Possibility assessment of ultrafiltration membrane pre-treatment efficiency for brackish water reverse osmosis-based wastewater reuse: Lab and demonstration.

Ultrafiltration (UF) membranes are considered a pre-treatment for brackish water reverse osmosis (BWRO) membranes because of the high rejection rate of particulates and the productivity of the final water quantity. This study presents the performance and membrane surface property analysis of UF membranes for commercial membrane manufacturers, and their structural strength and chemical resistance were evaluated. Moreover, the pilot-scale UF-BWRO process was operated for two months using real wastewater based on the results of this study. Although the overall properties were similar, the poly (ether-sulfone) UF membrane showed higher tensile strength than the polyvinylidene difluoride and polyacrylonitrile UF membranes. The UF membrane showed a high removal rate of particulates (over 90%) but low rejection rate of organic compounds, such as humic acid and sodium alginate (below 30%). After exposure to high concentrations of chemicals, the contact angle of the membranes was reduced by approximately 15% compared to that of the virgin membranes. In addition, despite the exposure to low-and high-concentration chemicals, UF membranes were relatively stable in terms of tensile strength. During the operation period of the pilot-scale UF-RO process, the UF membrane showed a high turbidity removal of over 93%, and the UF-BWRO process presented a high salt rejection of over 92%. The UF membrane showed potential for the pre-treatment of BWRO membranes.

Changes in electrocardiographic findings after closed thoracostomy in patients with spontaneous pneumothorax.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to describe electrocardiographic (ECG) findings in spontaneous pneumothorax patients before and after closed thoracostomy. METHODS: This is a retrospective study which included patients with spontaneous pneumothorax who presented to an emergency department of a tertiary urban hospital from February 2005 to March 2015. The primary outcome was a difference in ECG findings between before and after closed thoracostomy. We specifically investigated the following ECG elements: PR, QRS, QTc, axis, ST segments, and R waves in each lead. The secondary outcomes were change in ST segment in any lead and change in axis after closed thoracostomy. RESULTS: There were two ECG elements which showed statistically significant difference after thoracostomy. With right pneumothorax volume of greater than 80%, QTc and the R waves in aVF and V5 significantly changed after thoracostomy. With left pneumothorax volume between 31% and 80%, the ST segment in V2 and the R wave in V1 significantly changed after thoracostomy. However, majority of ECG elements did not show statistically significant alteration after thoracostomy. CONCLUSION: We found only minor changes in ECG after closed thoracostomy in spontaneous pneumothorax patients.

Analysis of Microbial Communities in Biofilms from CSTR-Type Hollow Fiber Membrane Biofilm Reactors for Autotrophic Nitrification and Hydrogenotrophic Denitrification.

Two hollow fiber membrane biofilm reactors (HF-MBfRs) were operated for autotrophic nitrification and hydrogenotrophic denitrification for over 300 days. Oxygen and hydrogen were supplied through the hollow fiber membrane for nitrification and denitrification, respectively. During the period, the nitrogen was removed with the efficiency of 82-97% for ammonium and 87-97% for nitrate and with the nitrogen removal load of 0.09-0.26 kg NH4(+)-N/m(3)/d and 0.10-0.21 kg NO3(-)-N/m(3)/d, depending on hydraulic retention time variation by the two HF-MBfRs for autotrophic nitrification and hydrogenotrophic denitrification, respectively. Biofilms were collected from diverse topological positions in the reactors, each at different nitrogen loading rates, and the microbial communities were analyzed with partial 16S rRNA gene sequences in denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Detected DGGE band sequences in the reactors were correlated with nitrification or denitrification. The profile of the DGGE bands depended on the NH4(+) or NO3(-) loading rate, but it was hard to find a major strain affecting the nitrogen removal efficiency. Nitrospira-related phylum was detected in all biofilm samples from the nitrification reactors. Paracoccus sp. and Aquaspirillum sp., which are an autohydrogenotrophic bacterium and an oligotrophic denitrifier, respectively, were observed in the denitrification reactors. The distribution of microbial communities was relatively stable at different nitrogen loading rates, and DGGE analysis based on 16S rRNA (341f /534r) could successfully detect nitrate-oxidizing and hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria but not ammonium-oxidizing bacteria in the HF-MBfRs.

Effect of Lead(IV) Acetate on Procoagulant Activity in Human Red Blood Cells.

