Hydrology Predominates Over Harvest History and Landscape Variation to Control Water Quality and Disinfection Byproduct Formation Potentials in Forested Pacific Coast Watersheds.

Despite the global importance of forested watersheds as sources of drinking water, few studies have examined the effects of forestry on drinking water treatability. Relatively little is known about how the interaction between landscape variation and flow impacts source water quality and what this interaction means for drinking water treatability. To address this knowledge gap, we examined variability in sediments, dissolved organic matter, and disinfection byproduct formation potentials (DBP-FPs) across a range of flow conditions in four small watersheds with contrasting forest harvest histories and soil characteristics on Vancouver Island. Storm event-driven change in streamflow was the primary driver of water quality and DBP-FPs at our sites, with greater changes during stormflow (e.g., a 3-fold increase in dissolved organic carbon concentrations) than those across contrasting watersheds. Flow-driven changes in water quality and DBP-FPs were not significantly different across watersheds with different harvest histories; muted responses may be attributed to widespread second growth forests (i.e., recent harvesting effects may be confounded by historical harvest), forestry practices (e.g., slash burning), or soils with low organic carbon storage. This study suggests that variation in hydrology predominates over harvest history and soil characteristics to drive water quality and DBP-FPs on the east coast of Vancouver Island.

Handling the inhibitory role of product accumulation during sophorolipid fermentation in a bubble column reactor with an in situ foam recovery.

Sophorolipid (SL) production by Candida catenulata from sunflower fatty acids was studied in a bubble column reactor (BCR). The specific oxygen uptake rate was 0.021 mg gcell-1 min-1 which indicates the importance of aeration in SL biosynthesis. The measurement of oxygen transfer rate (OTR) in the BCR showed a satisfactory OTR value of about 0.093 min-1 in the system. However, further SL production was stopped after 30 h in the BCR mainly due to the product accumulation in the culture and its inhibitory effects on cell growth and SL synthesis. Since an extensive foam was generated in the BCR under the absence of an antifoam agent, the development of an in situ foam recovery system provided the integration of production and separation of SL to handle the problem. The application of the foam recovery system enhanced biomass and titer SL concentration by 38.5 and 28.2% in comparison with the conventional BCR, respectively. Further studies in the system were performed by monitoring the size of bubbles and their effects on the biomass and SL enrichment in the foam stream at different aeration rates where the SL enrichment varied from 900 to 100% at 12 and 50 h of the fermentation.

Investigating the effect of Nigella sativa on the testicular function of first-generation offspring of mice treated with titanium oxide nanoparticles.

Objective: Nanoparticles include primary particles with at least one of their dimensions being less than 100 nm. The goal of this research was to determine the possible protective role of Nigella sativa (NS) against toxic effects mediated by titanium oxide nanoparticle (TNP). Materials and Methods: 30 adult mice (10 males and 20 females) were used. After mating, the pregnant female mice were randomly divided into 4 study groups (n=5 mice in each group). From the 13th day of gestation until delivery, the mice were given TNP and NS. After delivery, 10 newborn male mice were selected from each group and kept under standard conditions until puberty according to the previous grouping (4 groups). The epididymis of each mouse was removed and the sperm was collected for the evaluation of in vitro fertilization and testis for histopathology and spermatogenesis of in vitro fertilization of first-generation mice. Results: No significant difference was observed between the NS group and the control group (p>0.05). In the TNP, a degree of epithelial lysis and a significant decrease in sperm motility was observed (p<0.05) compared with the control group. In the TNP and NS group, NS had an ameliorating effect on TNP-induced testicular germ cell damage (p<0.05). Conclusion: In the present study, it was found that NS had no destructive effect on the germinal epithelium. However, NS had an ameliorating effect on TNP-induced testicular germ cell damage in mice.

Investigating the role of mobile health in epilepsy management: A systematic review.

Epilepsy is the most common chronic neurologic disease which is characterized by recurrent attacks of headache after seizure. Researches show that self-management is an important factor in improving the quality of life and quality of care of people affected by epilepsy. Mobile phone technologies play a potential role in patient care assistance and treatment of epilepsy. This systematic review was conducted with an aim to study the role of mobile health in the management of epilepsy. This study was conducted by searching databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google scholar search engines using the following keywords: "m-health," "mobile health," "Telemedicine," "Mobile Application," "Smartphone," "epilepsy," and "epilepsy management." Articles published from January 1, 1990 to September 1, 2021 were searched. Inclusion criteria included all articles published in English with a focus on the role of mHealth in the management of epilepsy. Review articles and studies that were not about patients were omitted. In this study, of a total of 4225 retrieved articles, 10 studies met the full-text inclusion criteria. Three types of researches (30%) were done in the USA, five studies (50%) were conducted as randomized controlled trials, and eight articles (80%) had the highest quality. Among the considered articles, three articles (30%) were engaged in training users in epilepsy management. Five articles (50%) reported improvement in seizure control in patients with epilepsy and two articles (20%) did not report any significant improvement. Mobile technologies have a promising role in providing health assessment, education, and other services for patients, and they also help in controlling seizures attack and improvement of epilepsy management. These technologies enjoy great attractiveness, and utilizing them will lead to patient satisfaction.

