Occurrence and sorption behavior of sulfonamides, macrolides, and trimethoprim in activated sludge treatment

The occurrence of sulfonamide and macrolide antimicrobials, as well as trimethoprim, was investigated in conventional activated sludge treatment. Average daily loads in untreated wastewater correlated well with those estimated from annual consumption data and pharmacokinetic behavior. Considerable variations were found during a day, and seasonal differences seem to occur for the macrolides, probably caused by a higher consumption of these substances in winter. The most predominant macrolide and sulfonamide antimicrobials were clarithromycin and sulfamethoxazole, respectively. In the case of sulfamethoxazole, the main human metabolite, N4-acetylsulfamethoxazole, was included as an analyte, accounting for up to 86% of the total load in untreated wastewater. The results obtained illustrate the importance of considering retransformable substances, for example human metabolites, when investigating the behavior and fate of pharmaceuticals. Average concentrations of sulfapyridine, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, azithromycin, and clarithromycin in activated sludge ranged between 28 and 68 microg/kg of dry weight. Overall the sorption to activated sludge was shown to be low for the investigated antimicrobials, with estimated sorption constants for activated sludge below 500 L/kg. Elimination in activated sludge treatment was found to be incomplete for all investigated compounds. In final effluents, the median concentrations for sulfamethoxazole and clarithromycin were 290 and 240 ng/L, respectively.     

The MEGAPIE-TEST project: Supporting research and lessons learned in first-of-a-kind spallation target technology

The megawatt pilot experiment (MEGAPIE) has been launched by six European institutions (PSI, FZK, CEA, SCK-CEN, ENEA and CNRS), JAEA (Japan), DOE (US) and KAERI (Korea) with the aim to carry out an experiment, in the SINQ target location at PSI (Switzerland), to demonstrate the safe operation of a liquid metal (lead–bismuth eutectic, LBE) spallation target hit by a 1 MW proton beam. The European Commission has joined the MEGAPIE project through the 5-year (2001–2006) project named MEGAPIE-TEST. This project has been formally concluded with an International Workshop, where the results and the lessons learned during the project have been summarised. This work presents a review of the outcome of that Workshop.     

Childhood abuse and premilitary sexual assault in male navy recruits.

Three samples of male U.S- Navy recruits (N?=?7,850) were surveyed to determine whether a history of childhood physical abuse (CPA) or childhood sexual abuse (CSA) was predictive of premilitary rape of women and whether these relationships were mediated by alcohol problems and number of sex partners. In the 3 samples, 11.3%, 11.6%, and 9.9% of men reported committing premilitary rape. When demographic factors were controlled for, both CPA and CSA were independently and additively predictive of rape in each sample, with men who experienced both forms of abuse showing the highest risk of committing rape. Additional analyses revealed that alcohol problems and number of sex partners significantly mediated the relationship between childhood abuse (CPA and CSA) and rape perpetration. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Do Not Cause Radioprotection of Head-and-Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Radiotherapy of head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) can cause considerable normal tissue injuries, and mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been shown to aid regeneration of irradiation-damaged normal tissues. However, utilization of MSC-based treatments for HNSCC patients undergoing radiotherapy is hampered by concerns regarding potential radioprotective effects. We therefore investigated the influence of MSCs on the radiosensitivity of HNSCCs. Several human papillomavirus (HPV)-negative and HPV-positive HNSCCs were co-cultured with human bone marrow-derived MSCs using two-dimensional and three-dimensional assays. Clonogenic survival, proliferation, and viability of HNSCCs after radiotherapy were assessed depending on MSC co-culture. Flow cytometry analyses were conducted to examine the influence of MSCs on irradiation-induced cell cycle distribution and apoptosis induction in HNSCCs. Immunofluorescence stainings of γH2AX were conducted to determine the levels of residual irradiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks. Levels of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), a multifunctional pro-tumorigenic cytokine, were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Neither direct MSC co-culture nor MSC-conditioned medium exerted radioprotective effects on HNSCCs as determined by clonogenic survival, proliferation, and viability assays. Consistently, three-dimensional microwell arrays revealed no radioprotective effects of MSCs. Irradiation resulted in a G2/M arrest of HNSCCs at 96 h independently of MSC co-culture. HNSCCs’ apoptosis rates were increased by irradiation irrespective of MSCs. Numbers of residual γH2AX foci after irradiation with 2 or 8 Gy were comparable between mono- and co-cultures. MSC mono-cultures and HNSCC-MSC co-cultures exhibited comparable CTGF levels. We did not detect radioprotective effects of human MSCs on HNSCCs. Our results suggest that the usage of MSC-based therapies for radiotherapy-related toxicities in HNSCC patients may be safe in the context of absent radioprotection.     