Lead (Pb) is a ubiquitously occurring environmental heavy metal which is widely used in industry and human life. Possibly due to a global industrial expansion, recent studies have revealed the prevalent human exposure to Pb and increased risk of Pb toxicity. Once ingested by human, 95% of absorbed Pb is accumulated into erythrocytes and erythrocytes are known to be a prime target for Pb toxicity. Most of the studies were however, focused on Pb2+ whereas the effects of Pb4+, another major form of Pb on erythrocytes are poorly understood yet. In this study, we investigated and compared the effects of Pb4+, Pb2+ and other heavy metals on procoagulant activation of erythrocytes, an important factor for the participation of erythrocytes in thrombotic events in an effort to address the cardiovascular toxicity of Pb4+. Freshly isolated erythrocytes from human were incubated with Pb4+, Pb2+, Cd2+ and Ag+ and the exposure of phosphatidylserine (PS), key marker for procoagulant activation was measured using flow cytometry. As a result, while Cd2+ and Ag+ did not affect PS exposure, Pb4+ and Pb2+ induced significantly PS exposure in a dose-dependent manner. Of a particular note, Pb4+ induced PS exposure with a similar potency with Pb2+. PS bearing microvesicle (MV), another important contributor to procoagulant activation was also generated by Pb4+. These PS exposure and MV generation by Pb4+ were well in line with the shape change of erythrocyte from normal discocytes to MV shedding echinocytes following Pb4+ treatment. Meanwhile, nonspecific hemolysis was not observed suggesting the specificity of Pb4+-induced PS exposure and MV generation. These results indicated that Pb4+ could induce procoagulant activation of erythrocytes through PS exposure and MV generation, suggesting that Pb4+ exposure might ultimately lead to increased thrombotic events.

Lead-induced procoagulant activation of erythrocytes through phosphatidylserine exposure may lead to thrombotic diseases.

Lead (Pb) is a ubiquitous heavy metal pollutant in various environmental media, especially in food and drinking water. In human blood, about 95% of lead is associated with erythrocytes, suggesting that erythrocytes could be an important target of lead toxicity in the cardiovascular system. Recent studies suggested that erythrocytes could contribute to blood coagulation via phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure and resultant procoagulant activation. We investigated the effects of lead on the procoagulant activity of erythrocytes using in vitro human erythrocyte and in vivo rat models. In a flow cytometric analysis, lead (Pb2+) enhanced PS exposure on human erythrocytes in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The concentration of lead (1-5 microM) used in the current investigation is well within the ranges observed in blood from lead-exposed populations. PS exposure by lead appeared to be mediated by increased intracellular calcium levels as shown by 19F-NMR and intracellular ATP depletion. Consistent with these findings, the activity of scramblase, which is important in the induction of PS exposure, was enhanced, whereas the activity of flippase, which translocates exposed PS to inner membrane, was inhibited by lead treatment. Furthermore, lead-exposed erythrocytes increased thrombin generation as determined by a prothrombinase assay and accelerated the coagulation process initiated by tissue factor in plasma. These procoagulant activations by lead were also confirmed in vivo. Administration of lead significantly enhanced PS exposure on erythrocytes and, more importantly, elevated thrombus formation in a rat venous thrombosis model. These results suggest that lead exposure can provoke procoagulant activity in erythrocytes by PS exposure, contributing to enhanced clot formation. These data will provide new insights into the mechanism of lead-induced cardiovascular diseases.

In vivo effects of lead on erythrocytes following chronic exposure through drinking water.

More than 95% of lead, a environmental heavy metal, entering into blood accumulates in erythrocytes suggesting erythrocytes as an important target of lead toxicity. Recent studies reported that erythrocytes could contribute to blood coagulation via phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure in erythrocytes. However, in vivo effects of chronic lead exposure especially by drinking water on procoagulant activity of erythrocytes have not been studied yet. In the present study, we investigated the effects of chronic exposure of lead by drinking water on erythrocytes in rats. Groups of 40 male rats were provided with drinking water containing various concentrations of lead for 4 weeks and complete blood cell count, procoagulant activities of erythrocytes and platelets were evaluated with basic inspections on body weight and food/ water consumption. The administration of lead containing drinking water increased the blood lead level (BLL) in a dose-dependent manner up to 22.39 +/- 2.26 microg/dL. Water consumption was significantly decreased while food consumption or body weight gain was not affected. In contrast to the "previous findings with acute lead exposure, chronic lead exposure failed to increase PS exposure in erythrocytes with statistical significance although some trends of enhancement were observed. It implies that a certain adaptation might have happened in body during repeated exposure to lead, resulting in attenuation of PS exposure. With this study, we believe that a valuable information was provided for the study on the toxicological significance and the risk assessment of lead contaminated drinking water.