Dynamic arrays for fast, efficient, data manipulation during image analysis: a new software tool for exploratory data analysis.

Memory reallocation is used to construct a run-time data structure for fast/efficient storage of information during collection and analysis. The data structure presented uses dynamic memory but does not require the use of pointers to link nodes of information together. It allows for simple and efficient access to data via array indexing rather than through the use of lists or tree structures and it provides flexibility for competing storage requirements that are determined dynamically. The data structure is developed in the C programming language and a suite of ANSI standard C subroutines that make up a run-time data structure management system is provided.     

Comparison of the efficacy of oxidative processes and flocculation for the removal of colour from Eop effluent.

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

A mutational analysis of receptor binding sites of interleukin-1{beta}:differences in binding of human interleukin-1{beta} muteins to human and mouse receptors

The 3-D crystal structure of interleukin-1ß(IL-1ß)has been used to define its receptor binding surface by mutationalanalysis. The surface of IL-1ß was probed by site-directedmutagenesis. A total of 27 different IL-1ß muteinswere constructed, purified and analyzed. Receptor binding measurementson mouse and human cell lines were performed to identify receptoraffinities. IL-1ß muteins with modified receptor affinitywere evaluated for structural integrity by CD spectroscopy orX-ray crystallography. Changes in six surface loops, as wellas in the C- and N-termini, yielded muteins with lower bindingaffinities. Two muteins with intact binding affinities showed10- to 100-fold reduced biological activity. The surface regioninvolved in receptor binding constitutes a discontinuous areaof 1000 Å2 formed by discontinuous polypeptide chain stretches.Based on these results, a subdivision into two distinct localareas is proposed. Differences in receptor binding affinitiesfor human and mouse receptors have been observed for some muteins,but not for wild-type IL-1ß. This is the first timea difference in binding affinity of IL-1ß muteinsto human and mouse receptors has been demonstrated     

Removal of micropollutants in municipal wastewater treatment plants by powder-activated carbon

Micropollutants (MP) are only partly removed from municipal wastewater by nutrient removal plants and are seen increasingly as a threat to aquatic ecosystems and to the safety of drinking water resources. The addition of powder activated carbon (PAC) is a promising technology to complement municipal nutrient removal plants in order to achieve a significant reduction of MPs and ecotoxicity in receiving waters. This paper presents the salient outcomes of pilot- and full-scale applications of PAC addition in different flow schemes for micropollutant removal in municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The sorption efficiency of PAC is reduced with increasing dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Adequate treatment of secondary effluent with 5-10 g DOC m(-3) requires 10-20 g PAC m(-3) of effluent. Counter-current use of PAC by recycling waste PAC from post-treatment in a contact tank with an additional clarifier to the biology tank improved the overall MP removal by 10 to 50% compared with effluent PAC application alone. A dosage of 15 g PAC m(-3) to a full-scale flocculation sand filtration system and recycling the backwash water to the biology tank showed similar MP elimination. Due to an adequate mixing regime and the addition of adapted flocculants, a good retention of the fine fraction of the PAC in the deep-bed filter were observed (1-3 g TSS m(-3); TSS: total suspended solids). With double use of PAC, only half of the PAC was required to reach MP removal efficiencies similar to the direct single dosage of PAC to the biology tank. Overall, the application of PAC in WWTPs seems to be an adequate and feasible technology for efficient MP elimination (>80%) from wastewater comparable with post ozonation.     

Dimensioning of membrane bioreactors for municipal wastewater treatment.

A basic procedure is proposed for dimensioning membrane bioreactors that is generally applicable. It evaluates the required membrane surface with particular consideration of loading combinations and hydraulic loading characteristics; it also takes into account ranges of minimum temperatures and corresponding fluxes as given by suppliers. The procedures, while likely to require further improvement, should make MBR design more transparent and aid the comparison of design variants.     

Fate of beta blockers and psycho-active drugs in conventional wastewater treatment

The removal of beta blockers and psycho-active drugs was investigated in a representative conventional German WWTP by long-term measurement campaigns along different biological treatment processes. The activated sludge treatment with an elevated SRT of 18 d was the only process which led to a significant removal of certain beta blockers and psycho-active drugs. The removal efficiency was below 60% for all compounds except for the natural opium alkaloids codeine and morphine being removed by more than 80%. Primary biological transformation and sorption onto sludge as the main removal mechanisms were examined in lab-scale batch experiments. Sorption onto activated sludge was found to be negligible (<3%). The biological transformation could be described by pseudo-first order kinetics and the transformation constants k_biol were used to predict the removal of beta blockers and psycho-active drugs in an activated sludge unit with a model. For most compounds the removal efficiencies measured on the full-scale WWTP were within the 95% confidence intervals predicted by the model. The results from full-scale measurements and modeling indicate that biological transformation in the nitrification tank together with parameters such as the sludge retention time and the temperature is crucial regarding the biological transformation of beta blockers and psycho-active drugs in conventional WWTPs.     

Building up PtII−Thiosemicarbazone−Lysine−sC18 Conjugates

Three chiral tridentate N^N^S coordinating pyridine-carbaldehyde (S)-N4-(α-methylbenzyl)thiosemicarbazones (HTSCmB) were synthesised along with lysine-modified derivatives. One of them was selected and covalently conjugated to the cell-penetrating peptide sC18 by solid-phase peptide synthesis. The HTSCmB model ligands, the HTSCLp derivatives and the peptide conjugate rapidly and quantitatively form very stable Pt^II chlorido complexes [Pt(TSC)Cl] when treated with K₂PtCl₄ in solution. The Pt(CN) derivatives were obtained from one TSCmB model complex and the peptide conjugate complex through Cl⁻→CN⁻ exchange. Ligands and complexes were characterised by NMR, IR spectroscopy, HR-ESI-MS and single-crystal XRD. Intriguingly, no decrease in cell viability was observed when testing the biological activity of the lysine-tagged HdpyTSCLp, its sC18 conjugate HdpyTSCL-sC18 or the PtCl and Pt(CN) conjugate complexes in three different cell lines. Thus, given the facile and effective preparation of such Pt-TSC-peptide conjugates, these systems might pave the way for future use in late-stage labelling with Pt radionuclides and application in nuclear medicine.