Chemosphere, 2004 Jul, 56(2), 167 - 80 Two stage biological treatment of a diazo reactive textile dye and the fate of the dye metabolites; Libra JA et al.; A two stage anaerobic/aerobic bacterial process was used to decolorize and partially mineralize a reactive vinyl sulfone diazo dye C.I . Reactive Black 5 (RB5) in a synthetic wastewater . Since the anchor group of reactive dyes reacts during the dyeing process, the effect the degree of hydrolysis of the vinyl sulfone dye had on decolorization, mineralization and toxicity in each stage was investigated . An overall color removal of approximately 65% was found for both the fully and partially hydrolyzed dye . Partial mineralization of the fully hydrolyzed RB5 was achieved in the two stage rotating disc reactors . While the anchor group metabolite p-aminobenzene-2-hydroxyethylsulfonic acid (p-ABHES) was mineralized, an oxidized form of the center metabolite (1,2-ketimino-7-amino-8-hydroxynaphthalene-3,6-disulfonic acid) remained in the aerobic stage effluent, causing the effluent to be colored although no RB5 was present . Partially hydrolyzed dye in the influent with vinyl forms of the anchor group caused cessation of biogas production and a reduction in decolorization efficiency in the anaerobic stage . No evidence for mineralization of the partially hydrolyzed dye or its metabolites was found . A method for evaluating dye mineralization using lumped parameters is presented. Environ Sci Technol, 2004 Apr 1, 38(7), 2021 - 8 Flux and product distribution during biological treatment of tetrachloroethene dense non-aqueous-phase liquid; Adamson DT et al.; Flux in non-aqueous-phase liquid (NAPL)-contaminated systems containing active microbial populations (including Dehalococcoides sp.) was investigated using a quantitative mass balance and phase distribution approach . Batch systems containing mixed NAPL with an initial tetrachloroethene (PCE) mole fraction ranging from 0.1 to 0.4 provided a means for comparing systems where mass transfer and aqueous concentration were controlled by the initial NAPL composition . Although the use of mixed NAPL with increasing PCE mole fractions introduced a mass-transfer variable on the abiotic dissolution rate, it was determined that biological systems produced flux rates that were similar to each other regardless of the initial PCE mole fraction . Thus, organisms appeared to be dechlorinating near their maximum conversion rates, and the result was the accumulation of cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cDCE) followed by slow conversion to vinyl chloride (VC) . Increases in the initial PCE mole fractions in the NAPL had a negative impact on product distribution due to the presence of a larger concentration of a more favorable electron acceptor . Because the mass converted to cDCE was present largely in the dissolved phase in all systems, the production of this metabolite was a favorable outcome in terms of NAPL dissolution . The pH dropped as low as 4.9 in active systems, indicating that the amount of HCl released during the reductive dechlorination process was large enough to overwhelm the buffering capacity . This pH effect was more pronounced in systems that exhibited extensive dechlorination to VC, further suggesting that rapid dechlorination of PCE NAPL can alter chemical characteristics in source zone regions. Environ Pollut, 1997, 95(2), 191 - 204 Characterization and COD fractionation of domestic wastewaters; Orhon D et al.; Results of a comprehensive study are reported for wastewater characterization in relation to modelling and design of biological nutrient removal systems for the Metropolitan Area of Istanbul . Domestic sewage quality was experimentally assessed in terms of major polluting parameters . Size distribution and calculation of significant ratios such as BOD(5):COD and COD:N were used to evaluate the merit of candidate physical, chemical and biological treatment alternatives . COD fractionation was effected to assess biological treatability and to yield the necessary process components to the recent modelling approaches. Environ Pollut, 2000 Feb, 107(2), 187 - 97 On-site biological remediation of contaminated groundwater: a review; Langwaldt JH et al.; On-site biological treatment has been used for groundwater cleanup from industrial and agricultural chemicals . The pump-and-treat efficiency is controlled by retardation of contaminants by sorption onto the saturated subsurface solids and by the presence of non-aqueous-phase liquids in the aquifer . On-site bioreactors have been widely used for treatment of contaminants such as petroleum hydrocarbons, monoaromatic hydrocarbons, chlorinated aliphatics and aromatics . The most commonly used reactor types for groundwater include the following: trickling filter, upflow fixed-film reactor and fluidized bed reactor . Bioreactor processes have limitations mainly because of their design to operate at elevated temperatures and thereby by high operational costs. Environ Pollut, 1990, 68(1-2), 15 - 28 Microbial transformation of thiocyanate; Paruchuri YL et al.; Thiocyanate is present in appreciable concentration in coal carbonization wastewater along with other toxicants like phenols, cyanide, sulphide and ammonia . This paper encompasses studies on biodegradation of thiocyanate by a microbial consortium obtained from a biological treatment plant receiving coal carbonization wastewater . Effects of secondary toxicants and growth stimulants on thiocyanate oxidation by the consortium, and thiocyanate transformation in actual and partially treated coal carbonization waste, have also been studied . Results indicate that the consortium can degrade thiocyanate up to 1400 mg litre(-1) in batch culture with 10 mg litre(-1) of initial inoculum within a period of 6 days . Phenol above 500 mg litre(-1) and cyanide at 10 mg litre(-1) completely inhibits thiocyanate oxidation . Sulphide at 32 mg litre(-1) and ammonia at 4000 mg litre(-1) at neutral pH prolongs thiocyanate oxidation from 3 to 6 days and from 4 to 7.5 days, respectively . These studies reveal that elimination of phenolics, their oxidized products, ammonia, cyanides and sulphides is a pre-requisite for effective thiocyanate removal from the waste by the consortium . Bacteria of the genera Pseudomonas and Bacillus dominate the consortium. Environ Pollut, 1991, 69(1), 69 - 78 Biological treatment of wastewater by selected aquatic plants; Tripathi BD et al.; Pollutant-removal efficiency of certain macrophytes and algae, such as Eichhornia crassipes, Microcystis aeruginosa, Scenedesmus falcatus, Chlorella vulgaris and Chlamydomonas mirabilis, has been tested in laboratory conditions to evaluate their potential role in wastewater treatment . Sewage of Varanasi city, mixed with the effluents of about 1200 small-scale industries, was used for the tests . The investigation was performed in three stages i.e . a water hyacinth culture followed by an algal culture, and finally a second water hyacinth culture . For the first water hyacinth culture, 10 water hyacinth plants were grown in a tank of wastewater with 15 days' retention time . In the second stage, algal species were cultured in the treated wastewater for 5 days, whilst in the third stage, water hyacinth plants were again grown for further treatment of the wastewater for 9 days . This three-stage aquaculture resulted in very high reductions of BOD (96.9%), suspended solids (78.1%), total alkalinity (74.6%), PO(4)-P (89.2%), NO(3)-N (81.7%), acidity (73.3%), NH(4)-N (95.1%), COD (77.9%), hardness (68.6%) and coliform bacteria (99.2%) . An increase in the concentration of dissolved oxygen (70%) was also observed. Environ Pollut, 1996, 91(3), 343 - 50 Biological treatment of a synthetic gold milling effluent; Granato M et al.; This paper reports on biological sludge acclimatisation and the results concerning the removal of free cyanide, thiocyanate and metallocyanides (copper, iron and zinc) from a synthetic gold milling effluent . The experiments were carried out in a continuous bench-scale bioreactor, and the experimental set-up consisted of two identical units, one of which served as control . The acclimatisation of the biomass was based on a stepwise procedure, in which the proportion of synthetic solution in the influent was gradually increased . The reactors were fed with a mixture of synthetic effluent and sewage, and the treatment efficiency was evaluated through the monitoring of the following parameters: chemical oxygen demand (COD), free cyanide, thiocyanate, copper, iron and zinc concentrations . A well adapted microbial consortium was obtained at the end of the acclimatisation period, which was able to remove more than 95% of free cyanide, thiocyanate, copper and zinc, originally found in the influent . These removal efficiencies were obtained when the reactor was operated with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of about 8 h . The performance results of experiments carried out with lower HRT (5 h) and higher dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration (6.5 mg litre(-1)) are also presented and discussed in this study. Water Res, 2004 Apr, 38(8), 1995 - 2008 Development and application of a quasi-static Langmuir isotherm for modelling selected resin acid fate in pulp mill wastewater treatment; Werker AG et al.; Resin acids are pulp mill effluent contaminants that exhibit significant solubility, diffusivity, and surfactancy changes with pH within the range typically used for biological treatment . Such physical-chemical property changes which can influence removal during biological wastewater treatment, can be characterized by dynamic surface tension measurements . Dynamic surface tension measurements were made by the maximum bubble pressure method during batch treatment of selected resin acids in pulp mill effluent . Interpretation of dynamic surface tension data was made through the framework of a quasi-static Langmuir isotherm model that was derived as part of this investigation . The results suggested that under acidic conditions, resin acids form associations with other dissolved organic matter contained in pulp mill effluent, while under alkaline conditions, they behave as relatively soluble surfactants . A resin acid residuum, or threshold concentration, has been found to increase under acidic growth conditions . This residuum increase corresponded to an inferred reduction in resin acid bioavailability that was suggested from the isotherm modelling . The development of quasi-static isotherm adsorption models has application in computer simulation for design of adsorption based unit processes, and could potentially be utilized as an informative treatment process monitor. J Environ Manage, 2004 May, 71(1), 9 - 14 Biological nutrient removal from pre-treated landfill leachate in a sequencing batch reactor; Uygur A et al.; Biological treatment of landfill leachate usually results in low nutrient removals because of high chemical oxygen demand (COD), high ammonium-N content and the presence of toxic compounds such as heavy metals . Landfill leachate with high COD content was pre-treated by coagulation-flocculation with lime followed by air stripping of ammonia at pH=12 . Nutrient removal from pre-treated leachate was carried out using a lab-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) . Three different operations consisting of different numbers of steps were tested and their performances were compared . These operations were the three-step anaerobic (An)/anoxic (Ax)/oxic (Ox); the four-step (An/Ox/Ax/Ox), and the five-step (An/Ax/Ox/Ax/Ox) operations with total residence time of seven hours each . Experiments were carried out using three consecutive operations with a total cycle time of 21 h at a constant sludge age of 10 days . The lowest effluent nutrient levels were realized by using the five-step operation which resulted in effluent COD, NH4-N and PO4-P contents of 1,400, 107 and 65 mg l(-1), respectively, at the end of 21 h . Addition of domestic wastewater (1/1, v/v) and powdered activated carbon (PAC, 1 g l(-1)) to the pre-treated leachate improved nutrient removals in the five-step SBR operation, resulting in 75% COD, 44% NH4-N and 44% PO4-P removals after 21 hours of operation. Bioresour Technol, 2004 Aug, 94(1), 27 - 31 The analysis of handsheets from wheat straw following solid substrate fermentation by Streptomyces cyaneus and soda cooking treatment; Berrocal MM et al.; The recent interest in the utilisation of agricultural fibres has promoted research into their potential as raw materials for the pulp and paper industry . In the current study, we report on the effect of biological pretreatment of wheat straw by Streptomyces cyaneus on the performance of the handsheets produced from the treated pulps . The pre-treatment of wheat straw with S . cyaneus had a positive effect on both the burst and tear indexes of the pulps but had a negative impact on tensile index . No significant variation in permeability and in folding endurance was observed . Manipulation of handsheets from wheat straw through biological treatment may therefore result in improved quality traits. J Hazard Mater, 2004 Apr 30, 108(1-2), 85 - 94 Removal and recovery of nickel(II) from aqueous solution by loofa sponge-immobilized biomass of Chlorella sorokiniana: characterization studies; Akhtar N et al.; The biosorption process for the removal of nickel(II) by loofa sponge-immobilized biomass of Chlorella sorokiniana (LIBCS), a newly developed immobilized biosorbent, was characterized . Effects of environmental factors on metal uptake capacity of LIBCS were studied and compared with free biomass of C . sorokiniana (FBCS) . Nickel(II) removal by LIBCS was found to be influenced by pH of the solution, initial metal concentration, and biomass concentration . The biosorption of nickel(II) ions by both LIBCS and FBCS increased as the initial concentration of nickel(II) ions increased in the medium . No loss to biosorption capacity of LIBCS for nickel(II) was found due to the presence of loofa sponge, indeed as compared to FBCS an increase of 25.3% was noted in the biosorption capacity of LIBCS . Maximum biosorption capacities for FBCS and LIBCS were found as 48.08 and 