Nutrient concentration in sediments accumulated in pre-treatment basins of urban LID technologies.

In this study, the contribution of pre-treatment basins of low impact development (LID) technologies to nutrient reduction performance was evaluated by understanding the distribution of nutrient in sediments accumulated in each system. The captured sediments were mostly silt to medium sand ranging from 9% to 92% of the sediments collected. Greater average N and P concentrations were found in silt particles amounting to 345 mg/kg and 696 mg/kg, respectively compared to sand and gravel. Although, N concentrations in accumulated sediments were found to be highly variable at different particle sizes (CV: 0.24 to 0.77) compared to P concentration (CV: 0.08 to 0.36) attributed to effective P treatment mechanism through deposition compared to complex nitrogen removal mechanisms. In addition, the difference between N and P concentrations of sediments collected in the pre-treatment basins of LID technologies and in-situ soil was attributed to the continuous pollutant input to the LID technologies during storm events. The study proved that pre-treatment basins of stormwater LID technologies reinforced the nutrient removal performances through sediment retention. The findings of this research may be used to design pre-treatment basins of LID technologies considering nutrients as a limiting factor.

Implications of CaCl2 application to plants in LID facilities.

Low impact development (LID) technologies mimic the natural water cycle through the physico-chemical and biological interactions of plants, filter media and soil, and microorganisms, thereby reducing the release of pollutants. In LID facilities, plants carry out photosynthesis, facilitate microbial growth, and uptake pollutants contained in stormwater runoff. However, de-icers (CaCl2) used to melt snow during winter slow the growth of plants and even increase plant mortality. In addition, de-icers change the soil structure, causing changes in soil content and affecting the growth of plants and microorganisms. Therefore, this study examined the effects of CaCl2 on the resistance of plants, the removal efficiency of non-point source pollutants, and water circulation. The mortality rate of the tree and shrubs caused by CaCl2 was found to be in the order of Rhododendron indicum > Spiraea prunifolia var. simpliciflora > Metasequoia glyptostroboides. For herbaceous plants, mortality rate was in the order of Pratia pedunculata > Aquilegia japonica > Tagetes erecta > Sedum makinoi aurea > Hosta longipes > Dianthus chinensis > Acorus gramineus > Liriope platyphylla. In addition, it was found that the amount of chlorophyll decreases with high concentrations of CaCl2. The findings of this research will be useful for plant selection considering CaCl2 concentrations applied to paved areas during the winter.

Plaque stabilizing effects of apolipoprotein A-IV.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Apolipoprotein (apo) A-IV, the third most abundant HDL-associated protein, is atheroprotective and shares similar properties as apoA-I. We have reported previously that apoA-I, the most abundant apolipoprotein in HDL, inhibits plaque disruption in a mouse model. We aimed at examining the effects of apoA-IV on markers of plaque stability in vivo. METHODS: Plaques within brachiocephalic arteries of 16-week old apoE-knockout C57BL/6 mice were examined for changes in composition after 10 weeks on a high-fat diet (HFD). The animals received twice-weekly injections of human lipid-free apoA-IV (1 mg/kg, n = 31) or PBS (n = 32) during the 9th and 10th weeks of the HFD. RESULTS: In the apoA-IV treated mice, there were significantly fewer hemorrhagic plaque disruptions (9/31 vs. 18/32, p < 0.05), thicker fibrous caps, smaller lipid cores, a lower macrophage:SMC ratio, less MMP-9 protein, more collagen, and fewer proliferating cells. In the plaques of mice given apoA-IV, MCP-1, VCAM-1, and inducible NOS were also significantly lower. Based on the percentage of cleaved PARP-positive and TUNEL-positive plaque nuclei, apoA-IV reduced apoptosis. in HMDMs, apoA-IV reduced MMP-9 mRNA expression by half, doubled mRNA levels of TIMP1 and decreased MMP-9 activity. CONCLUSIONS: ApoA-IV treatment is associated with a more stable plaque phenotype and a reduced incidence of acute disruptions in this mouse model.

Treatment of suspended solids and heavy metals from urban stormwater runoff by a tree box filter.

Particulates, inorganic and toxic constituents are the most common pollutants associated with urban stormwater runoff. Heavy metals such as chromium, nickel, copper, zinc, cadmium and lead are found to be in high concentration on paved roads or parking lots due to vehicle emissions. In order to control the rapid increase of pollutant loads in stormwater runoff, the Korean Ministry of Environment proposed the utilization of low impact developments. One of these was the application of tree box filters that act as a bioretention treatment system which executes filtration and sorption processes. In this study, a tree box filter located adjacent to an impervious parking lot was developed to treat suspended solids and heavy metal concentrations from urban stormwater runoff. In total, 11 storm events were monitored from July 2010 to August 2012. The results showed that the tree box filter was highly effective in removing particulates (up to 95%) and heavy metals (at least 70%) from the urban stormwater runoff. Furthermore, the tree box filter was capable of reducing the volume runoff by 40% at a hydraulic loading rate of 1 m/day and below.

A case control study on autopsy findings in sudden unexplained nocturnal death syndrome.