Training and education, what has changed this last decade?

BACKGROUND: The Dutch manual for the best care regarding training and education of our patients, as created by the special interest group for peritoneal dialysis (SIG PD), was revised. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this paper is to describe topics learned from the manual revision, supported by noticed response changes in surveys from 2009 to 2019. DESIGN: Quantitative nursing research, using similar surveys to compare training and education over the last decade. Additionally, a brief search for literature was performed. PARTICIPANTS: Dutch dialysis nurses. APPROACH: In 2009, nurses were approached through an online survey sent to all dialysis centres in the Netherlands. In 2019, a similar survey was distributed during our annual Dutch nephrology days. Both surveys were compared and conclusions were drawn. FINDINGS: Retrieved information was divided into basic topics and compared. More important, our findings show that even after a decade, there is still no special education for the nurses and patient training is given based on experience alone. Furthermore, multiple nurses are involved in patient training, with varying materials. There are more home visits with training at home and retraining is more suitable. A growth in assisted PD implies more involvement by community nurses. Also, more acute PD is seen, with a different structure of training. CONCLUSIONS: The manual was revised with input from our nurses and new guidelines, so we can uplift the education of peritoneal dialysis for the benefit of our patients, caretakers, and community nurses. As SIG PD we can support the dialysis nurses.

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) argue against the limited use of peritoneal dialysis in end-stage renal disease
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AIM: Approximately 40% of dialysis patients are durably treated with peritoneal dialysis (PD) in our teaching hospital. Patients' perspectives were studied by patient-reported outcome measurements (PROMs) to find possible explanations for why the generally-reported decline in the use of PD hardly occurred in our facility. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All 75 prevalent adult dialysis patients hemodialysis (HD) duration 27, PD 16 months) were included. All had received predialysis care and education for > 6 month. Cross-sectional sociodemographic and clinical data, SF-36, KDQOL-SF, and predialysis anxiety/depression scores were collected in February 2016. Differences in PROMs between PD and HD patients were analyzed. RESULTS: Despite more comorbidity in the PD population, generally-used dialysis parameters were adequate and similar between HD (n = 42) and PD (n = 33) patients as was annual mortality. Many factors associated with a predialysis modality choice for PD were absent. A higher anxiety/depression score was found in pre-HD compared to pre-PD patients. PROMs were returned by 97%. PD patients performed better on a number of PROMs than their HD counterparts. CONCLUSION: This single-center cross-section with a modest number of patients but an almost 100% patient response shows that having 40% of patients on PD is possible with excellent results in terms of patient-reported outcomes. A structured patient education with attention to personal needs of patients, an adequate infrastructure for PD, and a dedicated team with ongoing patient support are key factors. Sharing best practices may help to slow down or even reverse the decline of PD, which is a pity both for patients and society.
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Intraperitoneal Meropenem for Polymicrobial Peritoneal Dialysis-Related Peritonitis.

With the current rise in multiresistant gram-negative bacteria, carbapenems are more frequently used. Surprisingly, limited data exist on the pharmacokinetics of meropenem in peritoneal dialysis (PD)-related peritonitis. We report on the pharmacokinetics of repeated intraperitoneal (IP) meropenem during 21 days as treatment for polymicrobial multiresistent PD-related peritonitis.Our current report supports daily doses of 125 mg/L intraperitoneal meropenem in all bags as an effective and safe modality in the treatment of PD-associated peritonitis with multiresistant microorganisms. No signs of over- or underdosing were found based on serial drug concentration measurements at fixed time points up to 21 days.

The effects of cranberry juice on serum glucose, apoB, apoA-I, Lp(a), and Paraoxonase-1 activity in type 2 diabetic male patients.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetic patients are faced with a higher risk of dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disorders. This study was undertaken to assess the effect of consumption of 1 cup cranberry juice by type 2 diabetic patients on serum paraoxonase-1 (PON-1) activity, apoA-1, apoB, glucose, and Lp(a). METHODS: In a double-blind randomized clinical trial, 58 type 2 diabetic male patients were randomly divided to receive 1 cup cranberry juice (CJ) or placebo drink daily for 12 weeks. Fasting blood were obtained at beginning and at the end of study (12(th) week). Serum glucose and PON-1 activity were measured by enzymatic and colorimetric methods, respectively. ApoB, apoA-I, and Lp(a) were determined immunoturbidimetrically. The data were analyzed by SPSS version 16. RESULTS: There were significant decrease in serum glucose and apoB (P>0.05 and P>0.01, respectively) and significant increase in serum apoA-1 and PON-1 activity (P>0.05 and P<0.01, respectively) at the end of study in CJ group compared with control group. In CJ group at the end of study, there were significant decrease in serum glucose and apoB (P<0.01 and P<0.01, respectively) and significant increase in serum apo A-1 and PON-1 activity (P<0.01 and P<0.01, respectively) compared with initial values. In CJ group, there was no significant change in Lp(a) at the end of study compared with initial values and also compared with control group. CONCLUSION: 1 cup CJ for 12 weeks is effective in reducing serum glucose and apoB and increasing apoA-1 and PON-1 activity, so may have favorite effects on reducing CVD risk factors in type 2 diabetic male patients.