60.38 mg nickel(II)/g, respectively, whereas the amount of nickel(II) ions adsorbed on the plain loofa sponge was 6.1mg/g . During these biosorption studies, LIBCS exhibited excellent physical and chemical stability without any significant release/loss of microalgal biomass from loofa sponge matrix . The kinetics of nickel(II) removal was extremely fast reaching at equilibrium in about 15 min for LIBCS and 20 min for FBCS . The biosorption equilibrium was well described by the Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms . The biosorption capacities were found to be solution pH dependent and the maximum adsorption was found at a solution pH 4-5 . The LIBCS could be regenerated using 75 mM HCl, with up to 98% recovery . The LIBCS were shown to be robust and stable with little decrease in the nickel(II) uptake capacity when used in consecutive seven biosorption-desorption cycles . Continuous removal of nickel(II) from electroplating effluent by LIBCS packed in fixed bed column bioreactor confirm the possibility of developing a biological treatment process for the removal of toxic metals from authentic wastewater. Water Sci Technol, 2004, 49(4), 241 - 6 Screening of chemical oxidation processes and other methods for decolorization of urine for its re-use as toilet-flush liquid in ecological sanitation systems; Gulyas H et al.; Because of its potential use as fertilizer, urine ("yellow water") is a resource originating from sanitation . Its separate collection in no-mix toilets is a beneficial aspect of ecological (source control) sanitation . In order to avoid dilution of the fertilizing nutrients with toilet flush water, the utilization of yellow water as toilet flush liquid seems to be advantageous . To be accepted for this purpose, urine has to be decolorized (and also deodorized) . In this study activated carbon adsorption, irradiation with UV light of different wavelengths, the advanced oxidation processes ultrasound, UV/H2O2, and photocatalytic oxidation have failed to decolorize urine . Biological treatment caused brown colour of the treated urine . Only ozonation was successful in colour removal, although it did not affect TOC . In spite of darkening of yellow water during biological treatment (generation of humic substances), smaller ozone doses were required for decolorizing the biologically pre-treated urine than for original urine . Photocatalytic oxidation of biologically treated urine also removed brown colour, but the original yellow colour remained . In ozonated urine, yellow colour was reconstituted unless hydrogen peroxide was added . In addition to colour removal, ozone contributed to deodorization as a consequence of ammonia stripping and probably of phenol oxidation. J Biotechnol, 2004 Apr 29, 109(3), 263 - 75 On-line monitoring of a two-stage anaerobic digestion process using a BOD analyzer; Liu J et al.; A computer-controlled biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) analyzer has been developed for fast estimation of biochemical oxygen demand (BODst) automatically with the purpose of on-line monitoring of a process for conversion of biomass under field conditions . The instrument was tested by on-line monitoring of the connecting stream between two stages of a two-stage anaerobic process in laboratory scale . In the first stage, hydrolysis of sugar beet leaves and its conversion into volatile fatty acids and other low molecular weight substrates took place . The effluent from the first reactor was used as a feed stream to the second stage, i.e . an anaerobic contact reactor . The feed stream was sampled intermittently, diluted and analyzed by the BOD analyzer automatically in order to estimate the organic loading rate to the reactor . The results from this study demonstrated that the BOD analyzer could be a stand-alone and promising sensor device for rapid on-line monitoring of easily biodegradable organic substances in biological treatment processes. Lett Appl Microbiol, 2004, 38(5), 345 - 50 Biological treatment of textile dye acid violet-17 by bacterial consortium in an up-flow immobilized cell bioreactor; Sharma DK et al.; AIMS: To develop a cost effective and efficient biological treatment process for small scale textile processing industries (TPI) releasing untreated effluents containing intense coloured Acid violet-17 (AV-17), a triphenyl methane (TPM) group textile dye . METHODS AND RESULTS: The samples collected from effluent disposal sites of TPI were used for selective enrichment of microbial populations capable of degrading/decolourizing AV-17 . A consortium of five bacterial isolates was used to develop an up-flow immobilized cell bioreactor for treatment of feed containing AV-17 . The bioreactor, operating at a flow rate of 6 ml x h(-1), resulted in 91% decolourization of 30 mg AV-17/l with 94.3 and 95.7% removal of biochemical oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand of the feed . Comparison of the input and output of the bioreactor by UV-visible, thin layer chromatography and (1)H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy indicates conversion of the parent dye into unrelated metabolic intermediates . SIGNIFICANCE: These results will form a basis for developing 'on-site' treatment system for TPI effluents to achieve decolourization and degradation of residual dyes. J Environ Sci Health A Tox Hazard Subst Environ Eng, 2004, 39(3), 729 - 40 Combined photo-assisted and biological treatment of industrial oily wastewater; Mamma D et al.; In the present study an oily wastewater from the lubricant unit of a petroleum company was evaluated by combining the sequence photo-assisted oxidation-Pseudomonas putida DSM 437 . The wastewater contained various alcohols, acids and phenolic compounds . From the above mentioned compounds the biodegradation of ethylene glycol, phenol, o-cresol and p-cresol was examined . The direct biodegradation of the wastewater using P . putida DSM 437 resulted in 85% ethylene glycol assimilation while phenol, o-cresol and p-cresol assimilation was in the range of 27% to 40% . In order to increase the degradation of the phenolic compounds photo-assisted oxidation was applied to the wastewater using UV/ H2O2 its a pretreatment step to biological degradation . Fc(III) were used in order to accelerate the formation of the hydroxyl radicals and consequently the overall photo-oxidation process . The addition of Fe(III) ions resulted in 30% decrease of COD within the first 10 min while the respected value without iron ions was 5% . The combined photo-assisted oxidation and biodegradation of the wastewater resulted in 100% removal of ethylene glycol . The overall degradation of phenol was 78% while the 59% and 84% of the initial o-cresol and p-cresol respectively, were removed from the wastewater . The combined process resulted in 72% of COD removal. Water Res, 2004 Apr, 38(7), 1922 - 32 Biological treatment of Mn(II) and Fe(II) containing groundwater: kinetic considerations and product characterization; Katsoyiannis IA et al.; In the present article, the treatment of groundwater containing Mn(II) and Fe(II) has been investigated . The biological oxidation of Mn(II) and Fe(II) in upflow filtration units comprised the applied experimental technique . The oxidation processes were mediated by specific bacteria, namely the Leptothrix ochracea and Gallionella ferruginea, which belong to the general category of manganese and iron oxidizing bacteria . This work was focused on the characterization of the products of biological oxidation and to the examination of the kinetics of Mn(II) removal as compared with Fe(II) removal from groundwaters . The products of biological oxidation were characterized using the spectroscopic techniques XRD, XPS and SEM-EDS and comprised a mixture of biogenic hydrous manganese and iron oxides . The oxidation state of manganese in the precipitates was found to be between 3 and 4 . Iron oxides were mainly in the form of amorphous ferrihydrite . The kinetic results indicated that the rates of manganese and iron oxidation were several orders of magnitude greater than the respective for abiotic oxidation . The bacterially mediated oxidation of iron was faster than manganese oxidation, presenting half-lives of reaction 0.9 and 3.98 min, respectively. Water Res, 2004 Apr, 38(7), 1685 - 94 Formaldehyde degradation in an anaerobic packed-bed bioreactor; Oliveira SV et al.; The development of appropriate technologies for the treatment of formaldehyde discharged into the environment is important to minimize its impact . Aerobic systems have been employed, although alternative anaerobic treatments have also been widely studied, mainly due to their low energy consumption and sludge production . However, toxic substances can lead to disturbances in anaerobic reactors . Some research has already been developed on formaldehyde anaerobic biological treatment, but no consensus has yet been reached about its behavior nor has the most efficient system been identified . Aiming at finding supporting evidence for this issue, therefore, this study investigated the degradation and toxicity of formaldehyde in a Horizontal-Flow Anaerobic Immobilized Sludge Reactor . Formaldehyde concentrations of 26.2-1158.6 mg HCHO/L were applied in the reactor, resulting in formaldehyde and chemical oxygen demand removal efficiencies of 99.7% and 92%, respectively . Volatile fatty acids with up to five carbons, found during the degradation of formaldehyde, are believed to indicate that the degradation followed routes unlike those suggested in the literature, which reports the formation of intermediates such as methanol and formic acid . The Monod kinetic model adhered to the experimental data well, with apparent kinetic parameters estimated as r(app)max) = 2.79 x 10(-3) mg HCHO/mg SSVh and K (app)(s) = 242.8 mg HCHO/L. Water Res, 2004 Mar, 38(6), 1419 - 26 Treatment of strongflow wool scouring effluent by biological emulsion destabilisation; Poole AJ et al.; The stable oil-in-water emulsion contained in wool scouring effluent was destabilised by aerobic biological treatment as the basis of a potential new effluent treatment process . The de-emulsified wool wax, which is recalcitrant to biodegradation, can then be readily removed by centrifugation . In 12-day batch experiments, 97% of wool wax and 87% of COD were removed after gentle centrifuging at 200 x g, compared to only 6% and 8%, respectively, for sterile controls . Steady-state chemostat experiments under optimum conditions gave essentially complete removal of wool wax and 90% removal of COD at less than 40 h retention time, and demonstrated that the mechanism of pollutant removal was by bioflocculation rather than aerobic degradation . At 100 L pilot scale, 95% of wool wax and 82% of COD were consistently removed over a period of 116 days of continuous operation at 38 h retention time and 30 degrees C, producing a spadable sludge of 5.7 mL/g . Variable influent concentration or filamentous bacteria did not disrupt this process and foaming was readily controlled using a mechanical foam breaker . After a shutdown period of 15 days the process could be restarted easily, achieving normal performance within one retention time . The successful operation of the pilot reactor suggests this process could be developed to full scale and incorporated into an overall treatment package. J Environ Manage, 2004 Apr, 70(4), 291 - 307 Bioremediation of soils contaminated with explosives; Lewis TA et al.; The large-scale industrial production and processing of munitions such as 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) over the past 100 years led to the disposal of wastes containing explosives and nitrated organic by-products into the environment . In the US, the Army alone has estimated that over 1.2 million tons of soil have been contaminated with explosives, and the impact of explosives contamination in other countries is of similar magnitude . In recent years, growing concern about the health and ecological threats posed by man-made chemicals have led to studies of the toxicology of explosives, which have identified toxic and mutagenic effects of the common military explosives and their transformation products (Bruns-Nagel et al., 1999a; Fuchs et al., 2001; Homma-Takeda et al., 2002; Honeycutt et al., 1996; Rosenblatt et al., 1991; Spanggord et al., 1982; Tan et al., 1992 and Won et al., 1976) . Because the cleanup of areas contaminated by explosives is now mandated because of public health concerns, considerable effort has been invested in finding economical remediation technologies . Biological treatment processes are often considered, since these are usually the least expensive means of destroying organic pollution . This review examines the most important groups of chemicals that must be treated at sites contaminated by explosives processing, the chemical and biological transformations they undergo, and commercial processes developed to exploit these transformations for treatment of contaminated soil . We critically examine about 150 papers on the topic, including approximately 60 published within the past 5 years. Waste Manag Res, 2003 Dec, 21(6), 535 - 48 Life cycle analysis of Municipal Solid Waste management possibilities in Asturias, Spain; Rodriguez-Iglesias J et al.; Directive 1994/62 concerning packaging and packaging waste and Directive 1999/31 related to waste disposal will substantially modify the management and treatment of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in Europe . In this study, a life cycle analysis has been carried out of the different possibilities of managing Municipal Solid Waste in Asturias . The "Integrated Waste Management" (IWM-1) model was employed, analysing the different alternatives for collection and treatment of MSW . This model predicts overall environmental burdens of MSW management systems and includes a parallel economical model . The sources of costs in the different systems of collection and treatment of MSW were considered in the economical analysis, as well as the sources of resource gathering that may be obtained via the sale of recovered materials . What emerges from this study is the soundness of management strategies based on biological treatment technologies