brok, Perry

2016-01-01

In this study teacher educators' beliefs concerning primary geography education have been investigated and compared with primary school teachers' beliefs. In this study 45 teacher educators and 489 primary school teachers completed a questionnaire, and nine teacher educators have been interviewed as well. It has been found that teacher educators…

Global Warming Responses at the Primary Secondary Interface: 1. Students' Beliefs and Willingness to Act

Science.gov (United States)

Skamp, Keith; Boyes, Eddie; Stannistreet, Martin

2009-01-01

Using survey methodology, students' beliefs, and willingness to act, about 16 specific actions related to global warming are compared across the primary secondary interface. More primary students believed in the effectiveness of most actions to reduce global warming and were willing to take those actions. In general there was a disparity between…

Primary prevention in psychiatry in general hospitals in South Asia

Science.gov (United States)

Sood, Mamta; Chadda, Rakesh Kumar; Kallivayalil, Roy Abraham

2017-01-01

The focus of primary prevention is on reducing the disease incidence. Primary prevention in mental health has been given minimal priority in low-resource settings with no significant investments. General hospitals are one of the main providers of mental health services in South Asia. This paper focuses on primary prevention activities, which can be undertaken in a general hospital in South Asia with abysmally low-mental health resources. For implementing primary prevention in psychiatry, a general hospital may be conceptualized as a population unit, located in a well-populated area with easy accessibility where different kinds of communities, for example, students and resident doctors, consultants, patients and their caregivers, and paramedical, nursing, administrative and other supportive staff, coexist and have varied functions. All the functional components of the general hospital psychiatric units (GHPUs) offer scope for introducing primary preventive psychiatry services. Psychiatrists in GHPUs can lead efforts for primary prevention in mental health in the hospital by employing strategies in the framework of universal, selective, and indicated prevention. The preventive strategies could be targeted at the patients visiting the hospital for various health services and their caregivers, employees, and the trainees. Similar principles can be employed in teaching and training. PMID:29497199

Imaging in primary progressive aphasia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abe, K.; Ukita, H.; Yanagihara, T.

1997-01-01

Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) presents with aphasia, with or without other minor cognitive dysfunction. We report five patients with PPA to show the correlation between their clinical signs and imaging findings. The patients can be divided into those with nonfluent (group 1) and those with fluent (group 2) aphasia. The characteristic speech impairment was bradylalia in group 1 and word amnesia in group 2. Impairment of comprehension was common but mild in both groups. On MRI, patients in group 1 showed predominantly left frontal and perisylvian atrophy with reduced uptake in the same region on single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) using technetium-99m hexamethyl propyleneamine oxime ( 99m Tc HMPAO). Patients in group 2 showed left temporal atrophy involving the superior, middle and inferior temporal gyri, hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus on MRI and reduced uptake in the same region on SPECT. These findings correlated well with the functional anatomy of speech impairment. (orig.). With 4 figs., 1 tab

Imaging in primary progressive aphasia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abe, K. [Department of Neurology, Osaka University Medical School, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565 (Japan); Ukita, H. [Rehabilitation Service, Osaka University Hospital, Osaka (Japan); Yanagihara, T. [Department of Neurology, Osaka University Medical School, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565 (Japan)

1997-08-01

Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) presents with aphasia, with or without other minor cognitive dysfunction. We report five patients with PPA to show the correlation between their clinical signs and imaging findings. The patients can be divided into those with nonfluent (group 1) and those with fluent (group 2) aphasia. The characteristic speech impairment was bradylalia in group 1 and word amnesia in group 2. Impairment of comprehension was common but mild in both groups. On MRI, patients in group 1 showed predominantly left frontal and perisylvian atrophy with reduced uptake in the same region on single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) using technetium-99m hexamethyl propyleneamine oxime ({sup 99m}Tc HMPAO). Patients in group 2 showed left temporal atrophy involving the superior, middle and inferior temporal gyri, hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus on MRI and reduced uptake in the same region on SPECT. These findings correlated well with the functional anatomy of speech impairment. (orig.). With 4 figs., 1 tab.

Moving effective treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder to primary care: A randomized controlled trial with active duty military.

Science.gov (United States)

Cigrang, Jeffrey A; Rauch, Sheila A; Mintz, Jim; Brundige, Antoinette R; Mitchell, Jennifer A; Najera, Elizabeth; Litz, Brett T; Young-McCaughan, Stacey; Roache, John D; Hembree, Elizabeth A; Goodie, Jeffrey L; Sonnek, Scott M; Peterson, Alan L

2017-12-01

Many military service members with PTSD do not receive evidence-based specialty behavioral health treatment because of perceived barriers and stigma. Behavioral health providers in primary care can deliver brief, effective treatments expanding access and reducing barriers and stigma. The purpose of this randomized clinical trial was to determine if a brief cognitive-behavior therapy delivered in primary care using the Primary Care Behavioral Health model would be effective at reducing PTSD and co-occurring symptoms. A total of 67 service members (50 men, 17 women) were randomized to receive a brief, trauma-focused intervention developed for the primary care setting called Prolonged Exposure for Primary Care (PE-PC) or a delayed treatment minimal contact control condition. Inclusion criteria were significant PTSD symptoms following military deployment, medication stability, and interest in receiving treatment for PTSD symptoms in primary care. Exclusion criteria were moderate or greater risk of suicide, severe brain injury, or alcohol/substance use at a level that required immediate treatment. Assessments were completed at baseline, posttreatment/postminimal contact control, and at 8-week and 6-month posttreatment follow-up points. Primary measures were the PTSD Symptom Scale-Interview and the PTSD Checklist-Stressor-Specific. PE-PC resulted in larger reduction in PTSD severity and general distress than the minimal contact control. Delayed treatment evidenced medium to large effects comparable to the immediate intervention group. Treatment benefits persisted through the 6-month follow-up of the study. PE-PC delivered in integrated primary care is effective for the treatment of PTSD and co-occurring symptoms and may help reduce barriers and stigma found in specialty care settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Incentive-Based Primary Care: Cost and Utilization Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hollander, Marcus J; Kadlec, Helena

2015-01-01

In its fee-for-service funding model for primary care, British Columbia, Canada, introduced incentive payments to general practitioners as pay for performance for providing enhanced, guidelines-based care to patients with chronic conditions. Evaluation of the program was conducted at the health care system level. To examine the impact of the incentive payments on annual health care costs and hospital utilization patterns in British Columbia. The study used Ministry of Health administrative data for Fiscal Year 2010-2011 for patients with diabetes, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and/or hypertension. In each disease group, cost and utilization were compared across patients who did, and did not, receive incentive-based care. Health care costs (eg, primary care, hospital) and utilization measures (eg, hospital days, readmissions). After controlling for patients' age, sex, service needs level, and continuity of care (defined as attachment to a general practice), the incentives reduced the net annual health care costs, in Canadian dollars, for patients with hypertension (by approximately Can$308 per patient), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (by Can$496), and congestive heart failure (by Can$96), but not diabetes (incentives cost about Can$148 more per patient). The incentives were also associated with fewer hospital days, fewer admissions and readmissions, and shorter lengths of hospital stays for all 4 groups. Although the available literature on pay for performance shows mixed results, we showed that the funding model used in British Columbia using incentive payments for primary care might reduce health care costs and hospital utilization.

Bioconversion of waste office paper to hydrogen using pretreated rumen fluid inoculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Botta, Lívia Silva; Ratti, Regiane Priscila; Sakamoto, Isabel Kimiko; Ramos, Lucas Rodrigues; Silva, Edson Luiz; Varesche, Maria Bernadete Amâncio

2016-12-01

In this study, a microbial consortium from an acid-treated rumen fluid was used to improve the yields of H 2 production from paper residues in batch reactors. The anaerobic batch reactors, which contained paper and cellulose, were operated under three conditions: (1) 0.5 g paper/L, (2) 2 g paper/L, and (3) 4 g paper/L. Cellulase was added to promote the hydrolysis of paper to soluble sugars. The H 2 yields were 5.51, 4.65, and 3.96 mmol H 2 /g COD, respectively, with substrate degradation ranging from 56 to 65.4 %. Butyric acid was the primary soluble metabolite in the three reactors, but pronounced solventogenesis was detected in the reactors incubated with increased paper concentrations (2.0 and 4.0 g/L). A substantial prevalence of Clostridium acetobutylicum (99 % similarity) was observed in the acid-treated rumen fluid, which has been recognized as an efficient H 2 -producing strain in addition to ethanol and n-butanol which were also detected in the reactors.

Socio-Economic Consequences of Improved Indoor Air Quality in Danish Primary Schools

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wargocki, Pawel; Foldbjerg, Peter; Eriksen, Kurt Emil

2014-01-01

are taken into consideration: a) increased PISA score increases productivity; b) increased PISA score reduces the duration of primary education; c) improved indoor air quality reduces absenteeism in teachers. The results show that improved air quality in Danish schools could result in an increase...... in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of €173 million per annum, and in the public finances of €37 million per annum...

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring-derived short-term blood pressure variability in primary hyperparathyroidism.

Science.gov (United States)

Concistrè, A; Grillo, A; La Torre, G; Carretta, R; Fabris, B; Petramala, L; Marinelli, C; Rebellato, A; Fallo, F; Letizia, C

2018-04-01

Primary hyperparathyroidism is associated with a cluster of cardiovascular manifestations, including hypertension, leading to increased cardiovascular risk. The aim of our study was to investigate the ambulatory blood pressure monitoring-derived short-term blood pressure variability in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, in comparison with patients with essential hypertension and normotensive controls. Twenty-five patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (7 normotensive,18 hypertensive) underwent ambulatory blood pressure monitoring at diagnosis, and fifteen out of them were re-evaluated after parathyroidectomy. Short-term-blood pressure variability was derived from ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and calculated as the following: 1) Standard Deviation of 24-h, day-time and night-time-BP; 2) the average of day-time and night-time-Standard Deviation, weighted for the duration of the day and night periods (24-h "weighted" Standard Deviation of BP); 3) average real variability, i.e., the average of the absolute differences between all consecutive BP measurements. Baseline data of normotensive and essential hypertension patients were matched for age, sex, BMI and 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring values with normotensive and hypertensive-primary hyperparathyroidism patients, respectively. Normotensive-primary hyperparathyroidism patients showed a 24-h weighted Standard Deviation (P blood pressure higher than that of 12 normotensive controls. 24-h average real variability of systolic BP, as well as serum calcium and parathyroid hormone levels, were reduced in operated patients (P blood pressure variability is increased in normotensive patients with primary hyperparathyroidism and is reduced by parathyroidectomy, and may potentially represent an additional cardiovascular risk factor in this disease.

Optimization-based scatter estimation using primary modulation for computed tomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Yi; Ma, Jingchen; Zhao, Jun, E-mail: junzhao@sjtu.edu.cn [School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Song, Ying [Department of Radiation Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041 (China)

2016-08-15

Purpose: Scatter reduces the image quality in computed tomography (CT), but scatter correction remains a challenge. A previously proposed primary modulation method simultaneously obtains the primary and scatter in a single scan. However, separating the scatter and primary in primary modulation is challenging because it is an underdetermined problem. In this study, an optimization-based scatter estimation (OSE) algorithm is proposed to estimate and correct scatter. Methods: In the concept of primary modulation, the primary is modulated, but the scatter remains smooth by inserting a modulator between the x-ray source and the object. In the proposed algorithm, an objective function is designed for separating the scatter and primary. Prior knowledge is incorporated in the optimization-based framework to improve the accuracy of the estimation: (1) the primary is always positive; (2) the primary is locally smooth and the scatter is smooth; (3) the location of penumbra can be determined; and (4) the scatter-contaminated data provide knowledge about which part is smooth. Results: The simulation study shows that the edge-preserving weighting in OSE improves the estimation accuracy near the object boundary. Simulation study also demonstrates that OSE outperforms the two existing primary modulation algorithms for most regions of interest in terms of the CT number accuracy and noise. The proposed method was tested on a clinical cone beam CT, demonstrating that OSE corrects the scatter even when the modulator is not accurately registered. Conclusions: The proposed OSE algorithm improves the robustness and accuracy in scatter estimation and correction. This method is promising for scatter correction of various kinds of x-ray imaging modalities, such as x-ray radiography, cone beam CT, and the fourth-generation CT.

One-Loop Operation of Primary Heat Transport System in MONJU During Heat Transport System Modifications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goto, T.; Tsushima, H.; Sakurai, N.; Jo, T.

2006-01-01

MONJU is a prototype fast breeder reactor (FBR). Modification work commenced in March 2005. Since June 2004, MONJU has changed to one-loop operation of the primary heat transport system (PHTS) with all of the secondary heat transport systems (SHTS) drained of sodium. The purposes of this change are to shorten the modification period and to reduce the cost incurred for circuit trace heating electrical consumption. Before changing condition, the following issues were investigated to show that this mode of operation was possible. The heat loss from the reactor vessel and the single primary loop must exceed the decay heat by an acceptable margin but the capacity of pre-heaters to keep the sodium within the primary vessel at about 200 deg. C must be maintained. With regard to the heat loss and the decay heat, the estimated heat loss in the primary system was in the range of 90-170 kW in one-loop operation, and the calculated decay heat was 21.2 kW. Although the heat input of the primary pump was considered, it was clear that circuit heat loss greatly exceeded the decay heat. As for pre-heaters, effective capacity was less than the heat loss. Therefore, the temperature of the reactor vessel room was raised to reduce the heat loss. One-loop operation of the PHTS was able to be executed by means of these measures. The cost of electrical consumption in the power plant has been reduced by one-loop operation of the PHTS and the modification period was shortened. (authors)

Interaction of Trichoderma asperellum with Phytophthora ramorum inoculum soil populations and enzyme secretion

Science.gov (United States)

Supriya Sharma; Wolfgang Schweigkofler; Karen Suslow; Timothy L. Widmer

2017-01-01

There is a continuing desire to investigate the potential of biological control to manage the spread of Phytophthora ramorum. A specific isolate of Trichoderma asperellum has been demonstrated to be effective in reducing P. ramorum soil populations to non-detectable levels. This study was conducted...

PET-CT-Based Auto-Contouring in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Correlates With Pathology and Reduces Interobserver Variability in the Delineation of the Primary Tumor and Involved Nodal Volumes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baardwijk, Angela van; Bosmans, Geert; Boersma, Liesbeth; Buijsen, Jeroen; Wanders, Stofferinus; Hochstenbag, Monique; Suylen, Robert-Jan van; Dekker, Andre; Dehing-Oberije, Cary; Houben, Ruud; Bentzen, Soren M.; Kroonenburgh, Marinus van; Lambin, Philippe; Ruysscher, Dirk de

2007-01-01

Purpose: To compare source-to-background ratio (SBR)-based PET-CT auto-delineation with pathology in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to investigate whether auto-delineation reduces the interobserver variability compared with manual PET-CT-based gross tumor volume (GTV) delineation. Methods and Materials: Source-to-background ratio-based auto-delineation was compared with macroscopic tumor dimensions to assess its validity in 23 tumors. Thereafter, GTVs were delineated manually on 33 PET-CT scans by five observers for the primary tumor (GTV-1) and the involved lymph nodes (GTV-2). The delineation was repeated after 6 months with the auto-contour provided. This contour was edited by the observers. For comparison, the concordance index (CI) was calculated, defined as the ratio of intersection and the union of two volumes (A intersection B)/(A union B). Results: The maximal tumor diameter of the SBR-based auto-contour correlated strongly with the macroscopic diameter of primary tumors (correlation coefficient = 0.90) and was shown to be accurate for involved lymph nodes (sensitivity 67%, specificity 95%). The median auto-contour-based target volumes were smaller than those defined by manual delineation for GTV-1 (31.8 and 34.6 cm 3 , respectively; p = 0.001) and GTV-2 (16.3 and 21.8 cm 3 , respectively; p 0.02). The auto-contour-based method showed higher CIs than the manual method for GTV-1 (0.74 and 0.70 cm 3 , respectively; p 3 , respectively; p = 0.11). Conclusion: Source-to-background ratio-based auto-delineation showed a good correlation with pathology, decreased the delineated volumes of the GTVs, and reduced the interobserver variability. Auto-contouring may further improve the quality of target delineation in NSCLC patients

Effect of Inoculum Dosage Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus oryzae mixture with Fermentation Time of Oil Seed Cake (Jatropha curcas L) to the content of Protein and Crude Fiber

Science.gov (United States)

Kurniati, T.; Nurlaila, L.; Iim

2017-04-01

Jatropha curcas L already widely cultivated for its seeds pressed oil used as an alternative fuel. This plant productivity per hectare obtained 2.5-5 tonnes of oil/ha / year and jatropha seed cake from 5.5 to 9.5 tonnes/ha/year, nutrient content of Jatropha curcas seed L potential to be used as feed material, However, the constraints faced was the low crude protein and high crude protein. The purpose of the research was to determine the dosage of inoculum and fermentation time of Jatropha seed cake by a mixture of Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus oryzae on crude protein and crude fibre. The study was conducted by an experimental method using a Completely Randomised Design (CRD) factorial design (3×3). The treatment consisted of a mixture of three dosage levels of Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus oryzae (= 0.2% d1, d2 and d3 = 0.3% = 0.4%) and three levels of fermentation time (w1 = 72 hours, 96 hours and w2 = w3 = 120 hours) each repeated three times. The parameters measured were crude protein and crude fibre. The results showed that dosages of 0.3% (Aspergillus niger Rhizopus oryzae 0.15% and 0.15%) and 72 hours (d2w1) is the dosage and the optimal time to generate the highest crude protein content of 21.11% and crude fibre amounted to 21.36%.

