Two-stage anaerobic digestion of biodegradable municipal solid waste using a rotating drum mesh filter bioreactor and anaerobic filter.

A rotating drum mesh filter bioreactor (RDMFBR) with a 100 microm mesh coupled to an anaerobic filter was used for the anaerobic digestion of biodegradable municipal solid waste (BMW). Duplicate systems were operated for 72 days at an organic loading rate (OLR) of 7.5 g VS l(-1) d(-1).

Peripherally inserted central catheter placement with the sonic flashlight: initial clinical trial by nurses.

Objective: We describe a case series constituting the first clinical trial by intravenous (IV) team nurses using the sonic flashlight (SF) for ultrasound guidance of peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) placement.

Methods: Two IV team nurses with more than 10 years of experience with placing PICCs and 3 to 6 years of experience with ultrasound attempted to place PICCs under ultrasound guidance in patients requiring long-term IV access. One of two methods of ultrasound guidance was used: conventional ultrasound (CUS; 60 patients) or a new device called the SF (44 patients).

Establishing an energy balance for crop-based digestion.

The paper examines methods for calculating energy surpluses through anaerobic digestion and gives some examples of the practical application of these in crop-based systems. The surplus energy is the balance between that produced as a usable energy source and that used in crop production, conversion of the biomass into biogas, and conversion of biogas into a usable form: these are the direct energy inputs. The energy balance also takes into account the embedded energy used in the construction of machinery and buildings and for their repair and maintenance: the indirect energy inputs.

Development of a coarse membrane bioreactor for two-stage anaerobic digestion of biodegradable municipal solid waste.

A laboratory-scale coarse membrane bioreactor was developed to test its potential for the enhanced degradation of biodegradable municipal (solid) waste. The purpose of the mesh was to retain solid substrate and biomass in the reactor, promoting optimal degradation while also allowing intermediate soluble compounds to be removed and degraded in a second reactor. Three reactors with nylon woven mesh membranes of pore sizes 30, 100 and 140 mum were operated at a solid and liquid retention time of 20 and 1.

Uncoupling of liquid and solid retention times in anaerobic digestion of catering wastes.

Source-separated food wastes collected from a university campus catering facility were processed in bench-scale anaerobic digesters. The feedstock contained a varied mix of fruits, vegetables, meats and fried foods. Two modes of digestion were compared.

Electroanalytical applications of boron-doped diamond microelectrode arrays.

The electrochemical characteristics of a novel all diamond fabricated boron-doped diamond microelectrode array (BDD-MEA) are critically appraised. The voltammetric response of simple electron transfer processes has been investigated and found to generate sigmoidal voltammetric curves. Furthermore, the device has been utilized for various analytical applications including, the direct detection of 4-nitrophenol over the concentration range 1.

Manganese detection in marine sediments: anodic vs. cathodic stripping voltammetry.

Three different electroanalytical techniques for the detection of manganese in marine sediments are evaluated. The anodic stripping voltammetry of manganese at an in situ bismuth-film-modified boron-doped diamond electrode and cathodic stripping voltammetry at a carbon paste electrode are shown to lack the required sensitivity and reproducibility whereas cathodic stripping voltammetry at a bare boron-doped diamond electrode is shown to be reliable and selective with a limit of detection, from applying a 60s accumulation period of 7.4 x 10(-7)M and a sensitivity of 0.

Cadmium detection via boron-doped diamond electrodes: surfactant inhibited stripping voltammetry.

The deposition of cadmium on boron-doped diamond is investigated with square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry. The system was investigated in quiescent conditions, in the presence of an acoustic field and then in the presence of the neutral surfactant Triton((R)) X-100. The effect of optimised insonation was to increase the sensitivity from 0.

Anaerobic digestion of maize in coupled leach-bed and anaerobic filter reactors.

The methane potential of a leach bed reactor (LBR) coupled to an anaerobic filter (AF) was assessed using energy maize (Zea mays) as substrate. Four LBRs were used operated as pairs, with and without leachate recirculation, over two feed cycles with retention times of 14 and 28 days. Performance was estimated from the total solids destruction in the LBR, and the volatile fatty acid (VFA) and soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) in the leachate.

A pilot-scale comparison of mesophilic and thermophilic digestion of source segregated domestic food waste.

Source segregated food waste was collected from domestic properties and its composition determined together with the average weight produced per household, which was 2.91 kg per week. The waste was fed over a trial period lasting 58 weeks to an identical pair of 1.

Effect of solid and liquid retention times on hydrolysis of maize.

First stage hydrolysis/acidification, using maize as the substrate, was carried out both in single pass (SP) reactors at different hydraulic retention times (HRT) and in hydraulic flush (HF) reactors in which the solids and liquid retention time were uncoupled. The HF reactors were operated at two different loadings (2 and 4 g VS l(-1) d(-1)) and at liquid retention times between 2-16 days with solids held for 20 days. The volatile solids destruction (VS(destroyed) d(-1)) and specific methane potential (l CH(4) g VS(added) d(-1)) of the intermediate products formed in the SP reactors both decreased with increasing retention and showed a maximum VS destruction of 55.