in comparison with thermal treatments, together with the need to increase the level of collection at source. Environ Technol, 2003 Dec, 24(12), 1537 - 44 Biological treatment of a contaminated gaseous emission containing monochlorobenzene; Bastos FS et al.; This study presents the operation of a biotrickling filter when treating a monochlorobenzene (MCB) contaminated gaseous emission . Treatment dynamics were characterised by exposing the reactor to various MCB Organic Loads (OL) . The use of different growth support materials, namely limestone, sand, ceramic and PVC pall-rings, was investigated . Limestone led to dogging of the reactor due to the accumulation of surface precipitates, but PVC pall-rings allowed for a uniform biofilm growth . The biotrickling filter presented maximum removal efficiency (RE, 95%) under OL regimes of 10 g m(-3)-reactor h(-1) . Treatment inhibition was observed when the reactor was exposed to OL of 45 g m(-3)-reactor h(-1), with RE reaching a minimum value (8%) and elimination capacity of 8 g m(-3)-reactor h(-1) . The first half of the reactor height was the predominant section for MCB biodegradation and increasing the mineral medium recirculation rate was beneficial for the overall treatment. J Am Acad Psychiatry Law, 2003, 31(4), 486 - 93 Psychosocial and biological treatment considerations for the paraphilic and nonparaphilic sex offender; Saleh FM et al.; There is a growing consensus among clinicians that sex offenders represent a heterogeneous group of individuals . Assessment and treatment of sex offenders is complicated by phenomenological and etiological differences and the presence of psychopathology, including paraphilias . The authors discusses the most commonly employed psychosocial therapies for sex offenders in general . Pharmacologically based treatments for paraphilic sex offenders are also reviewed. Water Res, 2004 Feb, 38(3), 740 - 8 Artificial groundwater treatment: biofilm activity and organic carbon removal performance; Langmark J et al.; The artificial recharge of sand aquifers with raw source waters is a means both explored and utilised by many water utilities to meet the future potable water demands for increasing urban populations . The microbial ecology within these systems is however, poorly understood, as is the role that microbial biofilms play in the quality of finished water . Knowledge of the ability of biofilm bacteria to metabolise natural organic matter (NOM) is limited, particularly in respect to the degradation of normally recalcitrant hydrophilic and hydrophobic humic acid fractions by sessile and planktonic microbial consortia within sand aquifer systems . To simulate the artificial recharge of sand aquifers that were proposed for the Greater Stockholm Area, four separate 4 m deep sand columns were fed raw lake water and examined over a 45-week study period . The simulated aquifer system (hydraulic retention time 9-16 h) demonstrated the removal of total organic carbon (TOC) (10+/-5%), direct total counts (DTC) of bacteria (74+/-11%), heterotrophic plate count (HPC) bacteria (87+/-5%) and assimilable organic carbon (AOC) (87+/-5%), thereby fulfilling an important barrier function, except for the removal of TOC . Hydrophilic humic acid fractions were more readily metabolised by microbiota (HPC and EUB338-positive cells) harvested from the raw source water (SSM-W), whilst hydrophobic humic acid fractions promoted higher activity by microbiota harvested from the sand matrix (SSM-S) . The apparent low activity demonstrated by biofilm microbiota (approximately 40% and 25% of DTC were positive to EUB338 probing for sand matrix and slide biofilms, respectively) could be attributed to the highly recalcitrant nature of the organic loads, whilst at the same time explain the poor removal of TOC . Following nutrient activation (by the PAC assay) nonetheless, a 3-fold increase in the percentage of EUB-positive bacteria was observed on glass slides . Furthermore, the incubation of SSM-S with R2A increased probe-active cells from 57+/-8% to 75+/-7% of DTC and at the same time increased SSM-W from 38+/-8% to 50+/-10% . Whilst these results may imply a good potential for the biological treatment of water by shallow sand aquifers, further work should address the poor removal of TOC observed in this study. Acta Astronaut, 2004 Mar, 54(5), 357 - 61 Microbial utilisation of natural organic wastes; Ilyin VK et al.; The waste management strategy for the future should meet the benefits of humanity safety, respect principals of planet ecology, and compatibility with other habitability systems . For these purpose the waste management technologies, relevant to application of the biodegradation properties of bacteria are of great value . The biological treatment method is based upon the biodegradation of organic substances by various microorganisms . The advantage of the biodegradation waste management in general: it allows to diminish the volume of organic wastes, the biological hazard of the wastes is controlled, and this system may be compatible with the other systems . The objectives of our study were: to evaluate effectiveness of microbial biodegradation of non-pretreated substrate, to construct phneumoautomatic digester for organic wastes biodegradation, and to study microbial characteristics of active sludge samples used as inoculi in biodegradation experiment . The technology of vegetable wastes treatment was elaborated in IBMP and BMSTU . For this purpose the special unit was created where the degradation process is activated by enforced reinvention of portions of elaborated biogas into digester . This technology allows to save energy normally used for electromechanical agitation and to create optimal environment for anaerobic bacteria growth . The investigations were performed on waste simulator, which imitates physical and chemical content of food wastes calculated basing on the data on food wastes of moderate Russian city . The volume of created experimental sample of digester is 40 l . The basic system elements of device are digesters, gas receiver, remover of drops and valve monitoring and thermal control system . In our testing we used natural food wastes to measure basic parameters and time of biodegradation process . The diminution rate of organic gained 76% from initial mass taking part within 9 days of fermentation . The biogas production achieved 46 l per 1 kg of substrate . The microbial studies of biodegradation process revealed following peculiarities: (i) gradual quantitative increasing of Lactobacillus sp . (from 10(3) to 10(5) colony forming units (CFU) per ml), (ii) activation of Clostridia sp . (from 10(2) to 10(4)CFU/ml), (iii) elimination of aerobic conventional pathogens (Enterobacteriaceae sp., Protea sp., staphylococci) . The obtained results allow to evaluate effectiveness of proposed technology and to determine the leading role of lactobacilli and clostridia in process of natural wastes biodegradation . Our further investigations shall further be concentrated on creation of artificial inoculi for launching of food wastes biodegradation . These inoculi will include active and adapted strains of clostridia and lactobacilli . c2003 Elsevier Ltd . All rights reserved. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther, 2003 Dec, 3(6), 863 - 77 Diagnosis and treatment of carcinoid tumors; Oberg K; Carcinoid tumors belong to the family of neuroendocrine tumors, which are usually slow growing with distinct biological and clinical characteristics . The incidence of these tumors is approximately 2.5 in 100,000 people per year . The former classification system of foregut, midgut and hindgut tumors is still used in clinical routine, although there is a new World Health Organization classification . Determination of the histopathology of carcinoid tumors is of utmost importance and involves specific immunohistochemical staining for chromogranin A, synaptophysin, serotonin and gastrin . Proliferation capacity measured by Ki67 is used to guide forthcoming medical treatment . Localization procedures include computerized tomography, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, somatostatin receptor scintigraphy and positron emission tomography . Surgery remains the cornerstone of treatment and provides the only chance of a cure . Other cytoreductive procedures include radiofrequency ablation, laser treatment and chemoembolization . Biological treatment includes cytotoxic agents, such as somatostatin analogs and interferon-alpha, which should be applied in slow-growing neoplasms . Combination regimens including cisplatin, etoposide, streptozotocin and 5-fluorouracil should be reserved for treatment of highly proliferating tumors . Future therapy of carcinoid tumors will be based on the specific tumor biology and treatment will be customized for each individual patient . New therapies, such as antiangiogenic agents and new, long-acting somatostatin analogs, together with further development of tumor-targeted treatments, will come into clinical use in the near future. J Neurooncol, 2003 Dec, 65(3), 291 - 305 Imaging in gene therapy of patients with glioma; Jacobs AH et al.; Over 10 years ago, the first successful gene therapy paradigms for experimental brain tumors models have been conducted, and they were thought to revolutionize the treatment of patients with gliomas . Application of gene therapy has been quickly forced into clinical trials, the first patients being enrolled in 1994, with overall results being disappointing . However, single patients seemed to benefit from gene therapy showing long-term treatment response, and most of these patients bearing small glioblastomas . Whereas the gene therapy itself has been performed with high sophistication, limited attention has been paid on technologies, which (i) allow an identification of viable target tissue in heterogenous glioma tissue and which (ii) enable an assessment of successful vector administration and vector-mediated gene expression in vivo . However, these measures are a prerequisite for the development of successful gene therapy in the clinical application . As biological treatment strategies such as gene and cell-based therapies hold promise to selectively correct disease pathogenesis, successful clinical implementation of these treatment strategies rely on the establishment of molecular imaging technology allowing the non-invasive assessment of endogenous and exogenous gene expression in vivo . Imaging endogenous gene expression will allow the characterization and identification of target tissue for gene therapy . Imaging exogenously introduced cells and genes will allow the determination of the 'tissue dose' of transduced cell function and vector-mediated gene expression, which in turn can be correlated to the induced therapeutic effect . Only these combined strategies of non-invasive imaging of gene expression in vivo will enable the establishment of safe and efficient vector administration and gene therapy protocols for clinical application . Here, we review some aspects of imaging in gene therapy trials for glioblastoma, and we present a 'proof-of-principle' 2nd-generation gene therapy protocol integrating molecular imaging technology for the establishment of efficient gene therapy in clinical application. J Environ Sci Health A Tox Hazard Subst Environ Eng, 2003, 38(12), 2727 - 47 Photolysis and biodegradation of selected resin acids in River Saale water, Germany; McMartin DW et al.; The River Saale is the Elbe's major tributary flowing through the state of Thuringia, Germany and receives organics inputs from several industrial facilities including pulp and paper mills . Resin acids constitute a major class of polar organics and environmental toxins derived primarily from pulp and paper processing of softwoods . Since wastewater treatment methods at pulp and paper mills are not always capable of removing the persistent resin acids prior to effluent discharge, alternative or complementary degradation methods may be required . Here, the facile photodegradation of four resin acids--abietic, dehydroabietic, isopimaric, and pimaric--was observed with pseudo-first-order kinetics when exposed to broad band and UV254-radiation . Further experimentation in rotating annular biofilm reactors with UV-exposed and unexposed River Saale water spiked with abietic and dehydroabietic acids indicated that photolysis is an effective pretreatment method for resin acid biodegradation . The bacterial toxicity of the aqueous resin acids solutions as measured with Microtox luminescence assays decreased with exposure time . Consequently, photo- and biodegradation of the resin acids did not generate any notable amounts of toxic intermediates and/or the intermediates formed were further degraded into compounds of lower toxicity than the parents . With tandem photo- and biological treatment at pulp and paper mills, as well as in-situ degradation by solar radiation and natural biofilms within the River Saale, resin acid inputs can be reduced in both concentration and toxicity to near undetectable levels with little or no ecological significance. Chemosphere, 2004 Feb, 54(7), 1005 - 10 Fenton's pre-treatment of mature landfill leachate; Lopez A et al.; The aim of this study was to check the effectiveness of the Fenton's reagent (Fe2+ + H2O2 + H+) for the pre-treatment of a municipal landfill leachate with the objective of improving its overall biodegradability, evaluated in terms of BOD5/COD ratio, up to a value compatible with biological treatment . The leachate came from a municipal sanitary landfill located in southern Italy and the average values of its main parameters were: pH=8.2; COD=10,540 mgl(-1); BOD5=2,300 mgl(-1); TOC=3,900 mgl(-1); NH4-N=5210 mgl(-1); conductivity=45,350 microScm(-1); alkalinity=21,470 mgl(-1) CaCO3 . The effect of initial pH value on the pre-treatment effectiveness was evaluated by titrating the amount of acidic by-products formed . The extent of leachate oxidation was monitored and controlled by both pH and redox potential measurements . The best operational conditions for achieving the desired goal (i.e., BOD5/COD> or =0.5) resulted: Fe2+=275 mgl(-1); H2O2=3,300 mgl(-1); initial pH=3; reaction time=2 