Study of Methanogenesis while Bioutilisation of Plant Residuals

Science.gov (United States)

Ilyin, V. K.; Korniushenkova, I. N.; Starkova, L. V.; Lauriniavichius, K. S.

respect principals of planet ecology, and compatibility with other habitability systems. For these purpose the waste management technologies, relevant to application of the biodegradation properties of bacteria are of great value. Biological treatment method is based upon the biodegradation of organic substances by various microorganisms. vegetable non-edible residual, using artificial inoculum; to study peculiarities of biogas, possibilities to optimize or to reduce the share of methane. fermentation. The biogas production achieved 46 l per 1 kg of substrate. The microbial studies of biodegradation process revealed following peculiarities: (i)gradual quantitative increasing of Lactobacillus sp. (from 103 to 105 colony forming units (CFU) per ml); (ii)activation of Clostridia sp. (from 102 to 104 CFU/ml); (iii) elimination of aerobic conventional pathogens (Enterobacteriaceae sp., Protea sp., staphylococci). methane content measures revealed traces 0.1-0.4%. granules, the amount of methane in biogas reached 80-90%. biodegradation of vegetable wastes. This inoculum consists of active sludge adapted to wastes mixed with excretes of insects which consume plant wastes. Using this inoculum the biodegradation process takes less time, then that using active sludge. Regulation of methane concentration from traces to 90% may be achieved by adding of methane reactor to the plant digester.

Assessing the Challenges in the Application of Potential Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria in the Large-Scale Fermentation of Spanish-Style Table Olives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisco Rodríguez-Gómez

2017-05-01

Full Text Available This work studies the inoculation conditions for allowing the survival/predominance of a potential probiotic strain (Lactobacillus pentosus TOMC-LAB2 when used as a starter culture in large-scale fermentations of green Spanish-style olives. The study was performed in two successive seasons (2011/2012 and 2012/2013, using about 150 tons of olives. Inoculation immediately after brining (to prevent wild initial microbiota growth followed by re-inoculation 24 h later (to improve competitiveness was essential for inoculum predominance. Processing early in the season (September showed a favorable effect on fermentation and strain predominance on olives (particularly when using acidified brines containing 25 L HCl/vessel but caused the disappearance of the target strain from both brines and olives during the storage phase. On the contrary, processing in October slightly reduced the target strain predominance on olives (70–90% but allowed longer survival. The type of inoculum used (laboratory vs. industry pre-adapted never had significant effects. Thus, this investigation discloses key issues for the survival and predominance of starter cultures in large-scale industrial fermentations of green Spanish-style olives. Results can be of interest for producing probiotic table olives and open new research challenges on the causes of inoculum vanishing during the storage phase.

Citric Acid Production by Aspergillus niger Cultivated on Parkia biglobosa Fruit Pulp

Science.gov (United States)

Abidoye, Khadijat Toyin; Tahir, Hauwa; Ibrahim, Aliyu Dabai; Aransiola, Sesan Abiodun

2014-01-01

The study was conducted to investigate the potential of Parkia biglobosa fruit pulp as substrate for citric acid production by Aspergillus niger. Reducing sugar was estimated by 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid and citric acid was estimated spectrophotometrically using pyridine-acetic anhydride methods. The studies revealed that production parameters (pH, inoculum size, substrate concentration, incubation temperature, and fermentation period) had profound effect on the amount of citric acid produced. The maximum yield was obtained at the pH of 2 with citric acid of 1.15 g/L and reducing sugar content of 0.541 mMol−1, 3% vegetative inoculum size with citric acid yield of 0.53 g/L and reducing sugar content of 8.87 mMol−1, 2% of the substrate concentration with citric acid yield of 0.83 g/L and reducing sugar content of 9.36 mMol−1, incubation temperature of 55°C with citric acid yield of 0.62 g/L and reducing sugar content of 8.37 mMol−1, and fermentation period of 5 days with citric acid yield of 0.61 g/L and reducing sugar content of 3.70 mMol−1. The results of this study are encouraging and suggest that Parkia biglobosa pulp can be harnessed at low concentration for large scale citric acid production. PMID:27433535

Reduced prefrontal connectivity in psychopathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Motzkin, Julian C; Newman, Joseph P; Kiehl, Kent A; Koenigs, Michael

2011-11-30

Linking psychopathy to a specific brain abnormality could have significant clinical, legal, and scientific implications. Theories on the neurobiological basis of the disorder typically propose dysfunction in a circuit involving ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). However, to date there is limited brain imaging data to directly test whether psychopathy may indeed be associated with any structural or functional abnormality within this brain area. In this study, we employ two complementary imaging techniques to assess the structural and functional connectivity of vmPFC in psychopathic and non-psychopathic criminals. Using diffusion tensor imaging, we show that psychopathy is associated with reduced structural integrity in the right uncinate fasciculus, the primary white matter connection between vmPFC and anterior temporal lobe. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we show that psychopathy is associated with reduced functional connectivity between vmPFC and amygdala as well as between vmPFC and medial parietal cortex. Together, these data converge to implicate diminished vmPFC connectivity as a characteristic neurobiological feature of psychopathy.

Achieving Value in Primary Care: The Primary Care Value Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Rollow, William; Cucchiara, Peter

2016-03-01

The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model provides a compelling vision for primary care transformation, but studies of its impact have used insufficiently patient-centered metrics with inconsistent results. We propose a framework for defining patient-centered value and a new model for value-based primary care transformation: the primary care value model (PCVM). We advocate for use of patient-centered value when measuring the impact of primary care transformation, recognition, and performance-based payment; for financial support and research and development to better define primary care value-creating activities and their implementation; and for use of the model to support primary care organizations in transformation. © 2016 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.

Benign meningiomas: primary treatment selection affects survival

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Condra, Kellie S.; Buatti, John M.; Mendenhall, William M.; Friedman, William A.; Marcus, Robert B.; Rhoton, Albert L.

1997-01-01

Purpose: To examine the effect of primary treatment selection on outcomes for benign intracranial meningiomas at the University of Florida. Methods and Materials: For 262 patients, the impact of age, Karnofsky performance status, pathologic features, tumor size, tumor location, and treatment modality on local control and cause-specific survival was analyzed (minimum potential follow-up, 2 years; median follow-up, 8.2 years). Extent of surgery was classified by Simpson grade. Treatment groups: surgery alone (n = 229), surgery and postoperative radiotherapy (RT) (n = 21), RT alone (n = 7), radiosurgery alone (n = 5). Survival analysis: Kaplan-Meier method with univariate and multivariate analysis. Results: At 15 years, local control was 76% after total excision (TE) and 87% after subtotal excision plus RT (SE+RT), both significantly better (p = 0.0001) than after SE alone (30%). Cause-specific survival at 15 years was reduced after treatment with SE alone (51%), compared with TE (88%) or SE+RT (86%) (p = 0.0003). Recurrence after primary treatment portended decreased survival, independent of initial treatment group or salvage treatment selection (p = 0.001). Atypical pathologic features predicted reduced 15-year local control (54 vs. 71%) and cause-specific survival rates (57 vs. 86%). Multivariate analysis for cause-specific survival revealed treatment group (SE vs. others; p = 0.0001), pathologic features (atypical vs. typical; p = 0.0056), and Karnofsky performance status (≥80 vs. <80; p = 0.0153) as significant variables. Conclusion: Benign meningiomas are well managed by TE or SE+RT. SE alone is inadequate therapy and adversely affects cause-specific survival. Atypical pathologic features predict a poorer outcome, suggesting possible benefit from more aggressive treatment. Because local recurrence portends lower survival rates, primary treatment choice is important

Potency of Six Isolates of Biocontrol Agents Endophytic Trichoderma Against Fusarium Wilt on Banana

OpenAIRE

Taribuka, J; Wibowo, A; Widyastuti, S M; Sumardiyono, C

2017-01-01

Fusarium wilt caused by F. oxysporum f.sp. cubense is one of very damaging banana plant diseases which can cause plant death. Disease control using intensive chemical fungicides will have negative impacts on the environment and humans. Endophytic Trichoderma is one of the biological control agents which can reduce the amount of inoculum of pathogens, so it can reduce disease intensity. The objectives of this study was to assess the ability of endophytic Trichoderma in inducing plant resistanc...

Integrated real time control of influent pumping station and primary settling tanks at WWTP Eindhoven

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Daal-Rombouts, P.M.M.; de Jonge, J; Langeveld, J.G.; Clemens, F.H.L.R.

2016-01-01

This research deals with the design and implementation of an integrated control for the WWTP of Eindhoven. The control influences the operation of the primary settling tanks and influent pumping station to reduce reduce ammonia peaks in the WWTP effluent. The control takes into account the treatment

Reducing the uncertainty of the primary damage production in Fe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bjorkas, C.; Nordlund, K.

2007-01-01

Full text of publication follows: One of the key questions for understanding neutron irradiation damage buildup in fission and fusion reactor steels is knowing the primary damage state produced by neutron-induced atomic recoils in Fe. Supporting this is our recent study revealing that the initial damage in Fe 0.9 Cr 0.1 is essentially the same as in pure Fe [1]. In spite of decades of study, the question of what the amount and distribution of defects in Fe is, has remained highly unclear. Different computer simulations modules have given a good qualitative understanding of the cascade development [1,2]. However, quantitative differences of more than a factor of three have remained in the predicted clustered defect production numbers [2]. The disagreements between the potentials pose problems for finding a reliable predictive model for the behavior of Fe under irradiation. In this study we analyze the initial damage as predicted by three recent interatomic potentials for Fe. These are well suited for a comparison because they have very different physical motivations and functional forms, but are comparable in overall quality and in particular reproduce the energetics of interstitials in different configurations well. The potentials are those by Ackland and Mendelev et al. (AMS) [3], the 'magnetic' potential by Dudarev and Derlet (DD) [4] and the Tersoff-like analytical potential by Mueller, Erhart and Albe (MEA) [5]. The DD and MEA potentials were modified by us to describe high-energy repulsive interactions well. All potentials were then used in recoil collision cascade simulations carried out and analyzed in exactly the same manner for all potentials. Analysis of the resulting damage showed a much smaller uncertainty regarding the damage production than that of previous potentials. The total defect production numbers essentially agree within the statistical uncertainty for the three potentials. Some differences remains regarding the defect clustered fractions, but

Primary health eye care: evaluation of the competence of medical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2009-10-17

Oct 17, 2009 ... The ability of fifth-year medical students to perform fundoscopy on ... Keywords: primary health eye care; teaching fundoscopy; essential basic ... treatment is implemented at an early stage in the disease.3-5. Such screening and early treatment can reduce the risk of ... Students with a refractive error were.

Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to understand a community's primary care needs.

Science.gov (United States)

Dulin, Michael F; Ludden, Thomas M; Tapp, Hazel; Blackwell, Joshua; de Hernandez, Brisa Urquieta; Smith, Heather A; Furuseth, Owen J

2010-01-01

A key element for reducing health care costs and improving community health is increased access to primary care and preventative health services. Geographic information systems (GIS) have the potential to assess patterns of health care utilization and community-level attributes to identify geographic regions most in need of primary care access. GIS, analytical hierarchy process, and multiattribute assessment and evaluation techniques were used to examine attributes describing primary care need and identify areas that would benefit from increased access to primary care services. Attributes were identified by a collaborative partnership working within a practice-based research network using tenets of community-based participatory research. Maps were created based on socioeconomic status, population density, insurance status, and emergency department and primary care safety-net utilization. Individual and composite maps identified areas in our community with the greatest need for increased access to primary care services. Applying GIS to commonly available community- and patient-level data can rapidly identify areas most in need of increased access to primary care services. We have termed this a Multiple Attribute Primary Care Targeting Strategy. This model can be used to plan health services delivery as well as to target and evaluate interventions designed to improve health care access.

Housefly maggot-treated composting as sustainable option for pig manure management.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Feng-Xiang; Yao, Yan-Lai; Wang, Su-Juan; Du, Rong-Guang; Wang, Wei-Ping; Chen, Xiao-Yang; Hong, Chun-Lai; Qi, Bing; Xue, Zhi-Yong; Yang, Hong-Quan

2015-01-01

In traditional composting, large amounts of bulking agents must be added to reduce the moisture of pig manure, which increases the cost of composting and dilutes the N, P and K content in organic fertilizers. In this study, maggot treatment was used in composting instead of bulking agents. In experiment of selecting an optimal inoculum level for composting, the treatment of 0.5% maggot inoculum resulted in the maximum yield of late instar maggots, 11.6% (maggots weight/manure weight). The manure residue became noticeably granular by day 6 and its moisture content was below 60%, which was suitable for further composting without bulking agents. Moreover, in composting experiment with a natural compost without maggot inoculum and maggot-treated compost at 0.5% inoculum level, there were no significant differences in nutrient content between the two organic fertilizers from the two treatments (paired Student's t15=1.0032, P=0.3317). Therefore, maggot culturing did not affect the characteristics of the organic fertilizer. The content of TNPK (total nitrogen+total phosphorus+total potassium) in organic fertilizer from maggot treatment was 10.72% (dry weight), which was far more than that of organic fertilizer made by conventional composting with bulking agents (about 8.0%). Dried maggots as feed meet the national standard (GB/T19164-2003) for commercial fish meal in China, which contained 55.32 ± 1.09% protein; 1.34 ± 0.02% methionine; 4.15 ± 0.10% lysine. This study highlights housefly maggot-treated composting can be considered sustainable alternatives for pig manure management to achieve high-quality organic fertilizer and maggots as feed without bulking agents. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reducing cancer risk in rural communities through supermarket interventions.

Science.gov (United States)

McCool, Barent N; Lyford, Conrad P; Hensarling, Natalie; Pence, Barbara; McCool, Audrey C; Thapa, Janani; Belasco, Eric; Carter, Tyra M

2013-09-01

Cancer risk is high, and prevention efforts are often minimal in rural communities. Feasible means of encouraging lifestyles that will reduce cancer risk for residents of rural communities are needed. This project developed and tested a model that could be feasibly adopted by rural communities to reduce cancer risk. This model focuses on incorporating multi-faceted cancer risk education in the local supermarket. As the supermarket functions both as the primary food source and an information source in small rural communities, the supermarket focus encourages the development of a community environment supportive of lifestyles that should reduce residents' risk for cancer. The actions taken to implement the model and the challenges that communities would have in implementing the model are identified.