Biostabilization assessment of MSW co-disposed with MSWI fly ash in anaerobic bioreactors.

Municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) fly ash has been examined for possible use as landfill interim cover. For this aim, three anaerobic bioreactors, 1.2m high and 0.

Review article: hypertonic saline use in the emergency department.

Hypertonic saline (HS) is being increasingly used for the management of a variety of conditions, most notably raised intracranial pressure. This article reviews the available evidence on HS solutions as they relate to emergency medicine, and develops a set of recommendations for its use. To conclude, HS is recommended as an alternative to mannitol for treating raised intracranial pressure in traumatic brain injury.

Development and testing of a new instrument to measure fluid intake, output, and urinary symptoms: the questionnaire-based voiding diary.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to develop a validated self-administered questionnaire to measure fluid intake, output, behavior, and urinary symptoms.

Study Design: Factor analysis identified 4 subscales in the new questionnaire. Ninety-two women completed the questionnaire, comprised of a 48-hour voiding diary and the Bristol Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptom-Scored form.

Reliability of fMRI for studies of language in post-stroke aphasia subjects.

Quantifying change in brain activation patterns associated with post-stroke recovery and reorganization of language function over time requires accurate understanding of inter-scan and inter-subject variability. Here we report inter-scan variability measures for fMRI activation patterns associated with verb generation (VG) and semantic decision/tone decision (SDTD) tasks in 4 healthy controls and 4 aphasic left middle cerebral artery (LMCA) stroke subjects. A series of 10 fMRI scans was completed on a 4T Varian scanner for each task for each subject, except for one stroke subject who completed 5 and 6 scans for SDTD and VG, thus yielding 35 and 36 total stroke subject scans for SDTD and VG, respectively.

Anaerobic digestion of catering wastes: effect of micronutrients and retention time.

Source-separated foodwastes collected from a campus catering facility were processed in bench-scale single-stage anaerobic digesters. The feedstock contained a varied mix of fruits, vegetables, meats and fried foods. A constant organic loading rate (OLR) was maintained with differing hydraulic retention times (HRT).

First and third trimester ultrasound in the prediction of birthweight discordance in dichorionic twins.

Objective: Birthweight discordance amongst twins is associated with an increase in perinatal morbidity and mortality. Clinical decisions regarding the management of twins are often made on the basis of estimated fetal weight in the third trimester. This study assesses the efficacy of routine third trimester ultrasound fetal biometry, third trimester fetal growth velocity and first trimester differences in size in the prediction of subsequent birthweight discordance.

Use of high-purity metal-catalyst-free multiwalled carbon nanotubes to avoid potential experimental misinterpretations.

Carbon nanotubes, even after extensive posttreatment, contain metallic impurities which may produce misleading results, giving rise to false claims of the properties of carbon nanotubes. To overcome this, we report on high-purity catalyst-free multiwalled carbon nanotubes which have been explored with transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry using the electrochemical oxidations of hydrazine and potassium ferrocyanide. The multiwalled carbon nanotubes are approximately 150 nm in length and consist of 6-10 graphite layers.

Algal growth response and survival in a range of light and temperature conditions: implications for non-steady-state conditions in waste stabilisation ponds.

Growth and physiological experiments were carried out using Scenedesmus subspicatus and Chlorella vulgaris as representative species typically found in waste stabilisation ponds. These experiments were designed to test the ability of the organisms to survive and grow under a range of different temperatures and light intensities that might occur in mid to high latitude regions. Growth was assessed using optical density and photosynthetic rate for a combination of temperatures of 5, 10, 15 and 20 degrees C at light intensities of 7.

Potential of anaerobic digestion for mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and production of renewable energy from agriculture: barriers and incentives to widespread adoption in Europe.

The paper considers the role of anaerobic digestion in promoting good agricultural practice on farms and the contribution this would make to reducing the environmental impacts associated with manure management. There are no regulatory drivers to promote the use of digestion in Europe, and the technology has only been widely adopted where economic drivers and coherent policies have been implemented at a national level. These measures have included direct subsidy on the energy price paid for "green electricity", and exemption of tax when biogas is used as a vehicle fuel.

Risk factor outcome comparison between exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation, traditional care, and an educational workshop.

Background: This study examined risk factor outcomes among patients who attended cardiac rehabilitation sessions, those who received traditional care, and those who attended Leap for Life workshops.

Methods: A non-equivalent, three-group design was used in this observational study. Baseline and 12-month measurements were collected for 217 participants.

Lead(IV) oxide-graphite composite electrodes: application to sensing of ammonia, nitrite and phenols.

Carbon powder modified with lead(IV) oxide was synthesised by a wet impregnation procedure from concentrated lead(II) nitrate solution. The impregnated powder was subsequently thermally treated at 823 K. Electrochemical and spectroscopic characterisation of the modified powder showed that lead(IV) oxide has been formed during the procedure.