h . At the end of the Fenton's pre-treatment, in order to permit a subsequent biological treatment, residual ferric ions were removed increasing the pH up to 8.5 by adding 3 gl(-1) of Ca(OH)2 and 3 mgl(-1) of a cationic polyelectrolyte, the latter as an aid to coagulation . This final step also resulted in a further modest removal of residual COD due to co-precipitation phenomena. Chemosphere, 2004 Feb, 54(7), 997 - 1003 Treatment of landfill leachate by ozone-based advanced oxidation processes; Wu JJ et al.; In this study, laboratory experiments are conducted to compare the efficacy using several ozone-based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), such as O3, O3/H2O2, and O3/UV, to treat landfill leachate . Raw leachate was initially coagulated by ferric chloride (FeCl3) at the experimental-determined optimal dosage of 900 mgl(-1), and the ozone-based AOPs were subsequently applied . Results indicate that all AOPs would result in a significant increase on the ratio of BOD5/COD from 0.06 to 0.5 at the applied ozone dosage of 1.2 gl(-1) . The increase on biodegradability for ozonated leachate indicates that these AOPs would be beneficial to the subsequent biological treatment process . To better explain the alteration of high organic molecules after oxidation, ultrafiltration was used to separate the leachate by several molecular weight cutoffs (MWCO) . The COD distribution for coagulated leachate is 34% for MWCO>10 kDa, 7% for MWCO between 5 and 10 kDa, 22% for MWCO between 1 and 5 kDa, and 37% for MWCO<1 kDa . Following ozonation or AOPs, the predominant distribution of COD would be obviously shifted to the MWCO less than 1000 gmol(-1) (72-85%) over the other MWCO ranges . In addition, Gel Permeation Chromatograph (GPC) analysis has showed a substantial agreement on the cleavage of larger organic compounds into smaller ones . O3/UV was found to be the most effective approach among these ozone-based AOPs to enhancing the biodegradability and eliminating the color of leachate. Sichuan Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban, 2003 Oct, 34(4), 625 - 7, 693 {An experimental research in the inhibiting effect of bFGF-MAb on the growth of ovarian cancer cells and transplanted tumor}; Lin W et al.; OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the monoclonal antibody of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF-MAb) inhibits the proliferation, invasion and angiogenesis of ovarian cancer . METHODS: 1 . Human ovarian cancer cells SKOV3 were planted in 24-well dishes, to which was added bFGF-MAb at different concentrations, and crystal violet staining was performed daily for 8 days, then cell numbers were counted by OD490 determination . 2 . SKOV3 were transplanted intraperitoneally to BALB/c nude mice . One week later, bFGF-MAb was injected intraperitoneally twice a week, and the survival time of nude mice, the number and weight of the metastatic tumors on the mensentery were observed or measured . 3 . Intratumoral microvessel density(MVD) was measured by immunohistochemical staining for CD31 . RESULTS: 1 . bFGF-MAb inhibited the proliferation of SKOV3 in the concentration-dependent manner (P < 0.05) . 2 . The average survival time of nude mice in bFGF-MAb group increased by 10 days over that of control . 3 . The average number and weight of metastatic tumors on mensentery in bFGF-MAb group constituted 70.6% and 69.2% of those in control group, respectively . 4 . The MVD in bFGF-MAb group accounted for 62.8% of the MVD in control group . CONCLUSION: bFGF-MAb can inhibit the proliferation and angiogenesis of ovarian cancer markedly, so it promises to have application in the biological treatment of ovarian cancer. Biotechnol Bioeng, 2003 Dec 5, 84(5), 552 - 63 Bioscrubbing of waste gas-substrate absorber to avoid instability induced by inhibition kinetics; Oliveira TA et al.; The stability of a continuous stirred tank bioreactor treating a gas stream containing monochlorobenzene (MCB) was studied theoretically and experimentally . A bioreactor inoculated with Pseudomonas sp . strain JS150 was submitted to successive step disturbances in the MCB load, inducing washout and system instability . With time, and subject to high MCB concentrations in the biomedium, the microorganisms appeared to adapt to high MCB load, and needed increasingly severe shocks to induce washout . To improve the bioreactor stability, the influence of an MCB-absorber prior to the bioreactor was investigated, using silicone oil as the absorbent for MCB . A parallel was established with the first set of experiments (no absorber) . Phase plane plots showed how the presence of the absorber changed the system trajectories from washout into stable pseudo-steady states . Experimental results confirmed the benefits of the absorber in avoiding washout under high MCB loads . At periods of low loading, MCB was desorbed from the absorber . For the same loading conditions, removal efficiencies were much higher than when no absorber was present . Elimination capacities observed in the bioreactor were much higher than those previously reported for biotrickling filters treating MCB containing gas streams: 300 to 450 g m(-3) h(-1) . Gas inlet concentrations were in the range 12 to 65 g m(-3), well above the 5 g m(-3) upper limit usually suggested for biological treatment of waste gases, showing that highly concentrated gas streams may be biologically treated so long as inhibitory concentrations are not reached in the bioreactor . Biotechnol Adv, 1989, 7(4), 499 - 526 Resource and energy recovery options for fermentation industry residuals; Chiesa SC et al.; Over the last 40 years, the fermentation industry has provided facility planners, plant operators and environmental engineers with a wide range of residuals management challenges and resource/energy recovery opportunities . In response, the industry has helped pioneer the use of a number of innovative resource and energy recovery technologies . Production of animal feed supplements, composts, fertilizers, soil amendments, commercial baking additives and microbial protein materials have all been detailed in the literature . In many such cases, recovery of by-products significantly reduces the need for treatment and disposal facilities . Stable, reliable anaerobic biological treatment processes have also been developed to recovery significant amounts of energy in the form of methane gas . Alternatively, dewatered or condensed organic fermentation industry residuals have been used as fuels for incineration-based energy recovery systems . The sale or use of recovered by-products and/or energy can be used to offset required processing costs and provide a technically and environmentally viable alternative to traditional treatment and disposal strategies . This review examines resource recovery options currently used or proposed for fermentation industry residuals and the conditions necessary for their successful application. Biotechnol Adv, 1991, 9(4), 613 - 22 Microbial agents for decolorization of dye wastewater; Mou DG et al.; Colored dye wastewater presents a formidable task for biological treatment . Depending on how it is generated, wide pH spans and high salt concentrations such as chloride ion often add to the difficulties . Systematic screening for dye decolorizing and/or degrading bioagents from soil and water samples discovered fungi which show dramatic color removal capability (Shen, et al., 1990) . One example shows that up to 99% reduction of light absorption at characteristic wavelength of a red dye (200 mg/L) could be obtained within 48 hours . This ability does not appear to be specific toward dyes targeted for action . It clarifies, often beyond detection by naked eyes, a repertoire of colored wastewater samples . These results appeared to be insensitive to wide variations in pH and salt concentration and, they are not limited to one particular fungal species or genus either upon further investigation . This dye adsorption mechanism may be of great significance in uncovering new methods for bio-removal or bio-recovery of dye substances in wastewater. J Environ Sci Health A Tox Hazard Subst Environ Eng, 2003, 38(10), 2201 - 8 Combined physical-chemical and biological treatment of poorly biodegradable industrial effluents; Gonzalez P et al.; Effluents from small and medium sized chemical plants may contain significant amounts of poorly biodegradable aromatic compounds, which could negatively affect water quality and public health . This is a key environmental issue, particularly in areas where effluents are discharged into drinking water sources . Unfortunately, conventional biological treatment may not be able to meet discharge standards, and combined systems should be implemented . In this context, this paper presents experimental results on the application of a combined sequential ozonation-activated carbon-biological system to treat effluents containing chlorinated aromatic contaminants from chlorine based pulp bleaching . The experimental system consisted of an ozone bubble column reactor (0.3 dm3), an activated carbon fixed bed reactor (0.2 dm3), and an aerobic bioreactor (20 dm3) . Ozone was produced from pure O2 using a generator rated at 2 mmol O3 h(-1) . The bleaching effluent was pretreated and fed into the aerated sequencing batch bioreactor containing preconditioned biological sludge (3-4 g VSS dm(-3)), and cultured for 24 h . Samples of raw and treated effluents were assayed for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total organic carbon (TOC), total phenols, and adsorbable organic halogens (AOX), using standard techniques . The presence of potential genotoxic activity in untreated and treated samples was assessed using the Ames tests . Results show that biological treatment of raw samples could not remove mutagenic activity on its own . On the other hand, ozonation followed by activated carbon treatment and biological treatment successfully removed genotoxicity in all cases . Reductions in BOD, COD, TOC, AOX, and phenols by biological treatment increased when samples were pretreated with ozone/activated carbon. Ann Neurol, 2003 Oct, 54(4), 479 - 87 Imaging-guided convection-enhanced delivery and gene therapy of glioblastoma; Voges J et al.; In a prospective phase I/II clinical study, we treated eight patients suffering from recurrent glioblastoma multiform with stereotactically guided intratumoral convection-enhanced delivery of an HSV-1-tk gene-bearing liposomal vector and systemic ganciclovir . Noninvasive identification of target tissue together with assessment of vector-distribution volume and the effects of gene therapy were achieved using magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography . The treatment was tolerated well without major side effects . In two of eight patients, we observed a greater than 50% reduction of tumor volume and in six of eight patients focal treatment effects . Intracerebral infusion of contrast medium before vector application displayed substantial inhomogeneity of tissue staining indicating the need of test infusions to monitor the mechanical distribution of vectors . Visualization of therapeutic effects on tumor metabolism and documentation of gene expression using positron emission tomography indicated that molecular imaging technology appears to be essential for the further development of biological treatment strategies. Water Res, 2003 Jul, 37(13), 3164 - 71 Contribution of the ozonation pre-treatment to the biodegradation of aqueous solutions of 2,4-dichlorophenol; Contreras S et al.; The effect of ozonation on the biodegradability of 100-ppm aqueous solutions of 2,4-dichlorophenol has been investigated . BOD at 5, 10 and 21 days, BOD/COD and BOD/TOC ratios and the average oxidation state are presented . Biodegradability measured as BOD5/COD ratio was increased from 0 of the original solution to 0.25 at the moment of removing all the initial compound (corresponding to an ozone dose of 0.12 g L-1, 0.48 for BOD21/COD ratio) . To test the effect of this pre-treatment, the biological oxidation of these pre-ozonated solutions was performed in two semi-continuous stirred tank reactors, one with non-acclimated sludge and one with acclimated-to-phenol sludge . The study showed that the TOC content of the pre-treated solution could be removed up to 68% by an aerobic biological treatment as well as co-digested with municipal wastewater (TOC removal up to 82%), with similar operating retention times to a municipal wastewater plant (12-24 h) . Kinetic studies based on Monod model have also been carried out . Pseudo-first-order kinetic constants were found to be in the range of 0.5-0.8 L g TVSS-1 h-1. Biotechnol Adv, 2003 Sep, 21(6), 501 - 11 Destruction of cyanide in gold mill effluents: biological versus chemical treatments; Akcil A; In gold mining, cyanide has been the preferred lixiviant worldwide since 1887 . Although cyanide can be destroyed and recovered by several processes, it is still widely discussed and examined due to its potential toxicity and environmental impact . Biological treatment of cyanide is a well-established process and has been commercially used at gold mining operations in North America . Biological treatment processes facilitate growth of microorganisms that are essential for the treatment . The present review describes the advances in the use of biological treatment for the destruction of cyanide in gold mill effluents. Chemosphere, 2003 Nov, 53(7), 737 - 44 Coagulation-flocculation pretreatment of sanitary landfill leachates; Tatsi AA et al.; Sanitary landfill leachates are considered as heavily polluted industrial wastewaters, presenting significant time and spatial variations of their physical-chemical parameters . Special care is required for their efficient treatment and disposal . The main aim of this work was to examine the application of coagulation-flocculation for the treatment of raw and partially stabilized leachates . Jar-test experiments were employed in order to determine the optimum conditions for the removal of organic matter and color, i.e . coagulant-flocculant combination, effective dosage and pH control . Ferric chloride, aluminium sulphate and lime were tested as conventional