Primary mental health prevention themes in published research and academic programs in Israel

OpenAIRE

Nakash, Ora; Razon, Liat; Levav, Itzhak

2015-01-01

Background The World Health Organization Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan (CMHAP) 2013?2020 proposes the implementation of primary prevention strategies to reduce the mental health burden of disease. The extent to which Israeli academic programs and published research adhere to the principles spelled out by the CMHAP is unknown. Objective To investigate the presence of mental health primary prevention themes in published research and academic programs in Israel. Methods We searched for...

[Primary health care and the millennium development goals].

Science.gov (United States)

Faye, A; Bob, M; Fall, A; Fall, C

2012-01-01

Member countries of the World Health Organization (WHO) met in Alma Ata (8-12 September 1978) to define and advocate the implementation of primary health care (PHC) worldwide, above all, in developing countries, which had a real need to review their strategies for meeting the health needs of their populations. They did not suspect that 20 years later the vision they displayed would remain undeniably relevant. Here we examine the similarities and points of convergence of their declaration about PHC with the Millennium Development Goals that seek today to reduce poverty across the world. An exhaustive and analytic literature review was conducted to collect those similarities. Further analysis of the definitions, objectives, principles and recommendations of the Alma Ata Declaration and the Millennium Declaration reveals multiple dependencies and fundamental points of similarity between these two representations. Almost all states have pledged to achieve the eight MDG by 2015: to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and empower women, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, ensure environmental sustainability, and develop a global partnership for development. The Alma Ata conference defined primary health care as essential health care, based on practical methods and techniques that are both scientifically sound and socially acceptable, universally accessible to all individuals and all families of the community, through their full participation and at a cost that the community and countries can afford at all stages of their development in the spirit of self-reliance and self-determination. It is an integral part of economic and social development. The following principles are involved in the achievement of both primary health care and the MDG: social equity, community participation, and intersectorality. Public health is an essential condition of poverty

Effectiveness of a parental training programme in enhancing the parent-child relationship and reducing harsh parenting practices and parental stress in preparing children for their transition to primary school: a randomised controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ho Cheung William; Chan, Sophia S C; Mak, Yim Wah; Lam, Tai Hing

2013-11-16

Entering primary school is an important childhood milestone, marking the beginning of a child's formal education. Yet the change creates a time of vulnerability for the child, the parents and the parent-child relationship. Failure to adjust to the transition may place the family in a psychologically devastating position. The aims of this study were to test the effectiveness of a parental training programme in enhancing the parent-child relationship and decreasing parental stress by reducing harsh parenting in preparing children for the transition to primary school. A randomised controlled trial incorporating a two-group pre-test and repeated post-test was conducted in one of the largest public housing estates in Hong Kong. A total of 142 parents were recruited, with 72 parents randomly assigned to the experimental group and 70 to the control group. Harsh parenting practices, parent-child relationships and parental stress were assessed. In comparison to parents in the control group, those in the experimental group engaged in less harsh parenting practices and reported better parent-child relationships. However, parental stress scores did not differ significantly between the two groups. This study addressed a gap in the literature by examining the effectiveness of the training programme for enhancing parent-child relationship and decreasing parental stress at the time of a child's transition to primary school. The findings from this study provide empirical evidence of the effectiveness of the parental training programme and highlight the significance of parenting in promoting a smooth transition for children from kindergarten to primary 1. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01845948.

Thermal hydraulic tradeoffs in the design of IRIS primary circuit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oriani, L.; Lombardi, C.; Ricotti, M.E.; Paramonov, D.; Carelli, M.; Conway, L.

2001-01-01

IRIS (International Reactor Innovative and Secure) is currently being developed by an international consortium, led by Westinghouse and including universities. In order to achieve high level of safety, reduce complexity and capital cost, and enhance proliferation resistance, an integral primary circuit configuration has been selected. The integral configuration (the core, steam generators, coolant pumps, pressurizer and control rods are all contained within the reactor vessel) has no loop piping and thereby eliminates the possibility of large loss of coolant accidents. If the reactor vessel and components are designed for a very high level of natural circulation, which is promoted by an integral design, the consequence of loss of flow accidents can be significantly reduced or even completely eliminated. Core and integral primary circuit design optimization has been performed using the OSCAR computer code, a specialized tool for the analyses of the IRIS primary system developed at POLIMI. Results of trade-off studies of various in-vessel configurations explored to achieve tight packaging and high serviceability and/or replacement of components such as steam generators and pumps are reported. Effects of changes in secondary side parameters and steam generator design on system efficiency were explored together with the optimization of the vessel and steam generator dimensions and costs. The aim of the trade-off analyses was to limit the design space, and select a reference configuration for the IRIS reactor. (author)

Primary fibromyalgia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jacobsen, S; Jensen, L T; Foldager, M

1990-01-01

Serum concentrations of procollagen type III aminoterminal peptide have previously been reported to be low in some patients with primary fibromyalgia and the aim of this study was to determine if such patients differ clinically from primary fibromyalgia patients with normal levels of procollagen...... type III aminoterminal peptide. Subjective symptoms, tender points and dynamic muscle strength in 45 women with primary fibromyalgia were related to serum concentrations of procollagen type III aminoterminal peptide. Patients with low serum concentrations of procollagen type III aminoterminal peptide...... concentrations of procollagen type III aminoterminal peptide of primary fibromyalgia patients are connected to the disease impact....

Quality of life in patients with primary hypothyroidism related to BMI

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kelderman-Bolk, Nienke; Visser, Theo J.; Tijssen, Jan P.; Berghout, Arie

2015-01-01

Objective: Many patients treated for primary hypothyroidism have an unexplained reduced quality of life (QOL). We studied the relation between QOL and various parameters in treated hypothyroid patients. Design and methods: QOL analysis was done in 90 consecutive patients (77.8% females) treated for

Does Integrated Behavioral Health Care Reduce Mental Health Disparities for Latinos? Initial Findings

Science.gov (United States)

Bridges, Ana J.; Andrews, Arthur R.; Villalobos, Bianca T.; Pastrana, Freddie A.; Cavell, Timothy A.; Gomez, Debbie

2014-01-01

Integrated behavioral health care (IBHC) is a model of mental health care service delivery that seeks to reduce stigma and service utilization barriers by embedding mental health professionals into the primary care team. This study explored whether IBHC service referrals, utilization, and outcomes were comparable for Latinos and non-Latino White primary care patients. Data for the current study were collected from 793 consecutive patients (63.8% Latino; M age = 29.02 years [SD = 17.96]; 35.1% under 18 years; 65.3% women; 54.3% uninsured) seen for behavioral health services in 2 primary care clinics during a 10.5 month period. The most common presenting concerns were depression (21.6%), anxiety (18.5%), adjustment disorder (13.0%), and externalizing behavior problems (9.8%). Results revealed that while Latino patients had significantly lower self-reported psychiatric distress, significantly higher clinician-assigned global assessment of functioning scores, and fewer received a psychiatric diagnosis at their initial visit compared to non-Latino White patients, both groups had comparable utilization rates, comparable and clinically significant improvements in symptoms (Cohen’s d values > .50), and expressed high satisfaction with integrated behavioral services. These data provide preliminary evidence suggesting integration of behavioral health services into primary care clinics may help reduce mental health disparities for Latinos. PMID:25309845

Umbiflow: Improving primary-level ante-natal care whilst reducing secondary-level patient load

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Wallis, J

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Maternal & Child Health status (infant deaths before age 1 per 1000 live births) 0 20 40 60 80 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 South Africa 2000-2011 Reduce by three quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio Achieve universal... Progress towards Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 on maternal and child mortality: an updated systematic analysis The Lancet Volume 378, Issue 9797 2011 1139 - 1165 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61337-8 South African View : DOH Budget Vote...

Use of tranexamic acid in primary total knee replacement: effects on perioperative blood loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Volquind, Daniel; Zardo, Remi Antônio; Winkler, Bruno Costamilan; Londero, Bruno Bertagnolli; Zanelatto, Natália; Leichtweis, Gisele Perondi

2016-01-01

The use of tranexamic acid in primary total knee replacement surgeries has been the subject of constant study. The strategies to reduce bleeding are aimed at reducing the need for blood transfusion due to the risks involved. In this study we evaluated the use of tranexamic acid in reducing bleeding, need for blood transfusion, and prevalence of postoperative deep vein thrombosis in primary total knee replacement. 62 patients undergoing primary total knee replacement were enrolled in the study, from June 2012 to May 2013, and randomized to receive a single dose of 2.5g of intravenous tranexamic acid (Group TA) or saline (Group GP), 5min before opening the pneumatic tourniquet, respectively. Hemoglobin, hematocrit, and blood loss were recorded 24h after surgery. Deep vein thrombosis was investigated during patient's hospitalization and 15 and 30 days after surgery in review visits. There was no demographic difference between groups. Group TA had 13.89% decreased hematocrit (p=0.925) compared to placebo. Group TA had a decrease of 12.28% (p=0.898) in hemoglobin compared to Group GP. Group TA had a mean decrease of 187.35mL in blood loss (25.32%) compared to group GP (p=0.027). The number of blood transfusions was higher in Group GP (p=0.078). Thromboembolic events were not seen in this study. Tranexamic acid reduced postoperative bleeding without promoting thromboembolic events. Copyright © 2015 Sociedade Brasileira de Anestesiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Primary energy implications of different design strategies for an apartment building

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tettey, Uniben Yao Ayikoe; Dodoo, Ambrose; Gustavsson, Leif

2016-01-01

In this study, we explored the effects of different design strategies on final and primary energy use for production and operation of a newly constructed apartment building. We analysed alternatives of the building “As built” as well as to energy efficiency levels of the Swedish building code and passive house criteria. Our approach is based on achieving improved versions of the building alternatives from combination of design strategies giving the lowest space heating and cooling demand and primary energy use, respectively. We found that the combination of design strategies resulting in the improved building alternatives varies depending on the approach. The improved building alternatives gave up to 19–34% reduction in operation primary energy use compared to the initial alternatives. The share of production primary energy use of the improved building alternatives was 39–54% of the total primary energy use for production, space heating, space cooling and ventilation over 50-year lifespan, compared to 31–42% for the initial alternatives. This study emphasises the importance of incorporating appropriate design strategies to reduce primary energy use for building operation and suggests that combining such strategies with careful choice of building frame materials could result in significant primary energy savings in the built environment. - Highlights: • Primary energy implications of different design strategies were analysed. • The improved building alternatives had 19–34% lower operation primary energy use. • The improved building alternatives had higher production primary energy use. • Still, the improved building alternatives had lower overall primary energy use. • Design strategies should be combined with careful building frame material choice.

Reiki Reduces Burnout Among Community Mental Health Clinicians.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosada, Renee M; Rubik, Beverly; Mainguy, Barbara; Plummer, Julie; Mehl-Madrona, Lewis

2015-08-01

Clinicians working in community mental health clinics are at high risk for burnout. Burnout is a problem involving emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. Reiki is a holistic biofield energy therapy beneficial for reducing stress. The purpose of this study was to determine if 30 minutes of healing touch could reduce burnout in community mental health clinicians. We utilized a crossover design to explore the efficacy of Reiki versus sham Reiki, a pseudo treatment designed to mimic true Reiki, as a means to reduce symptoms of burnout. Subjects were randomized to whether they started with Reiki or sham. The Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) and the Measure Your Medical Outcome Profile Version 2 (MYMOP-2) were used as outcome measures. Multilevel modeling was used to represent the relations among variables. Reiki was statistically significantly better than sham Reiki in reducing burnout among community mental health clinicians (p=0.011). Reiki was significant in reducing depersonalization (pReiki reduced the primary symptom on the MYMOP also only among single people (p=0.03). The effects of Reiki were differentiated from sham Reiki. Reiki could be helpful in community mental health settings for the mental health of the practitioners.

Perceived Barriers to Implementing Individual Choosing Wisely® Recommendations in Two National Surveys of Primary Care Providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Zikmund-Fisher, Brian J; Kullgren, Jeffrey T; Fagerlin, Angela; Klamerus, Mandi L; Bernstein, Steven J; Kerr, Eve A

2017-02-01

While some research has examined general attitudes about efforts to reduce overutilization of services, such as the Choosing Wisely ® (CW) initiative, little data exists regarding primary care providers' attitudes regarding individual recommendations. We sought to identify whether particular CW recommendations were perceived by primary care providers as difficult to follow, difficult for patients to accept, or both. Two national surveys, one by mail to a random sample of 2000 U.S. primary care physicians in November 2013, and the second electronically to a random sample of 2500 VA primary care providers (PCPs) in October-December 2014. A total of 603 U.S. primary care physicians and 1173 VA primary care providers. Response rates were 34 and 48 %, respectively. PCP ratings of whether 12 CW recommendations for screening, testing and treatments applicable to adult primary care were difficult to follow and difficult for patients to accept; and ratings of potential barriers to reducing overutilization. For four recommendations regarding not screening or testing in asymptomatic patients, less than 20 % of PCPs found the CW recommendations difficult to accept (range 7.2-16.6 %) or difficult for patients to follow (12.2-19.3 %). For five recommendations regarding testing or treatment for symptomatic conditions, however, there was both variation in reported difficulty to follow (9.8-32 %) and a high level of reported difficulty for patients to accept (35.7-87.1 %). The most frequently reported barriers to reducing overuse included malpractice concern, patient requests for services, lack of time for shared decision making, and the number of tests recommended by specialists. While PCPs found many CW recommendations easy to follow, they felt that some, especially those for symptomatic conditions, would be difficult for patients to accept. Overcoming PCPs' perceptions of patient acceptability will require approaches beyond routine physician education, feedback and

LRRC6 mutation causes primary ciliary dyskinesia with dynein arm defects.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amjad Horani

Full Text Available Despite recent progress in defining the ciliome, the genetic basis for many cases of primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD remains elusive. We evaluated five children from two unrelated, consanguineous Palestinian families who had PCD with typical clinical features, reduced nasal nitric oxide concentrations, and absent dynein arms. Linkage analyses revealed a single common homozygous region on chromosome 8 and one candidate was conserved in organisms with motile cilia. Sequencing revealed a single novel mutation in LRRC6 (Leucine-rich repeat containing protein 6 that fit the model of autosomal recessive genetic transmission, leading to a change of a highly conserved amino acid from aspartic acid to histidine (Asp146His. LRRC6 was localized to the cytoplasm and was up-regulated during ciliogenesis in human airway epithelial cells in a Foxj1-dependent fashion. Nasal epithelial cells isolated from affected individuals and shRNA-mediated silencing in human airway epithelial cells, showed reduced LRRC6 expression, absent dynein arms, and slowed cilia beat frequency. Dynein arm proteins were either absent or mislocalized to the cytoplasm in airway epithelial cells from a primary ciliary dyskinesia subject. These findings suggest that LRRC6 plays a role in dynein arm assembly or trafficking and when mutated leads to primary ciliary dyskinesia with laterality defects.

Reducing primary and secondary traumatic stress symptoms among educators by training them to deliver a resiliency program (ERASE-Stress) following the Christchurch earthquake in New Zealand.

Science.gov (United States)

Berger, Rony; Abu-Raiya, Hisham; Benatov, Joy

2016-03-01

The current investigation evaluated the impact of a universal school-based resiliency intervention (ERASE-Stress) on educators who were working with elementary schoolchildren exposed to the Canterbury earthquake in New Zealand. In the context of major disasters, educators may suffer from "dual trauma"; they can experience symptoms of both primary trauma (as a result of the disaster itself) and secondary trauma (as a result of working with traumatized students). Sixty-three educators were randomly assigned to either the ERASE-Stress intervention or an alternative Managing Emergencies and Traumatic Incidents (METI) program which served as a control group. Efficacy of the program was evaluated at the end of the training as well as at 8 months follow-up. Compared with educators in the control group, those in the ERASE-Stress intervention significantly reduced their posttraumatic distress and secondary traumatization symptoms, improved their perceived level of professional self-efficacy as a helper of earthquake survivors, developed an optimistic outlook regarding their personal future and enhanced their sense of hope, and honed some of their positive coping strategies and reduced the utilization of some maladaptive coping methods. These beneficial consequences of the ERASE-Stress training make it a potentially useful tool for educators working with traumatized students in the context of major disasters. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Effects of Somatothermal Far-Infrared Ray on Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Pilot Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Min Ke

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to assess the beneficial effects of using a far-infrared (FIR belt on the management of patients with primary dysmenorrhea. This is the first study to determine the efficacy of somatothermal FIR using a parallel-arm randomized sham-controlled and double-blinded design with objective physical evidence and psychometric self-reports. Fifty-one Taiwanese women with primary dysmenorrhea were enrolled in the study. Results indicate that there was an increased abdominal temperature of 0.6°C and a 3.27% increase in abdominal blood flow in the FIR group (wearing FIR belt compared to those in the control group (wearing sham belt. Verbal rating scale and numeric rating scale scores in the FIR group were both lower than those in the control group. Compared to the blank group (wearing no belt, the average dysmenorrhea pain duration of the FIR group was significantly reduced from 2.5 to 1.8 days, but there was no significant difference in the control group. These results demonstrate that the use of a belt made of far-infrared ceramic materials can reduce primary dysmenorrhea.