Disinfection effectiveness of organic chloramines, investigating the effect of pH.

The disinfection effectiveness of three organic N-chloramines (chlorinated amino acids and peptides) on the bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) was investigated, including a more detailed study into the pH dependency of the disinfection effectiveness of N-chloroglycine. The organic N-chloramines were prepared by combining sodium hypochlorite with each amino acid or peptide (glycine, Ala-Ala and Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser), at a N:Cl molar ratio of 1:0.4, and then used to treat E. coli suspensions for 180 min. No evidence of inactivation was observed at pH 8.1 for any of the tested organic N-chloramines. At pH 6.0 and 6.9, E. coli inactivation with N-chloroglycine was characterized by an initial lag phase, during which little or no measurable inactivation occurred, followed by a pseudo-first-order inactivation. This is in accordance with other results in the literature and supports the two step microbial inactivation mechanism proposed by some authors. Inactivation rate coefficients (Chick-Watson and lag coefficients) were calculated by fitting the experimental data with the Rennecker-Mariñas model. pH-dependent inactivation kinetics were observed, with faster inactivation rates occurring at lower pH values, when temperature and chlorine-to-nitrogen ratio where kept constant. N-chloroglycine was determined to be the only contributor to the inactivation process in these experiments. The free chlorine contribution was considered to be negligible in all experiments due to its very low concentration. As well, given that the anionic form of N-chloroglycine is expected to be the single predominant species over the tested pH range, changes in residual N-chloroglycine speciation could not be responsible for the observed pH-dependency of E. coli inactivation. However, while pH stress was considered as a possible synergistic factor, no significant effect of pH stress on E. coli viability was observed at the tested pH levels.

Development of a size exclusion chromatography-electrochemical detection method for the analysis of total organic and inorganic chloramines.

A size exclusion chromatography (SEC) followed by post-column reaction with iodide and electrochemical detection method is developed for analysis of total organic and inorganic chloramines. Ammonium chloride and a group of test compounds (Glycine, Tyrosine, DL-Alanyl-DL-Alanine, Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser, Bradykinin, Aprotinin, and alpha-Lactalbumin) are selected and chlorinated to represent inorganic chloramines and different sizes of organic N-chloramines. An analytical SEC column with pore size of 60A is used and chromatographic conditions including the working electrode potential and flow rate are optimized to gain optimum resolution and sensitivity. The detection limits are estimated to be 0.12 mg/L and 0.05 mg/L, respectively, for tested inorganic and organic chloramines.

Sorption of phenols onto sandy aquifer material: the effect of dissolved organic matter (DOM).

The influence of dissolved organic matter (DOM) on the sorption of four phenols, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP), pentachlorophenol (PCP), 2,4-dinitrophenol (2,4-DNP) and 2-methyl-4,6-dinitrophenol (2-M-4,6-DNP), onto sandy aquifer material at different pH values was investigated using flow through column experiments. The pH-dependent sorption of the chlorinated phenols 2,4,6-TCP and PCP was not significantly affected by DOM (measured as dissolved organic carbon, DOC), whereas in the case of nitrophenols a significant lower retardation was found, depending on the DOC concentration and pH value of the aqueous solution. Sorption decreases with increasing DOC concentration, which indicates a binding of these compounds by DOM. The degree of sorption reduction depends on the pH value and increases with increasing fraction of neutral species. The different behaviour of nitrophenols in comparison to the chlorophenols is assumed to be a result of specific charge-transfer interactions. A combined sorption and complex formation model was used to describe the effect of pH and DOC concentration on the sorption of nitrophenols onto aquifer material and to estimate binding coefficients of neutral nitrophenols on DOM.

Application of the mass transfer model for describing nonequilibrium transport of HOCs through natural geosorbents.

Column experiments of nonsorbing and sorbing solutes were conducted in sandy aquifer material. Results of the column experiments were analyzed using a numerical nonequilibrium mass transfer model (designated as dispersed flow, film and particle diffusion model, DF-FPDM), an equilibrium advection-dispersion model (designated as dispersed flow, local equilibrium model, DF-LEM) as well as a nonequilibrium two region (mobile-immobile) advection-diffusion model (designated as homogeneous solid diffusion model, HSDM). Results of the analyses revealed that in all experiments the experimental BTCs are much better predicted by the DF-FPDM than by DF-LEM and HSDM. The relative influence of different processes (film diffusion, intraparticle diffusion and dispersion) can be identified by dimensionless mass transfer parameters N(F), N(S) and N(D). Their plausibility can be compared with the well-known advection-dispersion-based equilibrium model. In general, spreading and asymmetry of sorbing solute BTCs can be explained with the DF-LEM and HSDM, but the identification of different processes and their influence on the total transport processes can only be ascertained with a model like DF-FPDM.