An investigation into the biological effects of indirect potable reuse water using zebrafish embryos.

Advanced treatment technologies are being assessed as a proactive measure to assist with the transformation of treated wastewater into a source of water for potable water production. We investigated the biological effects along an advanced water treatment pilot plant, using zebrafish embryos throughout early development. The study compared phenotypic observations with global transcriptome responses, enabling us to keep an open mind about the chemicals that might influence the biological activity. There was no evidence of acute toxicity at any treatment stage, but skeletal, cardiovascular and pigmentation changes occurred in a small proportion of embryos along the treatment process, and in a tap water; not detected in the aquarium water control. Reverse osmosis (RO) reduced the concentration of measured chemical contaminants in the water the most, while eliminating the occurrence of abnormalities detected in fish embryos. Conversely, advanced oxidation reversed the benefits of RO treatment by increasing the frequency of teratogenic and sub-lethal abnormalities seen. Using the molecular responses of zebrafish embryos to different IPR water, we report the bioactivity within the water at different stages of advanced treatment and associate these to perturbed biological functions. Transcriptomic analysis revealed alterations to the retinoid system, which was consistent with the observed teratogenic effects. Changes to tryptophan metabolism (associated with the production of melatonin required for the control of normal circadian rhythms) and somatolactin-beta (associated with normal pigmentation in fish) were also found. We show that underexplored forms of biological activity occur in treated wastewater effluent, and/or may be created depending on the type of advanced treatment process used. By integrating the available analytical chemistry we highlight chemical groups associated to this response. Our study shows that more detailed and in-depth characterisation of chemicals and biological pathways associated with advanced treatment water systems are needed to mitigate possible risks to downstream organisms.

Sonication of pulp and paper effluent.

Final effluent from a pulp and paper kraft mill was exposed to power ultrasound at 357kHz with the aim of reducing color, turbidity, and chemical oxygen demand (COD). Absorbance measurements showed a bleaching of the effluent at wavelengths above 250nm, indicating loss of aromatic chromophores. Effluent turbidity also decreased. Surprisingly, there was no observable decrease in COD, within experimental error. This is attributed to the presence of bicarbonate and sulfate ions in the final effluent, which react with hydroxyl radicals and effectively block the oxidation of organics in the effluent. This was demonstrated by sonicating solutions of potassium hydrogen phthalate (KHP) containing chloride, bicarbonate, or sulfate ions, which are the major inorganic ions in the final effluent studied. A solution containing only 2.3mM KHP showed a 19% reduction in COD after 6h of sonication. An identical solution with 200ppm chloride also showed a 19% COD reduction. However, solutions with 700ppm sulfate and 400ppm bicarbonate showed COD reductions of 11% and 3%, respectively.

Prolonged incremental tests do not necessarily compromise VO2max in well-trained athletes.

Existing literature suggests that tests for maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) should last 8-12 minutes and that prolonged tests do not produce valid measurements. The research underlying this suggestion has been performed with non-athletic populations and trained athletes may be more tolerant of longer protocols. Eleven rowers (8 males, 3 females) each underwent four different incremental tests on a standard rowing ergometer in randomised counterbalanced order. One of the tests was continuous with workload increments each minute (IT1MIN). This test lasted an average of 12 min+/-4 s (SEM). The other three tests were discontinuous and consisted of 7 stages separated by 1-minute recovery intervals. Stage durations of 3, 4 and 5 min were used in the different tests (IT3MIN, IT4MIN and IT5MIN). Mean values for VO2max were almost identical for IT1MIN (4.56+/-0.22 L x min(-1)), IT3MIN (4.60+/-0.23 L x min(-1)) and IT4MIN (4.60+/-0.21 L x min(-1)), while IT5MIN produced a significantly lower value (4.47+/-0.21 L x min(-1), p<0.05). There was no significant difference between protocols in peak post-exercise blood lactate concentration (approx 13 mmol x L(-1) in each case), but IT1MIN produced lower peak heart rates and higher respiratory exchange ratios. We conclude that with well trained rowing athletes discontinuous test protocols involving 7 stages of 3-4 minutes duration can provide valid measurements of VO2max.

Welfare reform: advocacy and intervention in the health care setting.

Welfare reform has drastically altered the lives of poor families in the US. In its wake, many former recipients are not receiving whatever transitional benefits and other safeguards to which they remain entitled under federal and state laws. Families are losing access to Medicaid and are not receiving the child care assistance or Food Stamps for which they continue to be eligible. Ill-served by stringent time limits and work requirements, lack of child care assistance, and lack of training and educational opportunities for the development of skills that will lead to better jobs, families need help to navigate the complexities of the new welfare system. Boston Medical Center's Department of Pediatrics has instituted a welfare screening project to educate families about their rights under welfare reform and assist them in advocating for themselves and their children.

Isolation of HIV-1 from plasma of infected individuals: an analysis of experimental conditions affecting successful virus propagation.

Experimental conditions affecting the successful propagation of HIV-1 from the plasma of seropositive individuals were examined. It was determined that whole blood samples collected with lithium heparin as the anticoagulant, immediate plasma separation, and immediate culturing were best suited for obtaining viable virus from plasma. Virus was isolated by infecting fresh phytohemagglutinin-stimulated normal donor peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with plasma followed by weekly cocultivation with new target cells. The plasma virus isolation rate was the greatest and HIV-1 titers were the highest for those individuals with less than 200 CD4+ cells/mm3 and decreased as the level of CD4+ cells approached normal values. We were able to obtain positive cultures from 29.5% of those patients with CD4+ counts greater than 500/mm3. HIV-1 titers in plasma also correlated with high serum p24 antigen levels when serum was treated with glycine to dissociate antigen-antibody complexes.

Hand washing in pediatric ambulatory settings. An inconsistent practice.

The first phase of this study was performed to determine the rate of breaks in hand washing technique by physicians in two pediatric ambulatory settings and to determine whether this technique was influenced by the physician's level of training. The second phase was performed to determine if reminding physicians to wash their hands would decrease the rate of breaks. A hand washing break in technique was defined as not washing hands before patient contact. The observations were made by medical students accompanying the providers. In the 496 encounters during the first phase, 254 breaks (51.2%) occurred. In the 293 encounters during the second phase, 150 (51.2%) breaks occurred. During both phases, the rates of hand washing breaks among the four groups of providers (residents in postgraduate years 1 through 3 and faculty) were similar. Breaks in hand washing technique occur at an unacceptably high rate in outpatient settings.

Endophthalmitis due to Bacillus cereus: case report.

An acute case of endophthalmitis following ocular trauma involving barbary branches is presented. Bacillus cereus var. mycoides was cultured from lens material obtained via a limbal incision.

The diabetic, the hospital and primary care.

In a survey of mainly elderly patients discharged from a hospital diabetic clinic, it was found that 41 per cent were being seen by the general practitioner only when required or not at all, 36 per cent were being seen fairly regularly, and 23 per cent at routine appointments.The transfer from hospital to primary care was popular with two thirds of these patients, mainly because of the time, trouble, and money they saved in no longer travelling to hospital.Over 20 per cent of patients thought they had been discharged from the diabetic clinic because they were cured, a further 37 per cent thought they could be cured, about a third did not test their urine, and a similar proportion admitted that they did not keep to their diet.Of 204 known diabetics examined in general practice, about half had high blood sugars, a third of lower limbs had undoubted signs of peripheral vascular disease, and one fifth of the sample had both.