Primary prevention of stroke and cardiovascular disease in the community (PREVENTS): Methodology of a health wellness coaching intervention to reduce stroke and cardiovascular disease risk, a randomized clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahon, Susan; Krishnamurthi, Rita; Vandal, Alain; Witt, Emma; Barker-Collo, Suzanne; Parmar, Priya; Theadom, Alice; Barber, Alan; Arroll, Bruce; Rush, Elaine; Elder, Hinemoa; Dyer, Jesse; Feigin, Valery

2018-02-01

Rationale Stroke is a major cause of death and disability worldwide, yet 80% of strokes can be prevented through modifications of risk factors and lifestyle and by medication. While management strategies for primary stroke prevention in high cardiovascular disease risk individuals are well established, they are underutilized and existing practice of primary stroke prevention are inadequate. Behavioral interventions are emerging as highly promising strategies to improve cardiovascular disease risk factor management. Health Wellness Coaching is an innovative, patient-focused and cost-effective, multidimensional psychological intervention designed to motivate participants to adhere to recommended medication and lifestyle changes and has been shown to improve health and enhance well-being. Aims and/or hypothesis To determine the effectiveness of Health Wellness Coaching for primary stroke prevention in an ethnically diverse sample including Māori, Pacific Island, New Zealand European and Asian participants. Design A parallel, prospective, randomized, open-treatment, single-blinded end-point trial. Participants include 320 adults with absolute five-year cardiovascular disease risk ≥ 10%, calculated using the PREDICT web-based clinical tool. Randomization will be to Health Wellness Coaching or usual care groups. Participants randomized to Health Wellness Coaching will receive 15 coaching sessions over nine months. Study outcomes A substantial relative risk reduction of five-year cardiovascular disease risk at nine months post-randomization, which is defined as 10% relative risk reduction among those at moderate five-year cardiovascular disease risk (10-15%) and 25% among those at high risk (>15%). Discussion This clinical trial will determine whether Health Wellness Coaching is an effective intervention for reducing modifiable risk factors, and hence decrease the risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease.

Optimal cognitive transmission exploiting redundancy in the primary ARQ process

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Michelusi, Nicholo; Simeone, Osvaldo; Levorato, Marco

2011-01-01

interference to the reception of the PM at the Primary Receiver (PR) and SR. Such interference may induce retransmissions of the same PM, which plays to the advantage of the secondary user, while at the same time making decoding of the PM more difficult also at the SR and reducing the available margin...

Vaporization Rate Analysis of Primary Cooling Water from Reactor PUSPATI TRIGA (RTP) Tank

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tonny Anak Lanyau; Mohd Fazli Zakaria; Yahya Ismail

2011-01-01

Primary cooling system consists of pumps, heat exchangers, probes, a nitrogen-16 diffuser and associated valves is connected to the reactor TRIGA PUSPATI (RTP) tank by aluminium pipes. Both the primary cooling system and the reactor tank is filled with demineralized light water (H 2 O), which serves as a coolant, moderator as well as shielding. During reactor operation, vaporization in the reactor tank will reduce the primary water and contribute to the formation of vapor in the reactor hall. The vaporization may influence the function of the water subsequently may affect the safety of the reactor operation. It is essential to know the vaporization rate of the primary water to ensure its functionality. This paper will present the vaporization rate of the primary cooling water from the reactor tank and the influence of temperature of the water in the reactor tank to the vaporization rate. (author)

Mixed arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal application to improve growth and arsenic accumulation of Pteris vittata (As hyperaccumulator) grown in As-contaminated soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Leung, H M; Leung, A O W; Ye, Z H; Cheung, K C; Yung, K K L

2013-08-01

A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to study the effects of three types of single inoculum [indigenous mycorrhizas (IM) isolated from As mine, Glomus mosseae (GM) and Glomus intraradices (GI)] and two types of mixed inoculum (mixed with IM and either GM or GI) on the growth response of Pteris vittata (hyperaccumulator) and Cynodon dactylon (non-hyperaccumulator) at three levels of As concentrations (0, 100 and 200mgkg(-1)). Both mycorrhizal plants exhibited significantly higher biomass, and N and P accumulation in its tissue than the control. Among the mycorrhizal inoculum, the mixed inoculum IM/GM promoted substantially higher mycorrhizal colonization and arsenate reductase activity in P. vittata than C. dactylon, among all As levels. The portion of Paris arbuscular mycorrhizal structure (observed in colonized roots) together with the highest As translocation factor of 10.2 in P. vittata inoculated with IM/GM was also noted. It was deduced that IM/GM inoculum may be the best choice for field inoculation at any contaminated lands as the inoculum exhibited better adaptation to variable environmental conditions and hence benefited the host plants. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Consequences of buffelgrass pasture development for primary productivity, perennial plant richness, and vegetation structure in the drylands of Sonora, Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Franklin, Kimberly; Molina-Freaner, Francisco

2010-12-01

In large parts of northern Mexico native plant communities are being converted to non-native buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare) pastures, and this conversion could fundamentally alter primary productivity and species richness. In Sonora, Mexico land conversion is occurring at a regional scale along a rainfall-driven gradient of primary productivity, across which native plant communities transition from desert scrub to thorn scrub. We used a paired sampling design to compare a satellite-derived index of primary productivity, richness of perennial plant species, and canopy-height profiles of native plant communities with buffelgrass pastures. We sampled species richness across a gradient of primary productivity in desert scrub and thorn scrub vegetation to examine the influence of site productivity on the outcomes of land conversion. We also examined the influence of pasture age on species richness of perennial plants. Index values of primary productivity were lower in buffelgrass pastures than in native vegetation, which suggests a reduction in primary productivity. Land conversion reduced species richness by approximately 50% at local and regional scales, reduced tree and shrub cover by 78%, and reduced canopy height. Land conversion disproportionately reduced shrub species richness, which reflects the common practice among Sonoran ranchers of conserving certain tree and cactus species. Site productivity did not affect the outcomes of land conversion. The age of a buffelgrass pasture was unrelated to species richness within the pasture, which suggests that passive recovery of species richness to preconversion levels is unlikely. Our findings demonstrate that land conversion can result in large losses of plant species richness at local and regional scales and in substantial changes to primary productivity and vegetation structure, which casts doubt on the feasibility of restoring native plant communities without active intervention on the part of land managers. �

Review of behavioral health integration in primary care at Baylor Scott and White Healthcare, Central Region

OpenAIRE

Jolly, John B.; Fluet, Norman R.; Reis, Michael D.; Stern, Charles H.; Thompson, Alexander W.; Jolly, Gillian A.

2016-01-01

The integration of behavioral health services in primary care has been referred to in many ways, but ultimately refers to common structures and processes. Behavioral health is integrated into primary care because it increases the effectiveness and efficiency of providing care and reduces costs in the care of primary care patients. Reimbursement is one factor, if not the main factor, that determines the level of integration that can be achieved. The federal health reform agenda supports change...

Weed infestation of onion in soil reduced cultivation system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marzena Błażej-Woźniak

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Field experiment was conducted in the years 1998-2000 in GD Felin. The influence of no-tillage cultivation and conventional tillage with spring ploughing on weed infestation of onion was compared. In experiment four cover crop mulches (Sinapis alba L., Vicia sativa L., Phacelia tanacetifolia B., Avena sativa L. were applied. From annual weeds in weed infestation of onion in great number Matricaria chamomilla L., and Senecio vulgaris L. stepped out. and from perennial - Agropyron repens (L.P.B. Reduced soil cultivation system (no-tillage caused the significant growth of primary weed infestation of onion in comparison with conventional tillage. In all years of investigations the executed pre-sowing ploughing limited significantly the annual weeds' number in primary weed infestation. The applied mulches from cover plants limited in considerable degree the number of primary weed infestation. In all years of investigations the most weeds stepped out on control object. Among investigated cover crop mulches Vicia sativa L. and Avena sativa L. had a profitable effect on decrease of onion`s primary weed infestation. Soil cultivation system and cover crop mulches had no signi ficant residual influence on the secondary weed infestation of onion.

Cranio-orbital primary intraosseous haemangioma.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, T; Rose, G E; Manisali, M; Minhas, P; Uddin, J M; Verity, D H

2013-11-01

Primary intraosseous haemangioma (IOH) is a rare benign neoplasm presenting in the fourth and fifth decades of life. The spine and skull are the most commonly involved, orbital involvement is extremely rare. We describe six patients with cranio-orbital IOH, the largest case series to date. Retrospective review of six patients with histologically confirmed primary IOH involving the orbit. Clinical characteristics, imaging features, approach to management, and histopathological findings are described. Five patients were male with a median age of 56. Pain and diplopia were the most common presenting features. A characteristic 'honeycomb' pattern on CT imaging was demonstrated in three of the cases. Complete surgical excision was performed in all cases with presurgical embolisation carried out in one case. In all the cases, histological studies identified cavernous vascular spaces within the bony tissue. These channels were lined by single layer of cytologically normal endothelial cells. IOCH of the cranio-orbital region is rare; in the absence of typical imaging features, the differential diagnosis includes chondroma, chondrosarcoma, bony metastasis, and lymphoma. Surgical excision may be necessary to exclude more sinister pathology. Intraoperative haemorrhage can be severe and may be reduced by preoperative embolisation.

Image guided, minimally invasive adenomectomy for solitary gland disease in primary hyperparathyroidism

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smit, Pieter Casper

2001-01-01

Introduction: Since the introduction in the 1970s of the unilateral approach in surgery for primary hyperparathyroidism by Wang, authors have increasingly been recommending limited forms of parathyroid surgery. Although unilateral explorations reduce operation time and admission days, decrease

Rooting and acclimatization of micropropagated marubakaido apple rootstock using Adesmia latifolia rhizobia.

Science.gov (United States)

Muniz, Aleksander Westphal; de Sá, Enilson Luiz; Dalagnol, Gilberto Luíz; Filho, João Américo

2013-01-01

In vitro rooting and the acclimatization of micropropagated rootstocks of apple trees is essential for plant development in the field. The aim of this work was to assess the use of rhizobia of Adesmia latifolia to promote rooting and acclimatization in micropropagated Marubakaido apple rootstock. An experiment involving in vitro rooting and acclimatization was performed with four strains of rhizobium and two controls, one with and the other without the addition of synthetic indoleacetic acid. The inoculated treatments involved the use of sterile inoculum and inoculum containing live rhizobia. The most significant effects on the rooting rate, primary-root length, number of roots, root length, fresh-shoot biomass, and fresh-root biomass were obtained by inoculation with strain EEL16010B and with synthetic indole acetic acid. However, there was no difference in the growth of apple explants in the acclimatization experiments. Strain EEL16010B can be used to induce in vitro rooting of the Marubakaido rootstock and can replace the use of synthetic indoleacetic acid in the rooting of this cultivar.

A Framework for Optimizing Phytosanitary Thresholds in Seed Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Choudhury, Robin Alan; Garrett, Karen A; Klosterman, Steven J; Subbarao, Krishna V; McRoberts, Neil

2017-10-01

Seedborne pathogens and pests limit production in many agricultural systems. Quarantine programs help prevent the introduction of exotic pathogens into a country, but few regulations directly apply to reducing the reintroduction and spread of endemic pathogens. Use of phytosanitary thresholds helps limit the movement of pathogen inoculum through seed, but the costs associated with rejected seed lots can be prohibitive for voluntary implementation of phytosanitary thresholds. In this paper, we outline a framework to optimize thresholds for seedborne pathogens, balancing the cost of rejected seed lots and benefit of reduced inoculum levels. The method requires relatively small amounts of data, and the accuracy and robustness of the analysis improves over time as data accumulate from seed testing. We demonstrate the method first and illustrate it with a case study of seedborne oospores of Peronospora effusa, the causal agent of spinach downy mildew. A seed lot threshold of 0.23 oospores per seed could reduce the overall number of oospores entering the production system by 90% while removing 8% of seed lots destined for distribution. Alternative mitigation strategies may result in lower economic losses to seed producers, but have uncertain efficacy. We discuss future challenges and prospects for implementing this approach.

Triple-membrane reduces need for ion exchange regeneration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valcour, H.

1989-01-01

Triple-membrane water treatment systems are comprised of ultrafiltration units for pretreatment, electrodialysis reversal primary demineralizers, reverse osmosis secondary demineralizers, portable ion exchange unit polishing demineralizers, and ultraviolet sterilizers. The triple-membrane process is designed to provide an unprecedented degree of pretreatment to maximize efficiency, durability and reliability of the reverse osmosis, whilst reducing the required regeneration frequency of the ion exchange demineralizer by one to two orders of magnitude. (author)

On the microstructural origin of primary creep in nickel-base superalloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heilmaier, M.; Reppich, B.

1997-01-01

The nature of primary creep in nickel-base superalloys is strongly correlated to the different hardening species present in the material. In fine-grained single-phase material the classical assumption of a homogeneous dislocation distribution enables the prediction of the transition from normal via sigmoidal to inverse primary creep with decreasing applied stress σ. In coarse-grained material the back stress σ b of hard subgrain boundaries evolving during plastic deformation must be additionally taken into account. Second-phase particles influence creep in a 2-fold manner via reducing the effective stress σ eff , namely directly by the stress σ p * for particle overcoming, and indirectly by increasing the dislocation density ρ. The proposed approach accounts for the observed pronounced normal primary creep in particle-strengthened superalloys. (orig.)

Development of a higher capacity, lower pressure drop steam/water separator with reduced primary-to-secondary spacing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pruster, W.P.; Kidwell, J.H.; Eaton, A.M.; Wall, J.R.

1985-01-01

The goal of this development effort was to double the steam flow capacity of an existing module steam/water separator design without significantly increasing the pressure drop while simultaneously minimizing the vertical distance (spacing) between the primary and secondary separation stages. The development work included extensive air/water and steam/water testing. The steam/water tests were performed at a common pressure of 300 psia (2.1 MPa) with comparable water and steam flows

Interview and questionnaire guide: Quantification of food losses and waste in primary production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svanes, Erik; Hartikainen, Hanna; Mogensen, Lisbeth

production in the Nordic countries. Other aims were to estimate the amount of side flow and to gain knowledge about the reasons behind it, how it can be reduced, how it is treated and how it can be better utilized.This guide contains a catalogue of questions that may be used for interviews and questionnaires...... with primary producers and other stakeholders within primary production. It also contains the justification behind the questions and some tips on how to conduct interviews.......This interview guide was developed within the Nordic project “Food losses and waste in primary production” (Franke et al. 2016). One of the main purposes of the project was to test research methods for the quantification of food losses and waste (in the project called 'side flow') from primary...

An Agent-Based Model for Addressing the Impact of a Disaster on Access to Primary Care Services.