coagulants, whereas four commercial polyelectrolytes were co-examined: one anionic, two cationic and a non-ionic polymer . High chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal capacities (about 80%) were obtained during the addition of ferric chloride to the partially stabilized leachates, whereas low COD reductions (i.e . lower than 35%) were measured during the addition of coagulants in the raw samples . The addition of polyelectrolytes and pH adjustment in the alkaline region were found to affect slightly the removal of pollutants . The physico-chemical process may be used as a useful pretreatment step, especially for fresh leachates, prior to biological treatment, or as a post-treatment (polishing) step for partially stabilized leachates. J Affect Disord, 2003 Sep, 76(1-3), 31 - 7 Inpatient treatment of mood disorders in the era of de-institutionalisation, depression awareness campaigns and development of new antidepressants; Kaltiala-Heino R et al.; OBJECTIVE: To analyse changes in inpatient treatment for mood disorders during the period of de-institutionalisation, de-centralisation of service planning, economic recession, attempts to increase depression awareness and increasing biological treatment possibilities . A special interest is paid to whether de-institutionalisation at specialist level psychiatric care results in transfer of inpatient care into non-specialised institutions . METHOD: A register study of all inpatient treatment due to psychiatric disorders from four health care districts in Northern Finland, with a population of more than 600,000 . Treatment undertaken by psychiatric hospitals and wards, primary care wards and medical and surgical wards in general hospitals are distinguished . RESULTS: Inpatient treatment for mood disorders increased vastly in all kinds of health care institutions . The increase was due to growing inpatient treatment of depression . LIMITATIONS: The National Discharge Register does not include treatment episodes in private nursing homes or details about the contents of the treatment . CONCLUSION: Even during explicit active de-institutionalisation, other policies may have a greater impact on hospital use, resulting in unexpected changes in patient populations and service utilisation . In Finland, de-institutionalisation failed concerning mood disorders . The depression awareness policies during the 1990s increased inpatient use of depression across institutions. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2003, 10(4), 221 - 4 Degradation of para-hydroxybenzoic acid by means of mixed microbial cultures; Lallai A et al.; Olive mill wastewater contains some phenolic compounds that cause antibacterial activity of a kind that prevents biological treatment without previous dilution . Among these phenolic compounds, p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHB) is considered to be one of the most representative . This work examines the biodegradation of PHB by aerobic microbial mixed cultures previously acclimatized to glucose, which was used as an easily biodegradable model compound . Microbial growth runs were carried out in a batch reactor in the PHB concentration range of 200-1000 mg/L . In all the runs the PHB proved to be completely degradable . The specific growth rates obtained were in the range of 0.16-0.35 l/h . Experimental runs showed that the functional relationship between the specific growth rate and PHB concentration was that proposed by Monod . The kinetic constants of the Monod equation (mu(max) and K(S)) and biomass yield coefficient (Y) were determined experimentally . With the parameter values thus obtained, a mathematical model that also takes account of the duration of the lag phase was employed to describe both the microbial growth and the consumption of PHB . The concentration values of the model fit well with the data obtained experimentally. Water Sci Technol, 2003, 47(12), 215 - 22 Accelerated landfill waste decomposition by external leachate recirculation from an old landfill cell; Suna Erses A et al.; This research is focused on the management of moisture regime for a young landfill site in terms of leachate recirculation which entails the containment, collection and reinjection of leachate back into the landfill to promote in situ anaerobic biological treatment . Moreover, an innovative leachate management strategy was developed by using leachate recirculation from a mature landfill site into a young landfill site to provide accelerated waste stabilization . For this purpose, two reactors simulating young and old landfills were used in the laboratory . These reactors were loaded with shredded and compacted municipal solid waste with a typical composition determined for Istanbul Region . Both reactors were operated in a constant temperature room at 32 degrees C to enhance the growth of anaerobic microorganisms . Moreover, water was added to the reactors in order to simulate the annual rainfall . The reactor having the properties of old landfills was used as a control reactor . The reactor which represented the characteristics of young landfill was operated under four operational stages to enhance the activity of methanogenic population and accelerate waste stabilization . Results of this study indicated that the utilization of leachate recirculation enhanced waste stabilization in the young landfill by increasing the uniformity, and providing additional substrate and nutrients . Additions of buffer solutions of KOH and Na2CO3 together with leachate recirculation enhanced further waste stabilization and prevented possible acid inhibition . The utilization of external leachate recycled from the old landfill having desired acclimated anaerobic microorganisms, low organic content and higher buffer capacity into a young landfill could be a promising leachate management strategy for faster and controlled waste stabilization. Mol Imaging, 2002 Oct, 1(4), 309 - 35 Molecular imaging of gliomas; Jacobs AH et al.; Gliomas are the most common types of brain tumors . Although sophisticated regimens of conventional therapies are being carried out to treat patients with gliomas, the disease invariably leads to death over months or years . Before new and potentially more effective treatment strategies, such as gene- and cell-based therapies, can be effectively implemented in the clinical application, certain prerequisites have to be established . First of all, the exact localization, extent, and metabolic activity of the glioma must be determined to identify the biologically active target tissue for a biological treatment regimen; this is usually performed by imaging the expression of up-regulated endogenous genes coding for glucose or amino acid transporters and cellular hexokinase and thymidine kinase genes, respectively . Second, neuronal function and functional changes within the surrounding brain tissue have to be assessed in order to save this tissue from therapy-induced damage . Third, pathognomonic genetic changes leading to disease have to be explored on the molecular level to serve as specific targets for patient-tailored therapies . Last, a concerted noninvasive analysis of both endogenous and exogenous gene expression in animal models as well as the clinical setting is desirable to effectively translate new treatment strategies from experimental into clinical application . All of these issues can be addressed by multi-modal radionuclide and magnetic resonance imaging techniques and fall into the exciting and fast growing field of molecular and functional imaging . Noninvasive imaging of endogenous gene expression by means of positron emission tomography (PET) may reveal insight into the molecular basis of pathogenesis and metabolic activity of the glioma and the extent of treatment response . When exogenous genes are introduced to serve for a therapeutic function, PET imaging may reveal the assessment of the "location," "magnitude," and "duration" of therapeutic gene expression and its relation to the therapeutic effect . Detailed reviews on molecular imaging have been published from the perspective of radionuclide imaging (Gambhir et al., 2000; Blasberg and Tjuvajev, 2002) as well as magnetic resonance and optical imaging (Weissleder, 2002) . The present review focuses on molecular imaging of gliomas with special reference on the status and perspectives of imaging of endogenous and exogenously introduced gene expression in order to develop improved diagnostics and more effective treatment strategies of gliomas and, in that, to eventually improve the grim prognosis of this devastating disease. Zhongguo Yi Xue Ke Xue Yuan Xue Bao, 2003 Feb, 25(1), 88 - 92 {The study of biological properties of gliomas}; Li G et al.; In order to explore the new methods of biological treatment of human gliomas, this project is to study the biological properties of gliomas from four different aspects, the results show that there is a IL-6 autocrine loop in human gliomas and the growth of gliomas will be inhibited when the autocrine loop is broken . There is a magnificent predominant expression of Th2 cytokines in human gliomas and human glioma cells, the switching of Th2 to Th1 can inhibit the proliferation of glioma cells . The dosage of 100 micrograms/ml of erythromycin is the best of therapeutic effect . Angiostatin can not only inhibit the vascular endothelial growth, but also have the inhibitory role on the growth of glioma cells in vivo . The above studies have provided some new ideas and will be very helpful for the treatment of glioma patients. Chemosphere, 2003 Oct, 53(1), 79 - 86 Ozonisation coupled with biological degradation for treatment of phenolic pollutants: a mechanistically based study; Amat AM et al.; Phenolic acids constitute an important group of pollutants which are reluctant to biological treatment . Solutions containing a mixture of cinnamic acid, p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid and ferulic acid were submitted to ozonisation . Then, the changes in biodegradability along the process were studied by means of respirometry . There is an optimum ozone dosage in the interval 3-5 min of treatment which allows to achieve the maximum increase in biodegradability (more than 10 times) and a high efficiency of the ozonisation process (COD decreases to a half of its initial value) . Further ozonisation does not help to increase biodegradability and is clearly disadvantageous . Similar results are obtained with actual samples of olive oil wastewaters . This behaviour is explained based on the formation of highly biodegradable benzaldehydes as key ozonisation intermediates, in the early reaction stages. Biotechnol Lett, 2003 May, 25(9), 695 - 9 Powdered activated carbon added biological treatment of pre-treated landfill leachate in a fed-batch reactor; Kargi F et al.; Biological treatment of landfill leachate usually results in low treatment efficiencies because of high chemical oxygen demand (COD), high ammonium-N content and also presence of toxic compounds such as heavy metals . A landfill leachate with high COD content was pre-treated by coagulation-flocculation followed by air stripping of ammonia at pH = 12 . Pre-treated leachate was biologically treated in an aeration tank operated in fed-batch mode with and without addition of powdered activated carbon (PAC) . PAC at 2 g l-1 improved COD and ammonium-N removals resulting in nearly 86% COD and 26% NH4-N removal. Expert Opin Biol Ther, 2003 Aug, 3(5), 725 - 31 Interleukin-10-based therapy for inflammatory bowel disease; Braat H et al.; In recent years it has become clear that chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), especially Crohn's disease (CD), is caused by a loss of tolerance against the autologous bacterial flora of the intestine . Tolerance against the indigenous flora requires optimal recognition of antigens by pattern recognition receptors and the presence of important regulatory cells and cytokines . Interleukin-10 (IL-10) has a major role in the regulatory network of cytokines controlling mucosal tolerance, and it is, therefore, not surprising that this cytokine is proposed as a potent anti-inflammatory biological therapy in chronic IBD . This review will discuss the characteristics of IL-10, its immunoregulatory properties in mice and humans, and the use of IL-10 as a treatment for CD . The review will summarise the clinical studies that have taken place and discuss the lessons learned from these trials . Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of promising new strategies of IL-10 treatment, including gene therapy and the use of genetically modified bacteria, will be discussed . Both novel therapies have been shown to be successful in animal models of disease, and clinical testing is currently underway . The future goal of IL-10 treatment should be focused on mucosal delivery and remission maintenance instead of remission induction . In conclusion, it can be said that despite the disappointing results of IL-10 therapy so far, there is still enough rationale for the use of IL-10 as an anti-inflammatory biological treatment in chronic IBD. Water Res, 2003 Sep, 37(15), 3590 - 601 Effects of temperature transient conditions on aerobic biological treatment of wastewater; Morgan-Sagastume F et al.; The effects of temperature variations on aerobic biological wastewater treatment were evaluated with respect to treatment efficiency, solids discharges, sludge physicochemical properties and microbiology . The effects of controlled temperature shifts (from 35 degrees to 45 degrees C; from 45 degrees to 35 degrees C) and periodic temperature oscillations (from 31.5 degrees C to 40 degrees C, 6-day period, for 30 days) were assessed in 4 parallel, lab-scale sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) that treated pulp and paper mill effluent . Overall, the temperature shifts caused higher effluent suspended solids (ESS) levels (25-100 mg/L) and a decrease (up to 20%) in the removal efficiencies of soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) . Lower ESS levels were triggered by a slow (2 degrees C/day) versus a fast (10 degrees C/12h) temperature shift from 35 degrees to 45 degrees C, but the SCOD removal efficiencies decreased similarly in both cases (from 66+/-3% and 65+/-2% to 49+/-3% and 51+/-3%) . Temperature oscillations caused an increased deterioration of the sludge settleability {high sludge volume indices (SVI); low zone settling velocities (ZSV)}, high ESS levels and lower SCOD removals . The temperature transients were associated with poor sludge settleability (SVI>100 mL/g MLSS, ZSV<1 cm/min), more negatively charged sludge (up to -0.35+/-0.03 meq/g MLSS), increased filament abundance (approximately 4 to 4.5, subjective scale equivalent to very common), and decreased concentrations of protozoa and metazoa (25,000-50,000 microorganisms/mL sludge) . The controlled, periodic temperature oscillations had a slight impact on SCOD removal efficiency (5% decrease), and did not seem to select for robust microorganisms that withstood the temperature shift . Sludge deflocculation and filament proliferation caused by these temperature transients may explain the higher ESS levels. Anticancer Res, 2003 Mar-Apr, 23(2A), 1159 - 61 Soluble markers for the detection of hypoxia under antiangiogenic treatment; Drevs J; Antiangiogenic therapy is a promising new strategy to inhibit tumor growth and formation of metastases . VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) is known to be the most important proangiogenic factor, necessary for the development of new tumor vessels . Specific inhibitors of the VEGF receptor tyrosine kinases, like PTK787/ZK222584 (PTK/ZK), have shown antitumoral and antiangiogenic activity in several animal models . Ongoing early clinical trials with antiangiogenic compounds reveal the need for diagnostic methods to detect their biological activity . Pro-angiogenic growth factors like VEGF and bFGF (basic fibroblast growth factor), soluble variants of proangiogenic receptors like sFLT-1 and sTIE-2, as well as endothelial activation markers like sE-Selectin, can be measured in the serum and plasma of patients by the ELISA technique . They were detected in various malignant diseases to assess their use as surrogate markers in tumor angiogenesis . In different clinical Phase I trials with antiangiogenic compounds, these soluble markers were used to detect dose levels for biological activity . Soluble markers of tumor angiogenesis can be used as prognostic markers in various malignancies like colon cancer or multiple myeloma . Furthermore, they correlated with disease activity, prognosis and imaging techniques for the detection of vascular changes . In clinical Phase I trials with specific inhibitors of the VEGF receptor tyrosine kinases, VEGF serum levels increased in patients treated with higher doses, indicating increasing tumor hypoxia . Taking results from imaging techniques such as dynamic enhanced MRI into account, optimal doses for biological activity could be concluded . New biological treatment techniques will need new diagnostic methods to assess their specific biological activity in patients . Soluble markers and imaging techniques are useful tools for the detection of hypoxia under antiangiogenic treatment . Nevertheless, these techniques are still experimental . Therefore, further clinical evaluation is necessary. Recent Prog Horm Res, 2003, 58, 1 - 24 A functional proteomics approach to signal transduction; Graves PR et al.; The purpose of this review is to highlight how proteomics techniques can be used to answer specific questions related to signal transduction in a wide variety of systems . In our laboratory, we utilize proteomic technologies to elucidate signal transduction pathways involved in smooth muscle contraction and relaxation, cell growth and tumorigenesis, and the pathogenesis of malaria . We see the real application of this technology as a tool to enhance the power of existing approaches such as classical yeast and mouse genetics, tissue culture, protein expression systems, and site-directed mutagenesis . Our basic approach is to examine only those proteins that differ by some variable from the control sample . In this way, the number of proteins to be processed by electrophoresis, Edman degradation, or mass spectrometry is greatly reduced . In addition, since only those proteins that change in response to a given biological treatment are analyzed, the experimental outcome provides information about specific signaling pathways . Examples of typical experiments in our laboratory are measurement of changes in protein phosphorylation in response to treatment of cells with growth factors or specific drugs, characterization of proteins associated with a bait protein in a "pull-down" experiment, or measurement of changes in protein expression . Frequently, in these experiments, it is necessary to define complex protein mixtures . To achieve this goal, we utilize a variety of techniques to isolate specific types of proteins or "subproteomes" for further analysis . In this review, we discuss strategies used in our laboratory for studying signaling pathways, including subproteome isolation, proteome mining, and analysis of the phosphoproteome. Ann N Y Acad Sci, 2003 Mar, 984, 29 - 38 Membrane contactors for textile wastewater ozonation; Ciardelli G et al.; This paper deals with the application of a membrane contactor for the ozone treatment of textile wastewater . Ceramic (alpha-Al(2)O(3)) membranes were chosen because of their ozone resistance . A thin metal oxide (TiO(2) and gamma-Al(2)O(3)) layer was deposited on the membrane surface to eliminate large defects . Membranes were characterized by bubble pressure and gas permeability tests . Mass transfer coefficients were calculated by using the double-film theory . Decolorization kinetics were studied with model dye solutions . Decolorization experiments with a real exhausted dyebath (untreated and after biological treatment) were also carried out . The potential advantages of membrane contactors for the treatment of these types of effluents are demonstrated. Chemosphere, 2003 Aug, 52(6), 989 - 95 Removal of ammonia solutions used in catalytic wet oxidation processes; Hung CM et al.; Ammonia (NH(3)) is an important product used in the chemical industry, and is common place in industrial wastewater . Industrial wastewater containing ammonia is generally either toxic or has concentrations or temperatures such that direct biological treatment is unfeasible . This investigation used aqueous solutions containing more of ammonia for catalytic liquid-phase oxidation in a trickle-bed reactor (TBR) based on Cu/La/Ce composite catalysts, prepared by co-precipitation of Cu(NO(3))(2), La(NO(3))(2), and Ce(NO(3))(3) at 7:2:1 molar concentrations . The experimental results indicated that the ammonia conversion of the wet oxidation in the presence of the Cu/La/Ce composite catalysts was determined by the Cu/La/Ce catalyst . Minimal ammonia was removed from the solution by the wet oxidation in the absence of any catalyst, while approximately 91% ammonia removal was achieved by wet oxidation over the Cu/La/Ce catalyst at 230 degrees C with oxygen partial pressure of 2.0 MPa . Furthermore, the effluent streams were conducted at a liquid hourly space velocity of under 9 h(-1) in the wet catalytic processes, and a reaction pathway was found linking the oxidizing ammonia to nitric oxide, nitrogen and water . The solution contained by-products, including nitrates and nitrites . Nitrite selectivity was minimized and ammonia removal maximized when the feed ammonia solution had a pH of around 12.0. Toxicol In Vitro, 2003 Jun, 17(3), 357 - 66 Morphological and physiological changes in Tetrahymena pyriformis for the in vitro cytotoxicity assessment of Triton X-100; Dias N et al.; Non-ionic surfactants such as Triton X-100 have been widely used in industrial processing and in cleaning products for almost 50 years, being effective and economic emulsifying, wetting agents, dispersants and solubilizers . Cleaning products containing these surfactants are disposed of mainly by discharge into wastewater, which receives biological treatment in wastewater treatment systems . However, surface-active agents interact with eukaryotic cell membranes leading to biological damage at high concentrations . Tetrahymena pyriformis was used here as model organism to assess the effects of Triton X-100 through a series of in vitro cytotoxicity tests . Growth rates and morphological changes were, by their simplicity and reproducibility, the simplest toxicological assays . Cytoskeleton analysis seemed to be related with phagocytosis rate . Viability was evaluated by two different tests . Calcein AM/EthD-1 was used to assess T . pyriformis membrane damage during the 48-h experiment . The colorimetric MTT assay proved to be highly sensitive even at very short periods of Triton X-100 exposure . Tests performed in this study included simple and fast bioassays that provide overall information on the morphological and physiological state of cells exposed to different non-lytic and lytic concentrations of Triton X-100. Environ Sci Technol, 2003 May 1, 37(9), 1978 - 82 Sulfur dioxide treatment from flue gases using a biotrickling filter-bioreactor system; Philip L et al.; Complete treatment of sulfur dioxide (SO2) from flue gases in a two-stage process consisting of a biotrickling filter followed by biological post-treatment unit was investigated . The biotrickling filter could remove 100% of influent SO2 from simulated flue gas at an empty bed residence time of 6 s for a concentration range of 300-1000 ppm(v) . All the absorbed SO2 was recovered in the biotrickling filter liquid effluent as sulfite (a product of chemical reaction of SO2) and sulfate (product of biological oxidation of sulfite) . The biotrickling filter liquid effluent was further processed biologically in a single post-treatment unit consisting of a combined anaerobic and microaerophilic reactor for the simultaneous reduction of sulfate and sulfite to sulfide and oxidation of sulfide to elemental sulfur . The post-treatment unit could effectively treat the biotrickling filter effluent and produce elemental sulfur . The sulfur production efficiency of the reactor reached about 80% of the SO2 treated . This new biological treatment system seems to be a promising alternative for flue gas desulfurization. Water Res, 2003 Jun, 37(11), 2748 - 56 Combined advanced oxidation and biodegradation of industrial effluents from the production of stilbene-based fluorescent whitening agents; Horsch P et al.; Three different industrial wastewaters from the production of stilbene-based fluorescent whitening agents were investigated with regard to the applicability of advanced oxidation processes combined with biodegradation . Oxidation processes included the application of ozone, hydrogen peroxide, UV-radiation and Fenton's reagent (Fe(2+)/H(2)O(2)) . Characterization of the combined chemical-biological treatment was done by sum parameters and HPLC analysis . In addition, toxicity was determined using the luminescence inhibition test . Results showed that processes producing OH-radicals without the need of UV-irradiation proved to be suited for the oxidation of all three wastewaters . H(2)O(2)/UV processes were ineffective due to the high inner filter effect of the effluents . Comparing the combined oxidative-biological process with biological treatment, the applied pre-oxidation steps did not always lead to a significant improvement of the biological degradation . In one case, an inverted treatment starting with biodegradation followed by oxidation turned out to be the preferable procedure . After oxidation with ozone or ozone combined with UV-irradiation, an increase in toxicity was partly observed indicating the formation of toxic intermediate products . In some cases samples had to be diluted before the biodegradation step to achieve a better biodegradability. Adv Biochem Eng Biotechnol, 2003, 82, 35 - 67 Anaerobic granular sludge and biofilm reactors; Skiadas IV et al.; The long retention time of the active biomass in the high-rate anaerobic digesters is the key factor for the successful application of the high rate anaerobic wastewater treatment . The long solids retention time is achieved due to the specific reactor configuration and it is enhanced by the immobilization of the biomass, which forms static biofilms, particle-supported biofilms, or granules depending on the reactor's operational conditions . The advantages of the high-rate anaerobic digestion over the conventional aerobic wastewater treatment methods has created a clear trend for the change of the role of the anaerobic digestion in the wastewater treatment plants from a pre-treatment method to the main biological treatment method . The application of staged high-rate anaerobic digesters has shown the larger potential among the recent developments in this direction . The most common high-rate anaerobic treatment systems based on anaerobic granular sludge and biofilm are described in this chapter . Emphasis is given to a) the Up-flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) systems, b) the main characteristics of the anaerobic granular sludge, and c) the factors that control the granulation process . Finally, the most innovative staged anaerobic digesters are also presented. Adv Biochem Eng Biotechnol, 2003, 82, 1 - 33 Applications of the anaerobic digestion process; Angelidaki I et al.; At the start of the new millennium waste management has become a political priority in many countries . One of the main problems today is to cope with an increasing amount of primary waste in an environmentally acceptable way . Biowastes, i.e., municipal, agricultural or industrial organic waste, as well as contaminated soils etc., have traditionally been deposited in landfills or even dumped into the sea or lakes without much environmental concern . In recent times, environmental standards of waste incineration and controlled land filling have gradually improved, and new methods of waste sorting and resource/energy recovery have been developed . Treatment of biowastes by anaerobic digestion processes is in many cases the optimal way to convert organic waste into useful products such as energy (in the form of biogas) and a fertilizer product . Other waste management options, such as land filling and incineration of organic waste has become less desirable, and legislation, both in Europe and elsewhere, tends to favor biological treatment as a way of recycling minerals and nutrients of organic wastes from society back to the food production and supply chain . Removing the relatively wet organic waste from the general waste streams also results in a better calorific value of the remainder for incineration, and a more stable fraction for land filling. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2003 May 27, 100(11), 6308 - 12 Epub 2003 May 09. Retrofitting existing chemical scrubbers to biotrickling filters for H2S emission control; Gabriel D et al.; Biological treatment is a promising alternative to conventional air-pollution control methods, but thus far biotreatment processes for odor control have always required much larger reactor volumes than chemical scrubbers . We converted an existing full-scale chemical scrubber to a biological trickling filter and showed that effective treatment of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in the converted scrubber was possible even at gas contact times as low as 1.6 s . That is 8-20 times shorter than previous biotrickling filtration reports and comparable to usual contact times in chemical scrubbers . Significant removal of reduced sulfur compounds, ammonia, and volatile organic compounds present in traces in the air was also observed . Continuous operation for >8 months showed stable performance and robust behavior for H2S treatment, with pollutant-removal performance comparable to that achieved by using a chemical scrubber . Our study demonstrates that biotrickling filters can replace chemical scrubbers and be a safer, more economical technique for odor control. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2003, 10(2), 113 - 20 Photochemical degradation and mineralization of 4-chlorophenol; Catalkaya EC et al.; INTENTION, GOAL, SCOPE, BACKGROUND: Since the intermediate products of some compounds can be more toxic and/or refractory than the original compund itself, the development of innovative oxidation technologies which are capable of transforming such compounds into harmless end products, is gaining more importance every day . Advanced oxidation processes are one of these technologies . However, it is necessary to optimize the reaction conditions for these technologies in order to be cost-effective . OBJECTIVE: The main objectives of this study were to see if complete mineralization of 4-chlorophenol with AOPs was possible using low pressure mercury vapour lamps, to make a comparison of different AOPs, to observe the effect of the existence of other ions on degradation efficiency and to optimize reaction conditions . METHODS: In this study, photochemical advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) utilizing the combinations of UV, UV/H2O2 and UV/H2O2/Fe2+ (photo-Fenton process) were investigated in labscale experiments for the degradation and mineralization of 4-chlorophenol . Evaluations were based on the reduction of 4-chlorophenol and total organic carbon . The major parameters investigated were the initial 4-chlorophenol concentration, pH, hydrogen peroxide and iron doses and the effect of the presence of radical scavengers . RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: It was observed that the 4-chlorophenol degradation efficiency decreased with increasing concentration and was independent of the initial solution pH in the UV process . 4-chlorophenol oxidation efficiency for an initial concentration of 100 mgl(-1) was around 89% after 300 min of irradiation in the UV process and no mineralization was achieved . The efficiency increased to > 99% with the UV/H2O2 process in 60 min of irradiation, although mineralization efficiency was still around 75% after 300 min of reaction time . Although the H2O2/4-CP molar ratio was kept constant, increasing initial 4-chlorophenol concentration decreased the treatment efficiency . It was observed that basic pHs were favourable in the UV/H2O2 process . The results showed that the photo-Fenton process was the most effective treatment process under acidic conditions . Complete disappearance of 100 mgl(-1) of 4-chlorophenol was achieved in 2.5 min and almost complete mineralization (96%) was also possible after only 45 min of irradiation . The efficiency was negatively affected from H2O2 in the UV/H2O2 process and Fe2+ in the photo-Fenton process over a certain concentration . The highest negative effect was observed with solutions containing PO4 triple ions . Required reaction times for complete disappearance of 100 mgl(-1) 4-chlorophenol increased from 2.5 min for an ion-free solution to 30 min for solutions containing 100 mgl(-1) PO4 triple ion and from 45 min to more than 240 min for complete mineralization . The photodegradation of 4-chlorophenol was found to follow the first-order law . CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that UV irradiation alone can degrade 4-CP, although at very slow rates, but cannot mineralize the compound . The addition of hydrogen peroxide to the system, the so-called UV/H2O2 process, significantly enhances the 4-CP degradation rate, but still requires relatively long reaction periods for complete mineralization . The photo-Fenton process, the combination of homogeneous systems of UV/H2O2/Fe2+ compounds, produces the highest photochemical elimination rate of 4-CP and complete mineralization is possible to achieve in quite shorter reaction periods when compared with the UV/H2O2 process . RECOMMENDATIONS AND OUTLOOK: It is more cost effective to use these processes for only purposes such as toxicity reduction, enhancement of biodegradability, decolorization and micropollutant removal . However the most important point is the optimization of the reaction conditions for the process of concern . In such a case, AOPs can be used in combination with a biological treatment systems as a pre- or post treatment unit providing the cheapest treatment option . The AOP applied, for instance, can be used for toxicity reduction and the biological unit for chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal. Water Res, 2003 Apr, 37(8), 1723 - 8 Ammonia removal from wastewater by ion exchange in the presence of organic contaminants; Jorgensen TC et al.; The scope of this study was the removal of ammonium by ion exchange from simulated wastewater . The study looks at the effect of organics upon ammonium ion exchange equilibrium uptake . The ion exchangers included a natural zeolite clinoptilolite, and two polymeric exchangers, Dowex 50w-x8, and Purolite MN500 . The organic compounds studied included citric acid and a number of proteins . The traditional method for removal of ammonium and organic pollutants from wastewater is biological treatment, but ion exchange offers a number of advantages including the ability to handle shock loadings and the ability to operate over a wider range of temperatures . The results show that in most of the cases studied, the presence of organic compounds enhances the uptake of ammonium ion onto the ion exchangers. Water Res, 2003 May, 37(9), 2106 - 12 Study on the treatment of the sulfite pulp CEH bleaching effluents with the coagulation-anaerobic acidification-aeration package reactor; Chen Y et al.; The coagulation-anaerobic acidification-aeration package reactor was designed for the treatment of pulp CEH bleaching effluents, the efficiencies in CODcr, BOD(5), AOX and toxicity removal achieved were 88.1%, 81.0%, 98.4% and 92.0%, respectively, with 15 h HRT . The toxicity and AOX were removed mainly through coagulation and anaerobic process, while the COD and BOD(5) were removed mainly through coagulation and aerobic process . The pretreatment of coagulation precipitation decreased the following organic load, which decreased the following treatment retention time and increased the stability of the system.The results of GC-MS showed: pollutants of wastewater were mainly chlorinated organics, most of AOX and the toxicity were removed by reductive dechlorination and acidified hydrolysis in anaerobic unit, the high COD removal in aerobic unit showed further degradation of pollutants . Chlorine atoms in the ortho position were preferentially dechlorination, that in para position were difficult to remove from chlorinated phenols during biological treatment. Environ Technol, 2003 Feb, 24(2), 143 - 51 Biodegradation of microcystis and microcystins by indigenous nanoflagellates on biofilm in a practical treatment facility; Saito T et al.; The potential for degradation of Microcystis and microcystins by organisms in biofilm in a practical biological treatment facility combined with conventional treatment processes was examined . Viable cells of Microcystis viridis, which produced microcystin LR, RR and YR, were degraded in 6 to 10 days by the addition of biofilm collected in early summer, mid-summer and autumn . Monas sp . grew remarkably well compared with other organisms in the samples of all seasons . Therefore, we conclude that Monas sp . was indigenous animals in the biological treatment facility and was able to degrade Microcystis cells . Some previous studies reported the predation of Microcystis cells by Monas guttula in pure culture conditions (monoxenic culture) . We clarified that Monas sp . can grow and prey on Microcystis cells even in mixed culture including many kinds of other organisms in biofilm in a practical treatment facility . Also, intracellular microcystin LR, RR and YR in Microcystis cells could be degraded simultaneously with high reduction of Microcystis cells by organisms in biofilm. Hist Psychiatry, 2002 Dec, 13 Pt 4(52), 381 - 400 Erotomania: a conceptual history; Berrios GE et al.; Four historical convergences are identified in the history of erotomania . According to the first, which lasted from Classical times to the early eighteenth century, erotomania was a 'general disease caused by unrequited love' . According to the second, erotomania was a disease of 'excessive physical love (nymphomania)'; this view remained active well into the nineteenth century . The third convergence focuses on the view that erotomania is a form of 'mental disorder', and this was held throughout the twentieth century . The fourth and current definition (a development of the third stage) sees erotomania as a 'the delusional belief of being loved by someone else' . Differences between Anglo-Saxon and French views cast doubt on the meaning or coherence of the much-abused English eponym 'de Clerambault syndrome' . Erotomania is a construct, a mirror reflecting Western views on spiritual and physical love, sex, and gender inequality and abuse . On account of this, it is unlikely that there will ever be a final, 'scientific' definition rendering erotomania into a 'natural kind' and making it susceptible to brain localization and biological treatment. Environ Sci Technol, 2003 Feb 15, 37(4), 811 - 4 Carbohydrate-derived chlorinated compounds in ECF bleaching of hardwood pulps: formation, degradation, and contribution to AOX in a bleached kraft pulp mill; Freire CS et al.; Five monochlorinated compounds derived from glucuronoxylan were identified in the liquid process streams of a kraft pulp mill producing hardwood pulp with ECF bleaching, representing ca . 15-20% of the AOX of the bleaching filtrates . The environmental risk of such compounds is negligible because a major fraction (70-80%) is degraded during effluent mixing and neutralization, and about 20-30% is degraded during the biological treatment of the mixed effluent . Only less than 3.5% (0.009-0.017 kg/ tAD) of the compounds formed in the bleaching leave the mill in the final effluent. Aquat Toxicol, 2003 Mar 17, 63(1), 13 - 25 Comparative bioavailability of selenium to aquatic organisms after biological treatment of agricultural drainage water; Amweg EL et al.; Selenium (Se) is naturally abundant in the soils of the western San Joaquin Valley, California, USA . Intense agricultural activity in this region requires irrigation which leaches Se into surface waters draining to the San Joaquin River . Se water contamination and subsequent accumulation in wildlife is a serious problem in the Central Valley of California, and the subject of increasingly intensive regulatory action . Algal-bacterial selenium reduction (ABSR) is a potential new treatment approach to reduce Se in agricultural drainage, and an ABSR demonstration facility was examined with respect to its Se removal efficiency and effect on Se bioavailability and bioaccumulation . Water samples were taken to study treatment effects on Se speciation . Invertebrate tissue Se concentrations in the ABSR ponds were monitored for 2 years . Laboratory-based algal bioaccumulation tests and in situ microcosms with a variety of invertebrates were also used to address differences in Se bioavailability before and after ABSR treatment . The ABSR system removed about 80% of the total influent Se; however, microbial and algal activity produced selenite and organic Se, the combined concentration of which increased 8-fold during treatment . As a result of the greater bioavailability of selenite and organic Se, relative to the selenate of the influent, treatment contributed to greater Se concentrations in effluent-exposed organisms . ABSR-treated water produced Se concentrations in biota 2-4 times greater than organisms exposed to untreated water . The bioavailability of Se in the treated water was 2-10 times greater than Se in the influent . The shift to more bioavailable Se forms due to biological treatment is inherent in system design, and makes it difficult to weigh the ecological benefits of a reduction in total Se loadings from a regional perspective against the greater toxicological risk to biota in the vicinity of the effluent. J Comput Biol, 2002, 9(6), 819 - 29 Distinguishing features of 16S rDNA gene for five dominating bacterial genus observed in bioremediation; Raje DV et al.; Defining a microbial community and identifying bacteria, at least at the genus level, is a first step in predicting the behavior of a microbial community in bioremediation . In biological treatment systems, the most dominating groups observed are Pseudomonas, Moraxella, Acinetobactor, Burkholderia, and