Carbon and nitrogen fluxes in a closed seawater facility.

A variety of empirical and calculated data from the largest tank at the New Jersey State Aquarium were used to quantify the fluxes of carbon and nitrogen before and after the installation of denitrification in this facility. Before denitrification, the stock of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in Ocean Tank exhibited a decrease of 6.9 kg C/month and sodium bicarbonate had to be added to maintain DIC in steady state. We were able to explain the DIC decrease by two non-conservative processes: the formation of carbonaceous precipitates (removes 4.2 kg C/month) and outgassing of carbon dioxide due to acidity from nitrification (independently determined to remove 3.2 kg C/month). Nitrogen budget in Ocean Tank before denitrification is in contrast to that of carbon, and it shows an increase of 4.8 kg N/month in the form of nitrate. Denitrification is currently removing 53.3 kg N/month (in the form of nitrogen gas), so this element should eventually reach steady state. The use of methanol for denitrification has resulted in a flux of 26.3 kg C/month into the aquarium and, as predicted, an increase in Ocean Tank DIC stock has been observed without any additions of sodium bicarbonate. Our approach can be used to model carbon and nitrogen balances in closed seawater facilities that host heterotrophic organisms and operate either with or without a biological denitrification system.

Movement of individuals with complex epilepsy from an institution into the community: seizure control and functional outcomes.

The successful community placement of 15 medically fragile individuals with profound mental retardation and complex epilepsy was examined. We found that simplification of anticonvulsants, early intervention for seizures, and improved staff education resulted in (a) fewer seizures, (b) decreases in emergency room visits for status seizures and drug-related side effects, and (c) increased levels of functioning as measured by activities of daily living. This program allowed for a medically fragile epileptic population to be transferred from the institution to the community.