Science.gov (United States)

Guclu, Hasan; Kumar, Supriya; Galloway, David; Krauland, Mary; Sood, Rishi; Bocour, Angelica; Hershey, Tina Batra; van Nostrand, Elizabeth; Potter, Margaret

2016-06-01

Hurricane Sandy in the Rockaways, Queens, forced residents to evacuate and primary care providers to close or curtail operations. A large deficit in primary care access was apparent in the immediate aftermath of the storm. Our objective was to build a computational model to aid responders in planning to situate primary care services in a disaster-affected area. Using an agent-based modeling platform, HAZEL, we simulated the Rockaways population, its evacuation behavior, and primary care providers' availability in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Data sources for this model included post-storm and community health surveys from New York City, a survey of the Rockaways primary care providers, and research literature. The model then tested geospatially specific interventions to address storm-related access deficits. The model revealed that areas of high primary care access deficit were concentrated in the eastern part of the Rockaways. Placing mobile health clinics in the most populous census tracts reduced the access deficit significantly, whereas increasing providers' capacity by 50% reduced the deficit to a lesser degree. An agent-based model may be a useful tool to have in place so that policy makers can conduct scenario-based analyses to plan interventions optimally in the event of a disaster. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:386-393).

Pengaruh kemasan dan lama penyimpanan Acetobacter sp. RMG-2 dalam bahan pembawa terhadap populasi dan produksi bioselulosa dengan konsentrasi inokulum terbatas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruth Melliawati

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Bioselulosa or nata de coco is one food product that contains 25% fiber, which is very useful to support health, especially the digestive system. Along with the development of science and technology, raw material for making nata de coco become increasingly diverse as well as developing its usefulness for the wider interests. Inoculum became one of the things that are important in nata production process is also a determinant of product quality. This research was conducted to obtain information about the packaging is good for storing inoculum Acetobacter sp. RMG-2 in the carrier material and the efficiency of inoculum for the production bioselulosa. Two kinds of containers (straws and plastic bags with two kinds of carrier material (cellulose pulp and CMC are used. Storageof inoculum carried out for 20 weeks at 4 ° C. The measured parameter is the number of population, wet weight, dry weight and thickness as well bioselulosa pesentase minimal inoculum for the manufacture bioselulosa. Result, the inoculum in the CMC are packed using a straw is better than the plastic bag packaging, with a population of Acetobacter sp RMG-2 at 4.53 × 108 cells/ml, while in the plastic bag packaging population reached 3.5 x 107 cells/ml, respectively during storage was 20 weeks (five months. Bioselulosa production uses between 1-15 ml inoculum in 1250 ml of medium/tray of wet weight data obtained vary. With 1 ml of inoculum produced an average wet weight of 725 grams with a thickness of 0.6 cm. Research on the percentage of inoculum between 0.1 to 1.0%, showingthat the use of 0.1% (in the CMC carrier materials for 8 weeks can still be used for production with the average bioselulosa/100 ml of medium weight 31.45 grams wet, 1.6 g dry weight and thickness of 0.8 cm during the 7 days incubation. Investigation was still continuing to be carried out to get optimal results.

Do trained practice nurses apply motivational interviewing techniques in primary care consultations?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Noordman, J.; Lee, I. van der; Nielen, M.; Vlek, H.; Weijden, T. van der; Dulmen, S. van

2012-01-01

Background: Reducing the prevalence of unhealthy lifestyle behaviour could positively influence health. Motivational interviewing (MI) is used to promote change in unhealthy lifestyle behaviour as part of primary or secondary prevention. Whether MI is actually applied as taught is unknown. Practice

The Impact of Medical Comorbidities on Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty Reimbursements.

Science.gov (United States)

Sabeh, Karim G; Rosas, Samuel; Buller, Leonard T; Freiberg, Andrew A; Emory, Cynthia L; Roche, Martin W

2018-05-23

Medical comorbidities have been shown to cause an increase in peri-and postoperative complications following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, the increase in cost associated with these complications has yet to be determined. Factors that influence cost have been of great interest particularly after the initiation of bundled payment initiatives. In this study, we present and quantify the influence of common medical comorbidities on the cost of care in patients undergoing primary TKA. A retrospective level of evidence III study was performed using the PearlDiver supercomputer to identify patients who underwent primary TKA between 2007 and 2015. Patients were stratified by medical comorbidities and compared using analysis of variance for reimbursements for the day of surgery and over 90 days postoperatively. A cohort of 137,073 US patients was identified as having undergone primary TKA between 2007 and 2015. The mean entire episode-of-care reimbursement was $23,701 (range: $21,294-26,299; standard deviation [SD] $2,611). The highest reimbursements were seen in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (mean $26,299; SD $3,030), hepatitis C (mean $25,662; SD $2,766), morbid obesity (mean $25,450; SD $2,154), chronic kidney disease (mean $25,131, $3,361), and cirrhosis (mean $24,890; SD $2,547). Medical comorbidities significantly impact reimbursements, and therefore cost, after primary TKA. Comprehensive preoperative optimization for patients with medical comorbidities undergoing TKA is highly recommended and may reduce perioperative complications, improve patient outcome, and ultimately reduce cost. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Differential effects of drugs targeting cancer stem cell (CSC and non-CSC populations on lung primary tumors and metastasis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leyre Larzabal

Full Text Available Cancer stem cells (CSCs are thought to be responsible for tumor initiation and recurrence after chemotherapy. Targeting CSCs and non-CSCs with specific compounds may be an effective approach to reduce lung cancer growth and metastasis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of salinomycin, a selective inhibitor of CSCs, with or without combination with paclitaxel, in a metastatic model. To evaluate the effect of these drugs in metastasis and tumor microenvironment we took advantage of the immunocompetent and highly metastatic LLC mouse model. Aldefluor assays were used to analyze the ALDH+/- populations in murine LLC and human H460 and H1299 lung cancer cells. Salinomycin reduced the proportion of ALDH+ CSCs in LLC cells, whereas paclitaxel increased such population. The same effect was observed for the H460 and H1299 cell lines. Salinomycin reduced the tumorsphere formation capacity of LLC by more than 7-fold, but paclitaxel showed no effect. In in vivo experiments, paclitaxel reduced primary tumor volume but increased the number of metastatic nodules (p<0.05, whereas salinomycin had no effect on primary tumors but reduced lung metastasis (p<0.05. Combination of both drugs did not improve the effect of single therapies. ALDH1A1, SOX2, CXCR4 and SDF-1 mRNA levels were higher in metastatic lesions than in primary tumors, and were significantly elevated in both locations by paclitaxel treatment. On the contrary, such levels were reduced (or in some cases did not change when mice were administered with salinomycin. The number of F4/80+ and CD11b+ cells was also reduced upon administration of both drugs, but particularly in metastasis. These results show that salinomycin targets ALDH+ lung CSCs, which has important therapeutic effects in vivo by reducing metastatic lesions. In contrast, paclitaxel (although reducing primary tumor growth promotes the selection of ALDH+ cells that likely modify the lung microenvironment to foster

Primary and secondary organic aerosols in summer 2016 in Beijing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Tang

2018-03-01

Full Text Available To improve air quality, the Beijing government has employed several air pollution control measures since the 2008 Olympics. In order to investigate organic aerosol sources after the implementation of these measures, ambient fine particulate matter was collected at a regional site in Changping (CP and an urban site at the Peking University Atmosphere Environment Monitoring Station (PKUERS during the Photochemical Smog in China field campaign in summer 2016. Chemical mass balance (CMB modeling and the tracer yield method were used to apportion primary and secondary organic sources. Our results showed that the particle concentration decreased significantly during the last few years. The apportioned primary and secondary sources explained 62.8 ± 18.3 and 80.9 ± 27.2 % of the measured OC at CP and PKUERS, respectively. Vehicular emissions served as the dominant source. Except for gasoline engine emissions, the contributions of all the other primary sources decreased. In addition, the anthropogenic SOC, i.e., toluene SOC, also decreased, implying that deducting primary emissions can reduce anthropogenic SOA. In contrast to the SOA from other regions in the world where biogenic SOA was dominant, anthropogenic SOA was the major contributor to SOA, implying that deducting anthropogenic VOC emissions is an efficient way to reduce SOA in Beijing. Back-trajectory cluster analysis results showed that high mass concentrations of OC were observed when the air mass was from the south. However, the contributions of different primary organic sources were similar, suggesting regional particle pollution. The ozone concentration and temperature correlated well with the SOA concentration. Different correlations between day and night samples suggested different SOA formation pathways. Significant enhancement of SOA with increasing particle water content and acidity was observed in our study, suggesting that aqueous-phase acid-catalyzed reactions may be

Genetic and epigenetic alterations of the reduced folate carrier in untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kastrup, Ingelise Bjerring; Worm, Jesper; Ralfkiaer, Elisabeth

2007-01-01

The reduced folate carrier (RFC) is a transmembrane protein that mediates cellular uptake of reduced folates and antifolate drugs, including methotrexate (MTX). Acquired alterations of the RFC gene have been associated with resistance to MTX in cancer cell lines and primary osteosarcomas. Here, we...

Method of reducing radioactivity in nuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koshino, Yasuo

1987-01-01

Purpose: To prevent increase of radiation dose ratio in primary coolant circuit pipeways of nuclear reactor and reduce operators' exposure dose upon periodical inspection, etc. Method: β-diketone such as acetylacetone is added in a predetermined amount to reactor cooling water. β-diketone dissolves to catch metal ions and iron oxides as the main ingredient of cruds. The resultant β-diketone complex of metals is slightly water soluble neutron molecule, and the total metal amount in the reactor coolant is at a concentration of less than 10 ppb and completely dissolved in water. Accordingly, deposition of clads in the coolant to pipeways can be prevented thereby enabling to prevent the increase in the radiation dose ratio in the pipeways and thus reduce the operators' exposure dose. (Takahashi, M.)

White matter disease correlates with lexical retrieval deficits in primary progressive aphasia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John P. Powers

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Objective: To relate fractional anisotropy changes associated with the semantic and logopenic variants of primary progressive aphasia to measures of lexical retrieval.Methods: We collected neuropsychological testing, volumetric MRI, and diffusion-weighted imaging on semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (n=11 and logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia (n=13 patients diagnosed using published criteria. We also acquired neuroimaging data on a group of demographically comparable healthy seniors (n=34. Fractional anisotropy was calculated and analyzed using a white matter tract-specific analysis approach. This approach utilizes anatomically guided data reduction to increase sensitivity and localizes results within canonically defined tracts. We used non-parametric, cluster-based statistical analysis to relate language performance to fractional anisotropy and determine regions of reduced fractional anisotropy in patients. Results: We found widespread fractional anisotropy reductions in white matter for both variants of primary progressive aphasia. Fractional anisotropy was related to both confrontation naming and category naming fluency performance in left uncinate fasciculus and corpus callosum in semantic variant primary progressive aphasia and left superior and inferior longitudinal fasciculi in logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia. Conclusions: Semantic variant primary progressive aphasia and logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia are associated with distinct disruptions of a large-scale network implicated in lexical retrieval, and the white matter disease in each phenotype may contribute to language impairments including lexical retrieval.

Effects of some benzoxazinoids on in vitro growth of Cephalosporium gramineum and other fungi pathogenic to cereals and on Cephalosporium stripe of winter wheat.

Science.gov (United States)

Martyniuk, Stefan; Stochmal, Anna; Macías, Francisco A; Marín, David; Oleszek, Wieslaw

2006-02-22

The benzoxazolinones benzoxazolin-2(3H)-one (BOA) and 6-methoxybenzoxazolin-2(3H)-one (MBOA) and selected degradation products of these compounds were examined for their in vitro antifungal activity against Cephalosporium gramineum, Gaeumannomyces graminis var. graminis, and Fusarium culmorum. BOA was also applied to the soil-incorporated inoculum of C. gramineum to test its capability of reducing Cephalosporium stripe disease in winter wheat. MBOA reduced the mycelial growth of G. graminis var. tritici, C. gramineum, and F. culmorum by 50% (EC50) at the concentrations of 77, 134, and 271 microg/mL of corn meal agar, respectively, and the corresponding BOA EC50 values for the fungi were 11, 189, and 456 microg/mL. BOA degradation products 2-amino-3H-phenoxazin-3-one (APO), 2-acetylamino-3H-phenoxazin-3-one (AAPO), and o-aminophenol (o-AP) were much more inhibitory to the growth of C. gramineum and G. graminis var. tritici than the parent compounds. APO, AAPO, and o-AP EC50 values were found to be as low as 0.58, 4.57, and 1.4 microg/mL, respectively, for C. gramineum and 0.78, 2.18, and 0.80 microg/mL for G. graminis var. tritici. These compounds applied at the corresponding concentrations did not significantly affect the mycelial growth of F. culmorum. The treatment of C. gramineum inoculum with a 1% water solution of BOA resulted in a significant reduction infection of winter wheat with C. gramineum as compared to the control with the untreated inoculum,but this treatment was not as effective as the application of a commercial fungicide.

Amenorrhea - primary

Science.gov (United States)

... of periods - primary Images Primary amenorrhea Normal uterine anatomy (cut section) Absence of menstruation (amenorrhea) References Bulun SE. The physiology and pathology of the female reproductive axis. In: ...

Morphology of primary feathers in two falcon species

Science.gov (United States)

Honisch, B.; Bleckmann, H.; Schmitz, H.; Schmitz, A.

2012-04-01

Primary feathers allow birds to fly; however, morphology and material properties of theses feathers vary in different bird species. We therefore analysed both morphology and material properties of primary feathers in two raptor species, the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) which is the fastest vertical flyer known, and the kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and nanoindentation. The program AutoCAD was used for the computation of the moments of inertia. The reduced E-modulus of the cortex of the rachis of the first, fifth, and tenth primary were measured at proximal (10% of total rachis length), central (50%) and distal (75%) cross-sections. In all cross sections the kestrel showed higher E-moduli than the peregrine falcon (values varied between 6.7 and 9.1 GPa). In the primaries, values increased from proximal to central but decreased distally. Looking at the hardness, the kestrel had higher values than the peregrine falcon yet again. The main differences occurred in the first primary. Values ranged between 0.17 and 0.4 GPa. SEM studies revealed that the tenth primary was more stable in the peregrine falcon, featuring more hamuli than the kestrel at all analysed positions and longer hamuli at the distal positions. The higher moments of inertia found in the peregrine falcon caused a much higher bending stiffness in this species. Values were 4.4 to 9.1 times larger in the peregrine falcon than in the kestrel. Because the given structures are responsible for the stability of the feather face it seems that the feathers of F. peregrinus are more robust than those of F. tinnunculus. Even when considering the higher body mass of the peregrine falcon compared to the kestrel (3.4 times), the determined stability of the feather compensates for this problem.

Core competencies in sexual and reproductive health for the interprofessional primary care team.

Science.gov (United States)

Cappiello, Joyce; Levi, Amy; Nothnagle, Melissa

2016-05-01

A primary care workforce that is well prepared to provide high-quality sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care has the potential to enhance access to care and reduce health disparities. This project aimed to identify core competencies to guide SRH training across the primary care professions. A six-member interprofessional expert working group drafted SRH competencies for primary care team members. Primary care providers including family physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners and certified nurse midwives, physician assistants and pharmacists were invited to participate in a three-round electronic Delphi survey. In each round, participants voted by email to retain, eliminate or revise each competency, with their suggested edits to the competencies incorporated by the researchers after each round. Fifty providers from six professions participated. In Round 1, 17 of 33 draft competencies reached the 75% predetermined agreement level to be accepted as written. Five were combined, reducing the total number to 28. Based on Round 2 feedback, 21 competencies were reworded, and 2 were combined. In Round 3, all 26 competencies reached at least 83.7% agreement, with 9 achieving 100% agreement. The 33 core competencies encompass professional ethics and reproductive justice, collaboration, SRH services and conditions affecting SRH. These core competencies will be disseminated and adapted to each profession's scope of practice to inform required curricula. SRH competencies for primary care can inform the required curricula across professions, filling the gap between an established standard of care necessary to meet patient needs and the outcomes of that care. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Urethral carcinoma in women: results of treatment with primary radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milosevic, M.F.; Wards, P.R.; Gospodarowicz, M.K.; McLean, M.; Catton, P.A.; Catton, C.N.; Banerjee, D.