Effect of new manganese contrast agent on tissue intensities in human volunteers: comparison of 0.23, 0.6 and 1.5 T MRI,a part of a phase I trial

To evaluate the effect of a new oral manganese contrast agent (CMC-001) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) intensities at different magnetic field strengths. Twelve healthy volunteers underwent abdominal MRI 1 week before and within 2.5–4.5 h after CMC-001 (MnCl₂ and absorption promoters dissolved in water) intake at three different MR scanners of 0.23, 0.6 and 1.5 T. Image contrast and intensity enhancement of liver and pancreas were analysed relatively to muscle and fat intensities. Manganese blood levels were followed for 24 h. Whole-blood manganese concentration levels stayed within the normal range. The liver intensities on T2w images decreased about 10% for the 1/2 contrast dose and about 20% for the full contrast dose independent of the field strength. The liver intensities on T1w images increased more than 30% for 1/2 contrast dose and over 40% for full contrast dose. The maximum T1 enhancement was achieved at the highest field. Pancreas intensities were not affected. Contrast between liver, muscle and fat intensities increased with magnetic field, as well as standard errors of the volunteer-averaged intensities. Oral intake of CMC-001 influences liver intensities and does not affect pancreas intensities at different magnetic field strengths.     

Contribution of metabotropic glutamate receptor mGluR4 to L-2-[3H]amino-4-phosphonobutyrate binding in mouse brain

The binding of L-2-[3H]amino-4-phosphonobutyrate ([3H]L-AP4) was examined in brain sections of wild-type mice and mice lacking the mGluR4 subtype of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs). Very high relative densities of [3H]L-AP4 binding were observed in the molecular layer of the cerebellar cortex, the nucleus basalis, the outer layer of the superior colliculus, and the substantia nigra. In mGluR4 knock-out mice, very low levels of binding were observed in these regions. The moderate levels of binding observed with wild-type mice in the molecular layer of the hippocampal dentate gyrus and in the thalamus were absent in mGluR4 knock-out mice. In contrast, the moderate levels observed in most of the cerebral cortex, caudate putamen, and globus pallidus were not different in mGluR4 knock-out mice compared with wild-type. In these regions, mGluR8 is likely to be labeled by [3H]L-AP4 because mGluR8 is expressed in such brain regions and, like mGluR4, has high affinity for L-AP4. We conclude that mGluR4 contributes substantially to the high-affinity binding site for [3H]L-AP4 in several regions of mouse brain, including cerebellar cortex, nucleus basalis, thalamus, superior colliculus, substantia nigra, and hippocampal dentate gyrus.     

On the Effect of Dielectric Breakdown in UD CFRPs Subjected to Lightning Strike Using an Experimentally Validated Model

Applied Composite Materials - To meet worldwide increases in energy demands Wind Turbine (WT) manufacturers are producing turbines with longer blades to generate more electrical energy. To...     

Investigation of top electrode for PZT thick films based MEMS sensors

In this work processing of screen printed piezoelectric PZT thick films on silicon substrates is investigated for use in future MEMS devices. E-beam evaporated Al and Pt are patterned on PZT as a top electrode using a lift-off process with a line width down to 3 μm. Three test structures are used to investigate the optimal thickness of the top electrode, the degradation of the piezoelectric properties of the PZT film in absence of a diffusion barrier layer and finally how to fabricate electrical interconnects down the edge of the PZT thick film. The roughness of the PZT is found to have a strong influence on the conductance of the top electrode influencing the optimal top electrode thickness. A 100 nm thick top electrode on the PZT thick film with a surface roughness of 273 nm has a 4.5 times higher resistance compared to a similar wire on a planar SiO₂ surface which has a surface roughness of less than 10 nm. It is found that the piezoelectric properties of the PZT thick film are degraded up to 1,000 μm away from a region of the PZT thick film that is exposed directly to the silicon substrate without a diffusion barrier layer. Finally, ferroelectric hysteresis loops are used to verify that the piezoelectric properties of the PZT thick film are unchanged after the processing of the top electrode.     

Highly efficient luminescence from a hybrid state found in strongly quantum confined PbS nanocrystals

We report that high quality PbS nanocrystals, synthesized in the strong quantum confinement regime, have quantum yields as high as 70% at room temperature. We use a combination of modelling and photoluminescence up-conversion to show that we obtain a nearly monodisperse size distribution. Nevertheless, the emission displays a large nonresonant Stokes shift. The magnitude of the Stokes shift is found to be directly proportional to the degree of quantum confinement, from which we establish that the emission results from the recombination of one quantum confined charge carrier with one localized or surface-trapped charge carrier. Furthermore, the surface state energy is found to lie outside the bulk bandgap so that surface-related emission only commences for strongly quantum confined nanocrystals, thus highlighting a regime where improved surface passivation becomes necessary.