AIM: Sudden unexplained nocturnal death syndrome (SUNDS) has been linked to the Brugada syndrome. In some places, acute haemorrhagic pancreatitis is widely held to cause it. We conducted a systematic, controlled autopsy study on Filipino SUNDS victims to rule out structural heart findings as well as acute haemorrhagic pancreatitis as causes. METHODS AND RESULTS: A case control autopsy study was conducted comparing SUNDS victims between 18 and 50 years of age who died within 1 h of symptom onset with age- and gender-matched controls. There were 24 SUNDS (mean age 34.5 years) and 24 controls (mean 32.7 years). The autopsy incidence of structural heart disease was 8.3% (95% CI (1% to 27%)) and focal pancreatic haemorrhage was 4.17% (95% CI (0.1% to 20%)) but zero for true acute haemorrhagic pancreatitis among SUNDS victims. Autopsy findings in SUNDS versus controls were not significantly different from each other, showing no diagnostic abnormality in any of the organs. There was no significant difference in the incidence of acute haemorrhagic pancreatitis in both the SUNDS and control groups. We did not find fetal dispersion of the atrioventricular (AV) node, sclerosis or fibrosis of the AV conduction system, in a substudy of SUNDS cases. CONCLUSIONS: We have shown that there is no significant difference in the overall autopsy findings between SUNDS and controls. Autopsy findings were normal in 70% of SUNDS; no cardiac structural pathology was found in 87% of cases. Haemorrhagic pancreatitis is the cause of death in a minority of SUNDS. The cardiac conduction system is normal in a subgroup of SUNDS studied.

DNA aptamers selectively target Leishmania infantum H2A protein.

Parasites of the genus Leishmania produce leishmaniasis which affects millions people around the world. Understanding the molecular characteristics of the parasite can increase the knowledge about the mechanisms underlying disease development and progression. Thus, the study of the molecular features of histones has been considered of particular interest because Leishmania does not condense the chromatin during mitosis and, consequently, a different role for these proteins in the biology of the parasite can be expected. Furthermore, the sequence divergences in the amino and in the carboxy-terminal domains of the kinetoplastid core histones convert them in potential diagnostic and/or therapeutics targets. Aptamers are oligonucleotide ligands that are selected in vitro by their affinity and specificity for the target as a consequence of the particular tertiary structure that they are able to acquire depending on their sequence. Development of high-affinity molecules with the ability to recognize specifically Leishmania histones is essential for the progress of this kind of study. Two aptamers which specifically recognize Leishmania infantum H2A histone were cloned from a previously obtained ssDNA enriched population. These aptamers were sequenced and subjected to an in silico analysis. ELONA, slot blot and Western blot were performed to establish aptamer affinity and specificity for LiH2A histone and ELONA assays using peptides corresponding to overlapped sequences of LiH2A were made mapping the aptamers:LiH2A interaction. As "proofs of concept", aptamers were used to determine the number of parasites in an ELONA platform and to purify LiH2A from complex mixtures. The aptamers showed different secondary structures among them; however, both of them were able to recognize the same peptides located in a side of the protein. In addition, we demonstrate that these aptamers are useful for LiH2A identification and also may be of potential application as diagnostic system and as a laboratory tool with purification purpose.

Development of a horizontal subsurface flow modular constructed wetland for urban runoff treatment.

Constructed wetlands (CWs) are well recognized as having low construction and maintenance cost and low energy requirement. However, CW design has been mainly based on rule-of-thumb approaches. In this study, the efficiency of a modular horizontal subsurface flow (HSSF) CW using four different design schemes was investigated. Based on the results, the four systems have attained more than 90% removal of total suspended solids and more than 50% removal efficiency for total phosphorus, PO(4)-P and Zn. The planted system achieved higher pollutant removal rates than the unplanted system. In terms of media, bottom ash was more effective than woodchip in reducing the pollutants. Considering the flow length, optimum removal efficiency was achieved after passing the sedimentation tank and vertical media layer; with respect to depth, more pollutants were removed in the upper sand layer than in the lower gravel layer. This study recommended a surface area of 0.25 to 0.8% of catchment area for planted CW and 0.26 to 0.9% for unplanted CW using the 7.5 to 10 mm design rainfall.

A quantitative in vivo study of retinal thickness before and after laser treatment for macular edema due to retinal vein occlusion.

PURPOSE: To evaluate quantitatively the effect of grid laser photocoagulation in macular edema due to central and branch retinal vein occlusion, using the retinal thickness analyzer. METHODS: Five patients with cystoid and non-cystoid macular edema were studied before and after argon grid laser treatment. All were examined clinically, with fluorescein angiography, and measurement of retinal thickness. Macular thickness was correlated to visual acuity measured on the ETDRS chart. RESULTS: Laser-slit images obtained with the retinal thickness analyzer in patients with macular edema disclosed discrete intraretinal changes after photocoagulation. Biomicroscopy and fluorescein angiography were insensitive to these small changes in the retinal thickness. No patient had any change in visual acuity after three months, but the retinal thickness was greater at this interval. The retinal thickening may be explained by a postoperative inflammatory response or by altered retinal blood flow or, in two of the eyes, by the effect of combined peripheral photocoagulation. CONCLUSIONS: The retinal thickness analyzer offers a refined tool for the diagnosis of subclinical changes of macular edema in retinal vein occlusion and is therefore also useful for assessing the effects of treatment.

Birdshot retinochoroidopathy: measurement of the posterior fundus spots and macular edema using a retinal thickness analyzer, before and after treatment.

PURPOSE: To measure the retinal thickness in the macular area and at the typical fundus spots in a patient with birdshot retinochoroidopathy, using the retinal thickness analyzer (RTA), a new image analyzer involving laser-slit biomicroscopy, and to quantify the changes after systemic corticosteroid therapy. CASE REPORT: A 54-year-old man with posterior uveitis underwent visual acuity measurement, fluorescein and indocyanine green (ICG) angiographies, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and RTA measurements before and after steroid treatment. RESULTS: The thickness at the birdshot spots measured with RTA remained unchanged after treatment, but the thickness at the fovea decreased in both eyes. Fluorescein and ICG angiographies and OCT showed no change with treatment. CONCLUSIONS: RTA seems a more sensitive method for assessing changes in macula thickness in the course of birdshot retinochoroidopathy and can help document the effect of treatment.