2000-01-01

Urethral carcinoma in women is uncommon. This study was undertaken to evaluate the role of radiotherapy in the treatment of these tumors. The hospital records of 34 women with primary urethral carcinoma were retrospectively reviewed. There were 15 squamous cell carcinomas, 13 transitional cell carcinomas, and six adenocarcinomas. The primary tumor was >4 cm in size in eight patients, involved the proximal urethra in 19 and extended to adjacent organs in 22. Inguinal or iliac lymphadenopathy was present in nine patients. There were eight TNM stage I/II tumors, 11 stage III tumors and 15 stage IV tumors. Radiotherapy was administered only to the primary tumor in 15 patients, and to the primary tumor and regional lymph nodes in the remaining 19 patients. Brachytherapy with or without external radiation was used to treat the primary tumor in 20 patients. Tumor recurred in 21 patients. The 7-year actuarial overall and cause-specific survivals were 41 and 45%, respectively. Large primary tumor bulk and treatment with external beam radiation alone (no brachytherapy) were independent adverse prognostic factors for local tumor recurrence. Brachytherapy reduced the risk of local recurrence by a factor of 4.2. The beneficial effect of brachytherapy was most prominently seen in patients with bulky primary disease. Large tumor size was the only independent adverse predictor of overall disease recurrence and death from cancer. Radiotherapy is an effective treatment for carcinoma of the female urethra and preserves normal anatomy and function. Brachytherapy improves local tumor control, possibly as a result of the higher radiation dose that can safely be delivered. (author)

Potential for improved radiation thermometry measurement uncertainty through implementing a primary scale in an industrial laboratory

Science.gov (United States)

Willmott, Jon R.; Lowe, David; Broughton, Mick; White, Ben S.; Machin, Graham

2016-09-01

A primary temperature scale requires realising a unit in terms of its definition. For high temperature radiation thermometry in terms of the International Temperature Scale of 1990 this means extrapolating from the signal measured at the freezing temperature of gold, silver or copper using Planck’s radiation law. The difficulty in doing this means that primary scales above 1000 °C require specialist equipment and careful characterisation in order to achieve the extrapolation with sufficient accuracy. As such, maintenance of the scale at high temperatures is usually only practicable for National Metrology Institutes, and calibration laboratories have to rely on a scale calibrated against transfer standards. At lower temperatures it is practicable for an industrial calibration laboratory to have its own primary temperature scale, which reduces the number of steps between the primary scale and end user. Proposed changes to the SI that will introduce internationally accepted high temperature reference standards might make it practicable to have a primary high temperature scale in a calibration laboratory. In this study such a scale was established by calibrating radiation thermometers directly to high temperature reference standards. The possible reduction in uncertainty to an end user as a result of the reduced calibration chain was evaluated.

Experimental rhinovirus infection in volunteers.

Science.gov (United States)

Bardin, P G; Sanderson, G; Robinson, B S; Holgate, S T; Tyrrell, D A

1996-11-01

Experimental viral disease studies in volunteers have clarified many aspects of the pathogenesis of human viral disease. Recently, interest has focused on rhinovirus-associated asthma exacerbations, and new volunteer studies have suggested that airway responsiveness (AR) is enhanced during a cold. For scientific, ethical and safety reasons, it is important to use validated methods for the preparation of a virus inoculum and that the particular virological characteristics and host responses should not be altered. We have prepared a new human rhinovirus (HRV) inoculum using recent guidelines and assessed whether disease characteristics (for example, severity of colds or changes in AR) were retained. Studies were conducted in 25 clinically healthy volunteers using a validated HRV inoculum in the first 17 and a new inoculum in the subsequent eight subjects. Severity of cold symptoms, nasal wash albumin levels and airway responsiveness were measured, and the new inoculum was prepared from nasal washes obtained during the cold. The new inoculum was tested using standard virological and serological techniques, as well as a polymerase chain reaction for Mycoplasma pneumoniae. No contaminating viruses or organisms were detected and the methods suggested were workable. Good clinical colds developed in 20 of the 25 subjects and median symptom scores were similar in the validated and new inoculum groups (18 and 17.5, respectively; p=0.19). All subjects shed virus, and there were no differences noted in viral culture scores, nasal wash albumin and rates of seroconversion in the two groups. Although airway responsiveness increased in both groups (p=0.02 and p=0.05), the degree of change was similar. We have performed experimental rhinovirus infection studies and demonstrated similar clinical disease in two inoculum groups. Amplified airway responsiveness was induced; continuing studies will define the mechanisms and suggest modes of treatment.

Effects of red ginger capsule supplementin reducing PGF2α concentrations and pain intensity in primary dysmenorrhea

Science.gov (United States)

Simarmata, M.; Halim, B.; Ardinata, D.

2018-03-01

Primary dysmenorrhea is a gynecological disorder which most commonly occurs like a pain in the initial menstruation. One ofthe attempts to handle dysmenorrhea is by using anon-pharmacological method such as herbal therapy which uses red ginger. The research was at Akbid and Akper Harapan Mama, Deli Serdang Regency, with pre-experimental design and one group pretest-posttest. The samples were 32 female students as the respondents, taken by using non-probability or consecutive sampling technique. PGF2a content measurement by ELISA, theintensity of pain by Visual Analogue Scale and analyzed by using Wilcoxon test. PGF2α content before giving red ginger capsule supplement median was 156.50 pg/ml (min-max: 57-1037 pg/ml), after giving it was 101 (min-max: 22-785), pain intensity before giving it in the mean score of 2 was 15 respondents (47%), after giving it in the mean score of 0 was 14 respondents (44%). The result of statistic test on PGF2α content before and after giving it was p-value = 0.001, and pain intensity before and after giving it was p < 0.001 which indicated that there was asignificant decrease in PGF2α and pain intensity after giving it. Red ginger capsule supplement could decrease PGF2α content during primary dysmenorrhea.

Mass extinctions: Ecological selectivity and primary production

Science.gov (United States)

Rhodes, Melissa Clark; Thayer, Charles W.

1991-09-01

If mass extinctions were caused by reduced primary productivity, then extinctions should be concentrated among animals with starvation-susceptible feeding modes, active lifestyles, and high-energy budgets. The stratigraphic ranges (by stage) of 424 genera of bivalves and 309 genera of articulate brachiopods suggest that there was an unusual reduction of primary productivity at the Cretaceous/Tertiary (K/T) boundary extinction. For bivalves at the K/T, there were (1) selective extinction of suspension feeders and other susceptible trophic categories relative to deposit feeders and other resistant categories, and (2) among suspension feed-ers, selective extinction of bivalves with active locomotion. During the Permian-Triassic (P/Tr) extinction and Jurassic background time, extinction rates among suspension feeders were greater for articulate brachiopods than for bivalves. But during the K/T event, extinction rates of articulates and suspension-feeding bivalves equalized, possibly because the low-energy budgets of articulates gave them an advantage when food was scarce.

Increased sympathetic tone in forearm subcutaneous tissue in primary hypothyroidism

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vagn Nielsen, H; Hasselström, K; Feldt-Rasmussen, U

1987-01-01

vasoconstriction normally seen after lowering the forearm 40 cm below heart level was absent since SBF only decreased by 4% (+/- 7%, P greater than 0.1) during these conditions. In head-up vertical position we noticed a diminished baroreceptor response as SBF at heart level was reduced by 11% (+/- 7%, P greater...... than 0.1) compared to supine position. After proximal local anaesthesia SBF increased by 351% (+/- 81%, P less than 0.01) and disclosed a normal vasoconstrictor response as SBF was reduced by 53% (+/- 5%, P less than 0.01) during arm lowering. Five of the treated patients were restudied.......02)). In conclusion sympathetic vasoconstrictor activity in adipose tissue is markedly increased in primary hypothyroidism. Sympathetic tone and arterial pressure are reduced during treatment....

EBR-II Primary Tank Wash-Water Alternatives Evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Demmer, R.; Heintzelman, J.; Squires, L.; Meservey, R.

2009-01-01

to six potentially viable alternatives at the end of the workshop. The six alternatives developed in the workshop were put into a scoring matrix that weighed each alternative against five important criteria that were identified during the workshop as keys to the success of the favored sodium cleanup alternative. The results of the scoring matrix exercise identified the Optimized Baseline Approach (OBA) as the favored alternative by the wash water project team. This reaffirmed the individual recommendations of the sodium cleanup specialists in a panel discussion held at the conclusion of the workshop. The OBA consists of leaving all major components of the primary system in place, and breaching certain components with a penetrating device to allow circulation of steam and reduced wash water through the components. The Optimized Baseline Approach was the alternative method recommended by the panel of sodium cleanup specialists at the workshop, and confirmed as the best alternative by the weighted scoring matrix analysis performed by the wash water project team. This alternative was chosen because it scored the highest among the common project criteria in the matrix, and most importantly it reduced the quantity of waste that would be generated for disposal. As discussed in Path Forward section of the report, actual progress towards clean closure of EBR-II will require elevating this activity to a priority project within DOE-EM. This will require transferring ownership of the EBR-II facilities from DOE-NE to DOE-EM. In addition, an acceptable de minimus level of sodium left in the primary system must be negotiated with DEQ, as it is practically impossible to remove every last gram of sodium from the system. (authors)

Method of suppressing the deposition of Co-60 to primary coolant pipeways in a nuclear reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoshi, Michio; Tachikawa, Enzo; Goto, Satoshi; Sagawa, Chiaki; Yonezawa, Chushiro.

1987-01-01

Purpose: To suppress the deposition of Co-60 to primary coolant pipeways in a nuclear reactor. Method: To reduce the accumulation of Co-60 by causing chemical species of extremely similar chemical property with soluble Co-60 to be present together in coolants and replacing the deposition of Co-60 to the primary coolant pipeways in a nuclear reactor with that of the coexistent chemical spacies. Ni or Zn is used as the coexistet chemical spacies of similar chemical property with Co-60. The coexistent amount is from 5 to 10 times of the soluble Co-60 in the primary coolants. Ni or Zn solution adjusted with concentration is poured into and mixed with the coolants from a water feed source by using a high pressure constant volume pump. The amount of Co-60 taken into the pipeways caused by corrosion due to high temperature coolant is reduced to about 1/5 as compared with the case of Co-60 alone if 1 ppb of soluble Co-60 is present in water and 5 ppb of soluble Ni or Zn is added and, reduced to 1/12 if the amount of Ni or Zn is 10 ppb. (Kamimura, M.)

Primary explosives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matyas, Robert; Pachman, Jiri [Pardubice Univ. (Czech Republic). Faculty of Chemical Technology

2013-06-01

The first chapter provides background such as the basics of initiation and differences between requirements on primary explosives used in detonators and igniters. The authors then clarify the influence of physical characteristics on explosive properties, focusing on those properties required for primary explosives. Furthermore, the issue of sensitivity is discussed. All the chapters on particular groups of primary explosives are structured in the same way, including introduction, physical and chemical properties, explosive properties, preparation and documented use.

Point-of-care C-reactive protein testing to reduce inappropriate use of antibiotics for non-severe acute respiratory infections in Vietnamese primary health care: a randomised controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Do, Nga T T; Ta, Ngan T D; Tran, Ninh T H; Than, Hung M; Vu, Bich T N; Hoang, Long B; van Doorn, H Rogier; Vu, Dung T V; Cals, Jochen W L; Chandna, Arjun; Lubell, Yoel; Nadjm, Behzad; Thwaites, Guy; Wolbers, Marcel; Nguyen, Kinh V; Wertheim, Heiman F L

2016-09-01

Inappropriate antibiotic use for acute respiratory tract infections is common in primary health care, but distinguishing serious from self-limiting infections is difficult, particularly in low-resource settings. We assessed whether C-reactive protein point-of-care testing can safely reduce antibiotic use in patients with non-severe acute respiratory tract infections in Vietnam. We did a multicentre open-label randomised controlled trial in ten primary health-care centres in northern Vietnam. Patients aged 1-65 years with at least one focal and one systemic symptom of acute respiratory tract infection were assigned 1:1 to receive either C-reactive protein point-of-care testing or routine care, following which antibiotic prescribing decisions were made. Patients with severe acute respiratory tract infection were excluded. Enrolled patients were reassessed on day 3, 4, or 5, and on day 14 a structured telephone interview was done blind to the intervention. Randomised assignments were concealed from prescribers and patients but not masked as the test result was used to assist treatment decisions. The primary outcome was antibiotic use within 14 days of follow-up. All analyses were prespecified in the protocol and the statistical analysis plan. All analyses were done on the intention-to-treat population and the analysis of the primary endpoint was repeated in the per-protocol population. This trial is registered under number NCT01918579. Between March 17, 2014, and July 3, 2015, 2037 patients (1028 children and 1009 adults) were enrolled and randomised. One adult patient withdrew immediately after randomisation. 1017 patients were assigned to receive C-reactive protein point-of-care testing, and 1019 patients were assigned to receive routine care. 115 patients in the C-reactive protein point-of-care group and 72 patients in the routine care group were excluded in the intention-to-treat analysis due to missing primary endpoint. The number of patients who used antibiotics

What can individuals do to reduce personal health risks from air pollution?

Science.gov (United States)

Laumbach, Robert; Meng, Qingyu; Kipen, Howard

2015-01-01

In many areas of the world, concentrations of ambient air pollutants exceed levels associated with increased risk of acute and chronic health problems. While effective policies to reduce emissions at their sources are clearly preferable, some evidence supports the effectiveness of individual actions to reduce exposure and health risks. Personal exposure to ambient air pollution can be reduced on high air pollution days by staying indoors, reducing outdoor air infiltration to indoors, cleaning indoor air with air filters, and limiting physical exertion, especially outdoors and near air pollution sources. Limited evidence suggests that the use of respirators may be effective in some circumstances. Awareness of air pollution levels is facilitated by a growing number of public air quality alert systems. Avoiding exposure to air pollutants is especially important for susceptible individuals with chronic cardiovascular or pulmonary disease, children, and the elderly. Research on mechanisms underlying the adverse health effects of air pollution have suggested potential pharmaceutical or chemopreventive interventions, such as antioxidant or antithrombotic agents, but in the absence of data on health outcomes, no sound recommendations can be made for primary prevention. Health care providers and their patients should carefully consider individual circumstances related to outdoor and indoor air pollutant exposure levels and susceptibility to those air pollutants when deciding on a course of action to reduce personal exposure and health risks from ambient air pollutants. Careful consideration is especially warranted when interventions may have unintended negative consequences, such as when efforts to avoid exposure to air pollutants lead to reduced physical activity or when there is evidence that dietary supplements, such as antioxidants, have potential adverse health effects. These potential complications of partially effective personal interventions to reduce exposure or

Getting to the root of the matter: Landscape implications of plant-fungal interactions for tree migration in Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

Hewitt, R. E.; Bennett, A.; Breen, A. L.; Hollingsworth, T. N.; Taylor, D. L.; Chapin, T.; Rupp, S. T.

2015-12-01

Forecasting change in forest cover across Alaska tundra is critical to predicting regional ecosystem services, including climate feedbacks such as carbon storage. Controls over seedling establishment govern forest development and migration potential. Ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF), obligate symbionts of all Alaskan tree species, are particularly important to seedling establishment, yet their significance to landscape vegetation change is largely unknown. We used ALFRESCO, a landscape model of wildfire and vegetation dynamics, to explore whether EMF inoculum potential influences patterns of tundra afforestation and associated flammability. Using two downscaled CMIP3 General Circulation Models (ECHAM5 and CCCMA) and a mid-range emissions scenario (A1B) at a 1 km2 resolution, we compared simulated tundra afforestation rates and flammability from four parameterizations of EMF effects on seedling establishment and growth from 2000-2100. Modeling predicted an 8.8-18.2% increase in forest cover from 2000 to 2100. Simulations that explicitly represented landscape variability in EMF inoculum potential showed up to a 2.8% reduction in afforestation due to low inoculum potential limiting seedling growth. This reduction limited fuel availability and thus, cumulative area burned. Regardless of inclusion of EMF effects in simulations, landscape flammability was lower for simulations driven by the wetter and cooler CCCMA model than the warmer and drier ECHAM5 model, while tundra conversion to forest was greater. Results suggest abiotic factors are the primary driver of tree migration. Simulations including EMF effects, a biotic factor, yielded more conservative estimates of landcover change across Alaska that better-matched empirical estimates from the previous century.