Alcaligenes . Our interest lies in identifying the distinguishing features of these bacterial groups based on their 16S rDNA sequence data, which could be used further for generating genus-specific probes . Accordingly, 20 sequences representing different species from each genus above were retrieved, which constituted a training set . A 16-dimensional feature vector comprised of transition probabilities of nucleotides was considered and each sampled sequence was expressed in terms of these features . A stepwise feature selection method was used to identify features that are distinct across the species of these five groups . Wilk's lambda selection criterion was used and resulted in a subset with six distinguishing features . The discriminating efficacy of this subset was tested through multiple group discriminant analysis . Two linear composites, as a function of these features, could discriminate the test set of forty-five sequences from these groups with 95% accuracy, thereby ascertaining the relevance of the identified features . The geometric representation of feature correlation in the reduced discriminant space demonstrated the dominance of identified features in specific groups . These features independently or in combination could be used to generate genus-specific patterns to design probes, so as to develop a tracking tool for the selected group of bacteria. Water Res, 2003 Apr, 37(7), 1601 - 7 Removal of ammonium and phosphates from wastewater resulting from the process of cochineal extraction using MgO-containing by-product; Chimenos JM et al.; The wastewater produced by the cochineal extract process to obtain the carminic acid colouring pigment (carmin red E120) has high concentrations of phosphates and ammonium . It is known that both ions can be precipitated with magnesium in the form of struvite, MgNH(4)PO(4), or ammonium magnesium phosphate (MAP) compounds . In this study, the use of an alternative MgO-containing by-product is investigated . The optimal pH, reaction time and solid/liquid ratio have been studied . It has been found that the low-grade MgO needed is greater than the stoichiometric value for the full removal of ammonium and phosphate as MAP compounds . Although the low-grade MgO (LG-MgO) reacts slower than pure MgO, it has considerable economic advantages . A batch process has been proposed for the removal of ammonium and phosphates from wastewater obtained in cochineal extracts processing, previously to biological treatment to diminish the COD . Biotechnol Bioeng, 2003 May 5, 82(3), 313 - 20 Aerobic biological treatment of synthetic municipal wastewater in membrane-coupled bioreactors; Klatt CG et al.; Membrane-coupled bioreactors (MBRs) offer many benefits compared to conventional biological wastewater treatment systems; however, their performance characteristics are poorly understood . Laboratory-scale MBRs were used to study bacterial adaptations in physiology and community structure . MBRs were fed a mixture of starch, gelatin, and polyoxyethylene-sorbitan monooleate to simulate the polysaccharide, protein, and lipid components of municipal wastewater . Physiological adaptations were detected by measuring ectoenzyme activity while structural dynamics were studied by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene fragments . As cell biomass accumulated in the MBRs, pollutant removal efficiency initially improved and then stabilized with respect to effluent concentrations of chemical oxygen demand, protein, and carbohydrate . Comparison of the MBR effluent to filtered reactor fluid indicated that a portion of the observed pollutant removal was due to filtration by the membrane rather than microbial activity . The rates of ectoenzyme-mediated polysaccharide (alpha-glucosidase) and protein (leucine aminopeptidase) hydrolysis became relatively constant once pollutant removal efficiency stabilized . However, the maximum rate of lipid hydrolysis (heptanoate esterase) concomitantly increased more than 10-fold . Similarly, alpha-glucosidase and leucine aminopeptidase ectoenzyme affinities were relatively constant, while the heptanoate esterase affinity increased more than 30-fold . Community analysis revealed that a substantial community shift occurred within the first 7 days of operation . A Flavobacterium-like bacterial population dominated the community (>50% of total band intensity) and continued to do so for the remainder of the experiment . World J Biol Psychiatry, 2003 Jan, 4(1), 5 - 13 The World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) Guidelines for the Biological Treatment of Bipolar Disorders, Part II: Treatment of Mania; Grunze H et al.; Identical to the preceding guidelines of this series, these practice guidelines for the biological, mainly pharmacological treatment of acute bipolar mania were developed by an international Task Force of the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) . Their purpose is to supply a systematic overview of all scientific evidence pertaining to the treatment of acute mania . The data used for these guidelines have been extracted from a MEDLINE and EMBASE search, from recent proceedings of key conferences, and from various national and international treatment guidelines . Their scientific rigor was categorised into four levels of evidence (A-D) . As these guidelines are intended for clinical use, the scientific evidence was finally not only graded, but has also been commented by the experts of the task force to ensure practicability . Key words: bipolar disorder, mania, acute treatment, evidence-based guidelines, pharmacotherapy, antipsychotics, mood stabiliser, electroconvulsive therapy. Water Sci Technol, 2003, 47(1), 271 - 6 Biological treatment of printing ink wastewater; Zhang Y et al.; Printing ink wastewater is usually very difficult to treat biologically and its chemical oxygen demand (COD) far exceeds standards of discharge . The COD in wastewater is usually 3,000 to 8,000 mg/L after flocculation and sedimentation . Herein, a strain of bacterium was isolated from the sludge and identified as Bacillus sp . and utilized to treat printing ink wastewater . The application of bacteria to degrade printing ink in wastewater is discussed in this paper . The influence of N and P sources on COD removal, and COD removal in combination with glucose was also discussed . More than 85 per cent of the COD could be removed using the proposed biological process . A novel internal airlift loop bioreactor with bacteria immobilized onto ceramic honeycomb support was used for the wastewater treatment. Water Sci Technol, 2003, 47(1), 105 - 11 A submerged tubular ceramic membrane bioreactor for high strength wastewater treatment; Sun DD et al.; A 4 L submerged tubular ceramic membrane bioreactor (MBR) was applied in laboratory scale to treat 2,400 mg-COD/L high strength wastewater . A prolonged sludge retention time (SRT) of 200 day, in contrast to the conventional SRT of 5 to 15 days, was explored in this study, aiming to reduce substantially the amount of disposed sludge . The MBR system was operated for a period of 142 days in four runs, differentiated by specific oxygen utilization rate (SOUR) and hydraulic retention time (HRT) . It was found that the MBR system produced more than 99% of suspended solid reduction . Mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) was found to be adversely proportional to HRT, and in general higher than the value from a conventional wastewater treatment plant . A chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency was achieved as high as 98% in Run 1, when SOUR was in the range of 100-200 mg-O/g-MLVSS/hr . Unexpectedly, the COD removal efficiency in Run 2 to 4 was higher than 92%, on average, where higher HRT and abnormally low SOUR of 20-30 mg-O/g-MLVSS/hr prevailed . It was noted that the ceramic membrane presented a significant soluble nutrient rejection when the microbial metabolism of biological treatment broke down. Lin Chuang Er Bi Yan Hou Ke Za Zhi, 2001 Dec, 15(12), 555 - 7 {Experimental studies on antitumor effect by the new recombinant tumour necrosis factor and cyclophosphamide in nude mice bearing laryngeal carcinoma}; Dong W et al.; OBJECTIVE: We aimed at finding ideal biological treatment and regime for laryngeal carcinoma . METHOD: Nude mice model bearing laryngeal carcinoma were established using laryngeal carcinoma cell line (HEP-2) . New recombinant human tumor necrosis factor (NrhTNF-alpha) and cyclophosphamide were administered locally or systemically, single or in combination . The microstructural and ultra-micro-structural changes of carcinoma after administration of NrhTNF-alpha were observed under light and electron microscopes . RESULT: 1 . After treatment, the tumor showed hemorrhage, necrosis, regression, the survival time was prolonged . 2 . More significant antitumor effect was observed when locally administered NrhTNF-alpha than intravenously administered of NrhTNF-alpha . 3 . There is a notable synergistic antitumor effect by the combination use of NrhTNF-alpha and cyclophosphamide . 4 . Microscopy showed that cell changes mostly took place in plasma especially in mitochondria and endoplasmic neticula . The mitochondria were highly bloated . Besides, some nuclei were condensed and fragmented resulted in cell death . CONCLUSION: These studies provide experimental basis for biological treatment of laryngeal carcinoma. Water Sci Technol, 2002, 46(11-12), 401 - 6 Trihalomethane formation potentials of organic pollutants in wastewater discharge; Chu HP et al.; Drinking water resources contaminated by wastewater discharge could have great risk of trihalomethane (THM) formation upon chlorine disinfection during treatment . In the present study, THM formation potentials (THMFP) of the organic pollutants in the raw sewage and treated secondary effluent collected from f ull-scale wastewater treatment plants were characterised . The organic matter remaining in the secondary effluent had higher unit carbon THMFP in comparison with that in the raw sewage . However, owing to removal of organic pollutants in the treatment works, the overall THMFP of the wastewater was reduced significantly throughout the biological treatment process . Using XAD-8 resin, organic materials in the wastewater samples were separated into hydrophobic and hydrophilic fractions . Hydrophobic organic, which possesses higher THMFP than hydrophilic organic, was the predominant THM precursor in wastewater discharge . Ozonation could be used to alter the properties of organic matter, particularly the hydrophobic fraction, and reduce its THMFP. Water Sci Technol, 2002, 46(11-12), 237 - 44 Degradation of microcystin by biofilm in practical treatment facility; Saitou T et al.; Potential for degradation of microcystin by biofilm was examined by some batch experiments using biofilm scraped from practical biological treatment facility combined with conventional treatment processes . The viable cells of Microcystis viridis, which produced microcystin LR, RR and YR were degraded at 6 to 10 days by the addition of biofilm . Biofilm collected in summer season had especially higher potential for degradation of Microcystis with complete degradation at 6 days . In all seasons, Monas spp . grew remarkably, accompanied with the higher decrease of the viable cells of Microcystis and the micro-animals were considered as a main predator for Microcystis cells . Intracellular microcystin LR, RR, YR were degraded simultaneously with high reduction of Microcystis cells . Dissolved microcystin LR of 1,000 microg l(-1) was effectively degraded by indigenous aquatic bacteria on biofilm during 5 days, the degradability became higher with the increase in the concentration of microcystin LR . From the results of our research, it was clarified that the aggregated microorganisms consisting of biofilm had high potential for degradation of intracellular and dissolved microcystin. Environ Technol, 2002 Dec, 23(12), 1405 - 14 Anaerobic treatment of polyethylene glycol of different molecular weights; Otal E et al.; Biodegradation of high molecular weight polyethylene glycol has been found difficult under aerobic conditions . The use of a chemical treatment prior to the aerobic one was necessary to remove high molecular weight of polyethylene glycol . Anaerobic treatment of polyethylene glycol may present an alternative to integrated chemical and biological treatment for the elimination of this compound . Anaerobic biodegradation of polyethylene glycol from 200 to 10,000 molecular weight was studied . It showed that, unlike aerobic treatment, the size of the molecule up to 10,000 does not affect the process efficiency . The critical retention time and the optimum retention time were estimated and ranged from 10 to 14 and from 16 to 19 days, respectively . Under these operational conditions percentage of removal ranged from 85 to 90% . Thus, anaerobic degradation of polyethylene glycol presents removal percentages and hydraulic retention times compounds similar to those of biodegradable tested at the same operational conditions. Acta Med Austriaca Suppl, 2002, 59, 18 - 26 {Importance of occult metastatic cells in the treatment of patients with breast and gastrointestinal cancers}; Braun S et al.; Early and clinically non-apparent hematogenous dissemination of tumor cells is considered an important prognostic factor and marker of tumor progression . This phenomenon is reported for tumor entities differing as much as breast and gastrointestinal cancers . First prospective studies point to the unique opportunity of therapy monitoring utilizing follow-up bone marrow aspirations before and after adjuvant therapy . First results of these studies further indicate that currently used treatment strategies such as chemotherapy may not be efficient enough to eliminate all metastatic cells in all of the cases studied . Apart from improved tumor staging, such screening efforts may not only help to improve planning and monitoring of adjuvant therapy (which at present is only possible retrospectively) but also help to design individualized targeted biological treatment . This review summarizes the currently available data on the importance of disseminated tumor cells for the treatment