A study of changes in the primary dose penetrating the protective apron on SID in x-ray radiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Seong Kwan

2016-01-01

This study is to figure out the amount of primary X-ray generated in SID 50cm, 1m, and 2m penetrating protective aprons in X-ray radiography for hands, skull, and lumbar spine. Results are as follows: Firstly, the exposure dose of primary X-ray which is low such as that of hand X-ray may be reduced by 270 times if protective aprons are worn, but it still slightly penetrates 0.3mm thick Pb protective aprons at SID 50cm, 1m, and 2m. Secondly, the exposure dose of primary X-ray which is moderate such as that of skull X-ray may be reduced by 22 times if protective aprons are worn, but it still fairly penetrates 0.3mm thick Pb protective aprons at SID 50cm, 1m, and 2m. Thirdly, the exposure dose of primary X-ray which is very high such as that of lumbar spine X-ray may be reduced b y 13 times if protective aprons a re worn, but it still penetrates a lot 0.3mm thick Pb protective aprons at SID 50cm, 1m, and 2m. Therefore, people in X-ray room should not only wear protective aprons at any spaces that the primary X-ray can reach, but also need to stand behind the thick Pb shield to protect the body if it is inevitable to stay in the room

A study of changes in the primary dose penetrating the protective apron on SID in x-ray radiography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Seong Kwan [Dept. of Radiological Technology, Kwangju Health University, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of)

2016-12-15

This study is to figure out the amount of primary X-ray generated in SID 50cm, 1m, and 2m penetrating protective aprons in X-ray radiography for hands, skull, and lumbar spine. Results are as follows: Firstly, the exposure dose of primary X-ray which is low such as that of hand X-ray may be reduced by 270 times if protective aprons are worn, but it still slightly penetrates 0.3mm thick Pb protective aprons at SID 50cm, 1m, and 2m. Secondly, the exposure dose of primary X-ray which is moderate such as that of skull X-ray may be reduced by 22 times if protective aprons are worn, but it still fairly penetrates 0.3mm thick Pb protective aprons at SID 50cm, 1m, and 2m. Thirdly, the exposure dose of primary X-ray which is very high such as that of lumbar spine X-ray may be reduced b y 13 times if protective aprons a re worn, but it still penetrates a lot 0.3mm thick Pb protective aprons at SID 50cm, 1m, and 2m. Therefore, people in X-ray room should not only wear protective aprons at any spaces that the primary X-ray can reach, but also need to stand behind the thick Pb shield to protect the body if it is inevitable to stay in the room.

Sulforaphane restores cellular glutathione levels and reduces chronic periodontitis neutrophil hyperactivity in vitro.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irundika H K Dias

Full Text Available The production of high levels of reactive oxygen species by neutrophils is associated with the local and systemic destructive phenotype found in the chronic inflammatory disease periodontitis. In the present study, we investigated the ability of sulforaphane (SFN to restore cellular glutathione levels and reduce the hyperactivity of circulating neutrophils associated with chronic periodontitis. Using differentiated HL60 cells as a neutrophil model, here we show that generation of extracellular O2 (. - by the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADPH oxidase complex is increased by intracellular glutathione depletion. This may be attributed to the upregulation of thiol regulated acid sphingomyelinase driven lipid raft formation. Intracellular glutathione was also lower in primary neutrophils from periodontitis patients and, consistent with our previous findings, patients neutrophils were hyper-reactive to stimuli. The activity of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2, a master regulator of the antioxidant response, is impaired in circulating neutrophils from chronic periodontitis patients. Although patients' neutrophils exhibit a low reduced glutathione (GSH/oxidised glutathione (GSSG ratio and a higher total Nrf2 level, the DNA-binding activity of nuclear Nrf2 remained unchanged relative to healthy controls and had reduced expression of glutamate cysteine ligase catalytic (GCLC, and modifier (GCLM subunit mRNAs, compared to periodontally healthy subjects neutrophils. Pre-treatment with SFN increased expression of GCLC and GCM, improved intracellular GSH/GSSG ratios and reduced agonist-activated extracellular O2 (. - production in both dHL60 and primary neutrophils from patients with periodontitis and controls. These findings suggest that a deficiency in Nrf2-dependent pathways may underpin susceptibility to hyper-reactivity in circulating primary neutrophils during chronic periodontitis.

Sulforaphane restores cellular glutathione levels and reduces chronic periodontitis neutrophil hyperactivity in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Dias, Irundika H K; Chapple, Ian L C; Milward, Mike; Grant, Melissa M; Hill, Eric; Brown, James; Griffiths, Helen R

2013-01-01

The production of high levels of reactive oxygen species by neutrophils is associated with the local and systemic destructive phenotype found in the chronic inflammatory disease periodontitis. In the present study, we investigated the ability of sulforaphane (SFN) to restore cellular glutathione levels and reduce the hyperactivity of circulating neutrophils associated with chronic periodontitis. Using differentiated HL60 cells as a neutrophil model, here we show that generation of extracellular O2 (. -) by the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADPH) oxidase complex is increased by intracellular glutathione depletion. This may be attributed to the upregulation of thiol regulated acid sphingomyelinase driven lipid raft formation. Intracellular glutathione was also lower in primary neutrophils from periodontitis patients and, consistent with our previous findings, patients neutrophils were hyper-reactive to stimuli. The activity of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a master regulator of the antioxidant response, is impaired in circulating neutrophils from chronic periodontitis patients. Although patients' neutrophils exhibit a low reduced glutathione (GSH)/oxidised glutathione (GSSG) ratio and a higher total Nrf2 level, the DNA-binding activity of nuclear Nrf2 remained unchanged relative to healthy controls and had reduced expression of glutamate cysteine ligase catalytic (GCLC), and modifier (GCLM) subunit mRNAs, compared to periodontally healthy subjects neutrophils. Pre-treatment with SFN increased expression of GCLC and GCM, improved intracellular GSH/GSSG ratios and reduced agonist-activated extracellular O2 (. -) production in both dHL60 and primary neutrophils from patients with periodontitis and controls. These findings suggest that a deficiency in Nrf2-dependent pathways may underpin susceptibility to hyper-reactivity in circulating primary neutrophils during chronic periodontitis.

Multiple primary cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Gyu Sik; Lee, Ouk; Kim, So Sun; Kim, Ho Joon; Chun, Byung Hee; Joh, Young Duck

1989-01-01

It is rare for one human being to be afflicted with more than one cancer. However with further advances in therapeutic regimens, histopathologic observation, diagnostic modalities, and increased curiosity, there are increasing number of case reports of multiple primary cancer. The present study evaluates 25 histologically confirmed cases of multiple primary cancer from 1974 to 1988 at Kosin Medical Center. The most frequent site of the first primary cancer in male was stomach and in female, uterine cervix. The first primary cancer in female occurred in endocrine-related organs (breast, uterus and thyroid) in 63.6 percent. Synchronous cancers are diagnosed simultaneously or within an interval of about six months and synchronous cancers were 16 out of 25 cases. Metachronous cancers are diagnosed at interval of more than six months. There were 9 metachronous cancers and average interval between the first and second primary cancer was 22.8 months. The incidence of multiple primary cancer was 0.11 percent. The average age was 51.9 years at the time of the first primary cancer (53.1 years in male and 50.3 years in female). CT scan was most helpful in early detection of multiple primary cancers facilitating biopsy and surgery. Multiple primary cancers are beyond the medical curiosity. Early diagnosis of the disease and careful follow-up study, based on an awareness of the possibility of second cancers, will substantially increase the survival of these patients

Status and costs of primary prevention for ischemic stroke in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, J J; He, G Q; Gong, S Y; He, L

2013-10-01

Despite the benefits in reducing the risk of stroke, primary prevention is not well translated into practice. We sought to evaluate patient compliance with guidelines and the cost of primary stroke prevention in southwest China. We consecutively enrolled 305 patients with headaches and/or dizziness who were at high risk of stroke from our hospital. We retrospectively obtained their information, including the extent of their knowledge of stroke risk factors, adherence to guidelines, medications taken, and costs of primary prevention for stroke within the past year. Only 45.9% of patients had any knowledge of primary prevention, and only 17.0% had completely followed guidelines. Moreover, 79.0% of the patients were using medications, but only 39.3% took their medication as recommended. In patients who took medication, 89.6% were prescribed by physicians. The annual costs of primary prevention were estimated to be US$517.8 per capita, which included direct medical costs (US$435.4), direct non-medical costs (US$18.1), and indirect costs (US$64.3). Costs in the hypertension group were less than those reported by a similar international study. Although our population sample may not be representative of the population at high risk of stroke in China, it is appropriate for the evaluation of our primary prevention system. Primary prevention for stroke in southwest China is very challenging, with few medical resource investments. There is a current urgency to improve patient knowledge of primary prevention, which would bridge the gaps between guidelines and practice and increase medical resource investments. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Matched cohort study of topical tranexamic acid in cementless primary total hip replacement.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanz-Reig, Javier; Mas Martinez, Jesus; Verdu Román, Carmen; Morales Santias, Manuel; Martínez Gimenez, Enrique; Bustamante Suarez de Puga, David

2018-03-29

Tranexamic acid has been shown to be effective in reducing blood loss after total hip replacement. The purpose of this study was to prospectively assess the effectiveness of topical TXA use to reduce blood loss after primary total hip replacement and to compare these outcomes with those of a matched control group from a similar cohort that did not have received tranexamic acid. This is a prospective matched control study to assess the effect of a 2 g topical tranexamic acid in 50 mL physiological saline solution in total hip replacement. Primary outcomes were hemoglobin and hematocrit drop, and total blood loss. Secondary outcomes were transfusion rates, length of hospital stay, deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism events. We could match 100 patients to a control group. There were no statistical significantly differences between the two groups. The hemoglobin and hematocrit postoperative values were significantly higher in topical tranexamic acid group than in control group (P tranexamic acid group and 1163 in control group with significant differences (P = 0.001), which meant 34% reduction in total blood loss. Length of stay was lower in topical tranexamic acid group. The risk of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary events did not increase. A single dose of 2 g tranexamic acid in 50 mL physiological saline solution topical administration was effective and safe in reducing bleeding in patients undergoing unilateral primary non-cemented total hip replacement compared to a matched control group.

Effects of Chemistry Parameters of Primary Water affecting Leakage of Steam Generator Tube Cracks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shin, D. M.; Cho, N. C.; Kang, Y. S.; Lee, K. H. [KHNP CRI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

Degradation of steam generator (SG) tubes can affect pressure boundary tightness. As a defense-in-depth measure, primary to secondary leak monitoring program for steam generators is implemented, and operation is allowed under leakage limits in nuclear power plants. Chemistry parameters that affect steam generator tube leakage due to primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) are investigated in this study. Tube sleeves were installed to inhibit leakage and improve tube integrity as a part of maintenance methods. Steam generators occurred small leak during operation have been replaced with new steam generators according to plant maintenance strategies. The correlations between steam generator leakage and chemistry parameters are presented. Effects of primary water chemistry parameters on leakage from tube cracks were investigated for the steam generators experiencing small leak. Unit A experienced small leakage from steam generator tubes in the end of operation cycle. It was concluded that increased solubility of oxides due to high pHT could make leakage paths, and low boron concentration lead to less blockage in cracks. Increased dissolved hydrogen may retard crack propagations, but it did not reduce leak rate of the leaking steam generator. In order to inhibit and reduce leakage, pH{sub T} was controlled by servicing cation bed operation. The test results of decreasing pHT indicate low pHT can reduce leak rate of PWSCC cracks in the end of cycle.

Effects of Chemistry Parameters of Primary Water affecting Leakage of Steam Generator Tube Cracks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shin, D. M.; Cho, N. C.; Kang, Y. S.; Lee, K. H.

2016-01-01

Degradation of steam generator (SG) tubes can affect pressure boundary tightness. As a defense-in-depth measure, primary to secondary leak monitoring program for steam generators is implemented, and operation is allowed under leakage limits in nuclear power plants. Chemistry parameters that affect steam generator tube leakage due to primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) are investigated in this study. Tube sleeves were installed to inhibit leakage and improve tube integrity as a part of maintenance methods. Steam generators occurred small leak during operation have been replaced with new steam generators according to plant maintenance strategies. The correlations between steam generator leakage and chemistry parameters are presented. Effects of primary water chemistry parameters on leakage from tube cracks were investigated for the steam generators experiencing small leak. Unit A experienced small leakage from steam generator tubes in the end of operation cycle. It was concluded that increased solubility of oxides due to high pHT could make leakage paths, and low boron concentration lead to less blockage in cracks. Increased dissolved hydrogen may retard crack propagations, but it did not reduce leak rate of the leaking steam generator. In order to inhibit and reduce leakage, pH_T was controlled by servicing cation bed operation. The test results of decreasing pHT indicate low pHT can reduce leak rate of PWSCC cracks in the end of cycle

Method of eliminating cruds in the primary coolants of reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamura, Takaaki.

1984-01-01

Purpose: To eliminate cruds in the primary coolants by using rind of onions or peanuts. Method: Since cruds contained in the reactor primary coolants increase the radioactive exposure to reactor operators, they have been intended to remove by ion exchange resins. In this invention, rind of onions or peanuts are crushed into an adequate particle size and packed into an absorption column instead of ion exchange resins into which primary coolants are circulated. The powderous onions or peanuts rind contain glucoside such as cosmosiin and has an effect of cationic exchanger, they satisfactorily catch heavy metals such as Fe and Cu. They have an excellent filtering effect even under a high pH condition and are excellent in economical point of view. They can be decrease the volume of the absorption column, reduce their devolume after use through corrosion and easily subjected to waste procession through oxidizing combustion in liquid. (Nakamoto, H.)

Antigenic variation of TprK facilitates development of secondary syphilis.

Science.gov (United States)

Reid, Tara B; Molini, Barbara J; Fernandez, Mark C; Lukehart, Sheila A

2014-12-01

Although primary syphilis lesions heal spontaneously, the infection is chronic, with subsequent clinical stages. Healing of the primary chancre occurs as antibodies against outer membrane antigens facilitate opsonophagocytosis of the bacteria by activated macrophages. TprK is an outer membrane protein that undergoes antigenic variation at 7 variable regions, and variants are selected by immune pressure. We hypothesized that individual TprK variants escape immune clearance and seed new disseminated lesions to cause secondary syphilis. As in human syphilis, infected rabbits may develop disseminated secondary skin lesions. This study explores the nature of secondary syphilis, specifically, the contribution of antigenic variation to the development of secondary lesions. Our data from the rabbit model show that the odds of secondary lesions containing predominately TprK variant treponemes is 3.3 times higher than the odds of finding TprK variants in disseminated primary lesions (odds ratio [OR] = 3.3 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 0.98 to 11.0]; P = 0.055) and that 96% of TprK variant secondary lesions are likely seeded by single treponemes. Analysis of antibody responses demonstrates significantly higher antibody titers to tprK variable region sequences found in the inoculum compared to reactivity to tprK variant sequences found in newly arising secondary lesions. This suggests that tprK variants escape the initial immune response raised against the V regions expressed in the inoculum. These data further support a role for TprK in immune evasion and suggest that the ability of TprK variants to persist despite a robust immune response is instrumental in the development of later stages of syphilis. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Efficacy of chemomechanical caries removal in reducing cariogenic microbiota: a randomized clinical trial

OpenAIRE

AMMARI, Michelle Mikhael; MOLITERNO, Luiz Flávio Martins; HIRATA JÚNIOR, Raphael; SÉLLOS, Mariana Canano; SOVIERO, Vera Mendes; COUTINHO FILHO, Wagner Pereira

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of chemochemical methods (Carisolv™ and Papacárie®) versus the manual method (excavators) in reducing the cariogenic microbiota in dentine caries of primary teeth. Forty-six healthy children (5 to 9 years old) having at least one primary tooth with a cavitated dentine carious lesion were included in the study. The teeth presented no clinical or radiographic signs of pulpal involvement. The sample of 74 teeth was randomly divided into thr...

Primary care: constipation and encopresis treatment strategies and reasons to refer.

Science.gov (United States)

Philichi, Lisa; Yuwono, Melawati

2010-01-01

The purpose of the study was to assess constipation and encopresis treatment strategies of primary care providers and determine reasons to refer to a pediatric gastroenterology specialist. A closed-ended questionnaire was mailed to a convenience sampling of 237 pediatric primary care providers. Ninety-one questionnaires were returned with a 38% response rate: 74 (81%) pediatricians and 17 (19%) nurse practitioners. The majority of responders recommended pharmacologic treatment and diet changes. Many providers (73%) estimated a 75%-100% success rate when managing constipation, whereas 19% providers estimated a greater than 80% success rate with encopresis patients. The number one reason to refer was unresponsiveness to treatment (71%), followed by parents want a second opinion (15%), rule out organic cause (9%), and management is too time-consuming (5%). Both primary care providers and pediatric gastroenterologists use medication strategies, but diet recommendations are not the same. Unresponsiveness to treatment is the main reason for referral. If better management can occur in the primary care setting, costly specialty services may be avoided and possibly reduce healthcare costs.

The impact of primary healthcare in reducing inequalities in child health outcomes, Bogotá-Colombia: an ecological analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Mosquera, Paola A; Hernández, Jinneth; Vega, Román; Martínez, Jorge; Labonte, Ronald; Sanders, David; San Sebastián, Miguel

2012-11-13

Colombia is one of the countries with the widest levels of socioeconomic and health inequalities. Bogotá, its capital, faces serious problems of poverty, social disparities and access to health services. A Primary Health Care (PHC) strategy was implemented in 2004 to improve health care and to address the social determinants of such inequalities. This study aimed to evaluate the contribution of the PHC strategy to reducing inequalities in child health outcomes in Bogotá. An ecological analysis with localities as the unit of analysis was carried out. The variable used to capture the socioeconomic status and living standards was the Quality of Life Index (QLI). Concentration curves and concentration indices for four child health outcomes (infant mortality rate (IMR), under-5 mortality rate, prevalence of acute malnutrition in children under-5, and vaccination coverage for diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus) were calculated to measure socioeconomic inequality. Two periods were used to describe possible changes in the magnitude of the inequalities related with the PHC implementation (2003 year before - 2007 year after implementation). The contribution of the PHC intervention was computed by a decomposition analysis carried out on data from 2007. In both 2003 and 2007, concentration curves and indexes of IMR, under-5 mortality rate and acute malnutrition showed inequalities to the disadvantage of localities with lower QLI. Diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus (DPT) vaccinations were more prevalent among localities with higher QLI in 2003 but were higher in localities with lower QLI in 2007. The variation of the concentration index between 2003 and 2007 indicated reductions in inequality for all of the indicators in the period after the PHC implementation. In 2007, PHC was associated with a reduction in the effect of the inequality that affected disadvantaged localities in under-5 mortality (24%), IMR (19%) and acute malnutrition (7%). PHC also contributed approximately 20

One size does not fit all: The impact of primary vaccine container size on vaccine distribution and delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Haidari, Leila A; Wahl, Brian; Brown, Shawn T; Privor-Dumm, Lois; Wallman-Stokes, Cecily; Gorham, Katie; Connor, Diana L; Wateska, Angela R; Schreiber, Benjamin; Dicko, Hamadou; Jaillard, Philippe; Avella, Melanie; Lee, Bruce Y

2015-06-22

While the size and type of a vaccine container (i.e., primary container) can have many implications on the safety and convenience of a vaccination session, another important but potentially overlooked consideration is how the design of the primary container may affect the distribution of the vaccine, its resulting cost, and whether the vial is ultimately opened. Using our HERMES software platform, we developed a simulation model of the World Health Organization Expanded Program on Immunization supply chain for the Republic of Benin and used the model to explore the effects of different primary containers for various vaccine antigens. Replacing vaccines with presentations containing fewer doses per vial reduced vaccine availability (proportion of people arriving for vaccines who are successfully immunized) by as much as 13% (from 73% at baseline) and raised logistics costs by up to $0.06 per dose administered (from $0.25 at baseline) due to increased bottlenecks, while reducing total costs by as much as $0.15 per dose administered (from $2.52 at baseline) due to lower open vial wastage. Primary containers with a greater number of doses per vial each improved vaccine availability by 19% and reduced logistics costs by $0.05 per dose administered, while reducing the total costs by up to $0.25 per dose administered. Changes in supply chain performance were more extreme in departments with greater constraints. Implementing a vial opening threshold reversed the direction of many of these effects. Our results show that one size may not fit all when choosing a primary vaccine container. Rather, the choice depends on characteristics of the vaccine, the vaccine supply chain, immunization session size, and goals of decision makers. In fact, the optimal vial size may vary among locations within a country. Simulation modeling can help identify tailored approaches to improve availability and efficiency. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reduced metastasis of transgenic mammary cancer in urokinase-deficient mice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Almholt, Kasper; Lund, L.R.; Rygaard, Jørgen

2005-01-01

A prominent phenotype of plasmin deficiency in mice is reduced metastasis in the MMTV-PymT transgenic breast cancer model. Proteolytically active plasmin is generated from inactive plasminogen by one of 2 activators, uPA or tPA. We now find that uPA deficiency alone significantly reduces metastasis...... >7-fold in the MMTV-PymT model. We studied a cohort of 55 MMTV-PymT transgenic mice, either uPA-deficient or wild-type controls. Tumor incidence, latency, growth rate and final primary tumor burden were not significantly affected by uPA deficiency. In contrast, average lung metastasis volume...

Improving cardiovascular outcomes among Aboriginal Australians: Lessons from research for primary care

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandra C Thompson

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Background: The Aboriginal people of Australia have much poorer health and social indicators and a substantial life expectancy gap compared to other Australians, with premature cardiovascular disease a major contributor to poorer health. This article draws on research undertaken to examine cardiovascular disparities and focuses on ways in which primary care practitioners can contribute to reducing cardiovascular disparities and improving Aboriginal health. Methods: The overall research utilised mixed methods and included data analysis, interviews and group processes which included Aboriginal people, service providers and policymakers. Workshop discussions to identify barriers and what works were recorded by notes and on whiteboards, then distilled and circulated to participants and other stakeholders to refine and validate information. Additional engagement occurred through circulation of draft material and further discussions. This report distils the lessons for primary care practitioners to improve outcomes through management that is attentive to the needs of Aboriginal people. Results: Aspects of primordial, primary and secondary prevention are identified, with practical strategies for intervention summarised. The premature onset and high incidence of Aboriginal cardiovascular disease make prevention imperative and require that primary care practitioners understand and work to address the social underpinnings of poor health. Doctors are well placed to reinforce the importance of healthy lifestyle at all visits to involve the family and to reduce barriers which impede early care seeking. Ensuring better information for Aboriginal patients and better integrated care for patients who frequently have complex needs and multi-morbidities will also improve care outcomes. Conclusion: Primary care practitioners have an important role in improving Aboriginal cardiovascular care outcomes. It is essential that they recognise the special needs of their

Improving cardiovascular outcomes among Aboriginal Australians: Lessons from research for primary care.

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Sandra C; Haynes, Emma; Woods, John A; Bessarab, Dawn C; Dimer, Lynette A; Wood, Marianne M; Sanfilippo, Frank M; Hamilton, Sandra J; Katzenellenbogen, Judith M

2016-01-01

The Aboriginal people of Australia have much poorer health and social indicators and a substantial life expectancy gap compared to other Australians, with premature cardiovascular disease a major contributor to poorer health. This article draws on research undertaken to examine cardiovascular disparities and focuses on ways in which primary care practitioners can contribute to reducing cardiovascular disparities and improving Aboriginal health. The overall research utilised mixed methods and included data analysis, interviews and group processes which included Aboriginal people, service providers and policymakers. Workshop discussions to identify barriers and what works were recorded by notes and on whiteboards, then distilled and circulated to participants and other stakeholders to refine and validate information. Additional engagement occurred through circulation of draft material and further discussions. This report distils the lessons for primary care practitioners to improve outcomes through management that is attentive to the needs of Aboriginal people. Aspects of primordial, primary and secondary prevention are identified, with practical strategies for intervention summarised. The premature onset and high incidence of Aboriginal cardiovascular disease make prevention imperative and require that primary care practitioners understand and work to address the social underpinnings of poor health. Doctors are well placed to reinforce the importance of healthy lifestyle at all visits to involve the family and to reduce barriers which impede early care seeking. Ensuring better information for Aboriginal patients and better integrated care for patients who frequently have complex needs and multi-morbidities will also improve care outcomes. Primary care practitioners have an important role in improving Aboriginal cardiovascular care outcomes. It is essential that they recognise the special needs of their Aboriginal patients and work at multiple levels both outside and

Effective recruitment strategies in primary care research: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Ngune, Irene; Jiwa, Moyez; Dadich, Ann; Lotriet, Jaco; Sriram, Deepa

2012-01-01

Patient recruitment in primary care research is often a protracted and frustrating process, affecting project timeframes, budget and the dissemination of research findings. Yet, clear guidance on patient recruitment strategies in primary care research is limited. This paper addresses this issue through a systematic review. Articles were sourced from five academic databases - AustHealth, CINAHL, the Cochrane Methodology Group, EMBASE and PubMed/Medline; grey literature was also sourced from an academic library and the Primary Healthcare Research & Information Service (PHCRIS) website. Two reviewers independently screened the articles using the following criteria: (1) published in English, (2) reported empirical research, (3) focused on interventions designed to increase patient recruitment in primary care settings, and (4) reported patient recruitment in primary care settings. Sixty-six articles met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 23 specifically focused on recruitment strategies and included randomised trials (n = 7), systematic reviews (n = 8) and qualitative studies (n = 8). Of the remaining articles, 30 evaluated recruitment strategies, while 13 addressed the value of recruitment strategies using descriptive statistics and/or qualitative data. Among the 66 articles, primary care chiefly included general practice (n = 30); nursing and allied health services, multiple settings, as well as other community settings (n = 30); and pharmacy (n = 6). Effective recruitment strategies included the involvement of a discipline champion, simple patient eligibility criteria, patient incentives and organisational strategies that reduce practitioner workload. The most effective recruitment in primary care research requires practitioner involvement. The active participation of primary care practitioners in both the design and conduct of research helps to identify strategies that are congruent with the context in which patient care is delivered. This is reported to be the

Study of methanogenesis during bioutilization of plant residuals

Science.gov (United States)

Ilyin, V. K.; Korniushenkova, I. N.; Starkova, L. V.; Lauriniavichius, K. S.

2005-02-01

The waste management strategy for the future should meet the benefits of human safety, respect principles of planet ecology, and compatibility with other habitability systems. For these purposes waste management technologies relevant to application of the biodegradation properties of bacteria are of great value. Biological treatment method is based on the biodegradation of organic substances by various microorganisms. The objectives of our study were: to evaluate the effectiveness of microbial biodegradation of vegetable non-edible residual, using artificial inoculum, and to study the peculiarities of biogas, and possibilities of optimizing or reducing the share of methane. The diminution rate of organic gained 76% from initial mass within 9 days of fermentation. The biogas production achieved 46 l/kg of substrate. The microbial studies of biodegradation process revealed the following peculiarities: (i) gradual quantitative increase of Lactobacillus sp. (from 103 to 105 colony-forming units (CFU) per ml); (ii) activation of Clostridia sp. (from 102 to 10 4 CFU/ml); and (iii) elimination of aerobic conventional pathogens (Enterobacteriaceae, Protea sp., Staphylococci). Chromatography analysis revealed the constant presence of carbon dioxide (up to 90.9%). The methane content measures revealed traces 0.1-0.4%. However, when we optimized the methane production in "boiling layer" using methanogenic granules, the amount of methane in biogas reached 80-90%. Based on the results obtained the artificial inoculum was created which was capable of initiating biodegradation of vegetable wastes. This inoculum consisted of active sludge adapted to wastes mixed with excretea of insects which consume plant wastes. Using this inoculum the biodegradation process takes less time than that using active sludge. Regulation of methane concentration from traces to 90% may be achieved by adding methane reactor to the plant digester.

A model for multiseasonal spread of verticillium wilt of lettuce.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, B M; Subbarao, K V

2014-09-01

Verticillium wilt, caused by Verticillium dahliae, is a destructive disease in lettuce, and the pathogen is seedborne. Even though maximum seed infestation rates of lettuce seed lots, it is necessary to establish acceptable contamination thresholds to prevent introduction and establishment of the pathogen in lettuce production fields. However, introduction of inoculum into lettuce fields for experimental purposes to determine its long term effects is undesirable. Therefore, we constructed a simulation model to study the spread of Verticillium wilt following pathogen introduction from seed. The model consists of four components: the first for simulating infection of host plants, the second for simulating reproduction of microsclerotia on diseased plants, the third for simulating the survival of microsclerotia, and the fourth for simulating the dispersal of microsclerotia. The simulation results demonstrated that the inoculum density-disease incidence curve parameters and the dispersal gradients affect disease spread in the field. Although a steep dispersal gradient facilitated the establishment of the disease in a new field with a low inoculum density, a long-tail gradient allowed microsclerotia to be dispersed over greater distances, promoting the disease spread in fields with high inoculum density. The simulation results also revealed the importance of avoiding successive lettuce crops in the same field, reducing survival rate of microsclerotia between crops, and the need for breeding resistance against V. dahliae in lettuce cultivars to lower the number of microsclerotia formed on each diseased plant. The simulation results, however, suggested that, even with a low seed infestation rate, the pathogen would eventually become established if susceptible lettuce cultivars were grown consecutively in the same field for many years. A threshold for seed infestation can be established only when two of the three drivers of the disease-(i) low microsclerotia production per

Medical Assistant-based care management for high risk patients in small primary care practices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Freund, Tobias; Peters-Klimm, Frank; Boyd, Cynthia M.

2016-01-01

Background: Patients with multiple chronic conditions are at high risk of potentially avoidable hospital admissions, which may be reduced by care coordination and self-management support. Medical assistants are an increasingly available resource for patient care in primary care practices. Objective......: To determine whether protocol-based care management delivered by medical assistants improves patient care in patients at high risk of future hospitalization in primary care. Design: Two-year cluster randomized clinical trial. Setting: 115 primary care practices in Germany. Patients: 2,076 patients with type 2......, and monitoring delivered by medical assistants with usual care. Measurements: All-cause hospitalizations at 12 months (primary outcome) and quality of life scores (Short Form 12 Health Questionnaire [SF-12] and the Euroqol instrument [EQ-5D]). Results: Included patients had, on average, four co-occurring chronic...

Modified batch anaerobic digestion assay for testing efficiencies of trace metal additives to enhance methane production of energy crops.

Science.gov (United States)

Brulé, Mathieu; Bolduan, Rainer; Seidelt, Stephan; Schlagermann, Pascal; Bott, Armin

2013-01-01

Batch biochemical methane potential (BMP) assays to evaluate the methane yield of biogas substrates such as energy crops are usually carried out with undiluted inoculum. A BMP assay was performed on two energy crops (green cuttings and grass silage). Anaerobic digestion was performed both with and without supplementation of three commercial additives containing trace metals in liquid, solid or adsorbed form (on clay particles). In order to reveal positive effects of trace metal supplementation on the methane yield, besides undiluted inoculum, 3-fold and 10-fold dilutions of the inoculum were applied for substrate digestion. Diluted inoculum variants were supplemented with both mineral nutrients and pH-buffering substances to prevent a collapse of the digestion process. As expected, commercial additives had no effect on the digestion process performed with undiluted inoculum, while significant increases of methane production through trace element supplementation could be observed on the diluted variants. The effect of inoculum dilution may be twofold: (1) decrease in trace metal supplementation from the inoculum and (2) reduction in the initial number of bacterial cells. Bacteria require higher growth rates for substrate degradation and hence have higher trace element consumption. According to common knowledge of the biogas process, periods with volatile fatty acids accumulation and decreased pH may have occurred in the course ofanaerobic digestion. These effects may have led to inhibition, not only ofmethanogenes and acetogenes involved in the final phases of methane production, but also offibre-degrading bacterial strains involved in polymer hydrolysis. Further research is required to confirm this hypothesis.