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PubMedDate not supplied

Biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in oil-contaminated beach sediments treated with nutrient amendments.

Microbial biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during the process of bioremediation can be constrained by lack of nutrients, low bioavailability of the contaminants, or scarcity of PAH-biodegrading microorganisms. This study focused on addressing the limitation of nutrient availability for PAH biodegradation in oil-contaminated beach sediments. In our previous study, three nutrient sources including inorganic soluble nutrients, the slow-release fertilizer Osmocote (Os; Scotts, Marysville, OH) and Inipol EAP-22 (Ip; ATOFINA Chemicals, Philadelphia, PA), as well as their combinations, were applied to beach sediments contaminated with an Arabian light crude oil. Osmocote was the most effective nutrient source for aliphatic biodegradation. This study presents data on PAH biodegradation in the oil-spiked beach sediments amended with the three nutrients. Biodegradation of total target PAHs (two- to six-ring) in all treatments followed a first-order biodegradation model. The biodegradation rates of total target PAHs in the sediments treated with Os were significantly higher than those without. On Day 45, approximately 9.3% of total target PAHs remained in the sediments amended with Os alone, significantly lower than the 54.2 to 58.0% remaining in sediment treatments without Os. Amendment with Inipol or soluble nutrients alone, or in combination, did not stimulate biodegradation rates of PAHs with a ring number higher than 2. The slow-release fertilizer (Os) is therefore recommended as an effective nutrient amendment for intrinsic biodegradation of PAHs in oil-contaminated beach sediments.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Phase II trial of irinotecan and raltitrexed in chemotherapy-naive advanced colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Irinotecan and raltitrexed are active agents in advanced colorectal cancer (ACC) and preclinical data suggest a remarkable synergistic activity. Phase I studies demonstrated that single-agent full dose of both drugs can be administered with moderate toxicity. The aim of this phase II trial was to assess the activity and tolerability of the combination in untreated ACC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-eight patients entered the trial and received irinotecan 350 mg/m2 d.1 and raltitrexed 3 mg/m2 d.2, every three weeks. After recruitment of the first 16 patients, grade III-IV toxicity was observed in 6 patients (38%). Therefore, an amendment reduced by 15% the dose of both drugs (irinotecan 300 mg/m2, raltitrexed 2.6 mg/m2). RESULTS: A total of 290 cycles were administered (range 1-18, median number 6). According to intention-to-treat analysis, the overall response rate was 27% (95% confidence interval 16%-42%), including 3 complete responses and 10 partial responses. The median duration of response was 10 months, while median progression-free survival and overall survival were 5 and 14 months, respectively. In the first 16 patients, the main toxicities were grade III-IV diarrhea in 25% and grade III-IV neutropenia in 13%. In the subsequent 32 patients, they were grade III-IV diarrhea in 34% and grade III neutropenia in 6%. Two toxic deaths occurred. CONCLUSION: The combination irinotecan-raltitrexed is an active regimen, but the significant incidence of side-effects requires accurate patient selection and, eventually, new schedules.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Murder in the cathedral revisited: President Reagan and the mentally disabled.

A key objective of the Reagan administration when it took office in 1981 was to decrease domestic spending. Intending to offer the new administration "a little bit of a present," employees in the General Accounting Office, an arm of Congress, identified ineligible Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries as a possible source of billions of dollars of savings annually. Subsequently the administration's Office of Management and Budget instructed the Social Security Administration to begin, on an accelerated schedule, eligibility reviews authorized by the Social Security Amendments of 1980. One-fourth of the 130,500 beneficiaries dropped from the rolls during the first full year of the reviews were mentally impaired, although the mentally impaired constituted only one-ninth of SSDI beneficiaries. The reaction by mental health advocacy groups, Congress, and the courts turned "a little bit of a present" into a major problem for the administration, and the various components of government that had consorted on a misguided policy began to make amends. The experience offers useful insights for future policymaking.

Cost Control↗
PubMed2006

[Selection of medical students by medical faculties. Problems and advantages for universities].

Due to the amendment of the framework act for higher education in summer 2004, the German universities have to select 60% of the students within all disciplines with limited access (including medicine) by themselves. This requirement fits with the political intention to enhance the achievement of a specific profile and competition among the universities. The first implementation of the legal requirement has shown that the universities were insufficiently prepared to apply selection criteria amending high school grades. Theoretically, a variety of criteria could be considered whose suitability has to be evaluated carefully. Existing evidence related to these criteria is summarized in this article. The implementation of new tools for student selection will raise a variety of problems related to the quality of organisation, but also other aspects of quality assurance. It can be assumed that, in the long run, centrally developed tests will be applied within medicine that might be completed with other selection tools locally.

Curriculum↗
PubMed2005

Soil and crop management experiments in the Laboratory Biosphere: an analogue system for the Mars on Earth(R) facility.

During the years 2002 and 2003, three closed system experiments were carried out in the "Laboratory Biosphere" facility located in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The program involved experimentation of "Hoyt" Soy Beans, (experiment #1) USU Apogee Wheat (experiment #2) and TU-82-155 sweet potato (experiment #3) using a 5.37 m2 soil planting bed which was 30 cm deep. The soil texture, 40% clay, 31% sand and 28% silt (a clay loam), was collected from an organic farm in New Mexico to avoid chemical residues. Soil management practices involved minimal tillage, mulching, returning crop residues to the soil after each experiment and increasing soil biota by introducing worms, soil bacteria and mycorrhizae fungi. High soil pH of the original soil appeared to be a factor affecting the first two experiments. Hence, between experiments #2 and #3, the top 15 cm of the soil was amended using a mix of peat moss, green sand, humates and pumice to improve soil texture, lower soil pH and increase nutrient availability. This resulted in lowering the initial pH of 8.0-6.7 at the start of experiment #3. At the end of the experiment, the pH was 7.6. Soil nitrogen and phosphorus has been adequate, but some chlorosis was evident in the first two experiments. Aphid infestation was the only crop pest problem during the three experiments and was handled using an introduction of Hyppodamia convergens. Experimentation showed there were environmental differences even in this 1200 cubic foot ecological system facility, such as temperature and humidity gradients because of ventilation and airflow patterns which resulted in consequent variations in plant growth and yield. Additional humidifiers were added to counteract low humidity and helped optimize conditions for the sweet potato experiment. The experience and information gained from these experiments are being applied to the future design of the Mars On Earth(R) facility (Silverstone et al., Development and research program for a soil-based bioregenerative agriculture system to feed a four person crew at a Mars base, Advances in Space Research 31(1) (2003) 69-75; Allen and Alling, The design approach for Mars On Earth(R), a biospheric closed system testing facility for long-term space habitation, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Inc., IAC-02-IAA.8.2.02, 2002).

Agriculture↗
PubMed1990

Morphological diagnosis of congenital and acquired heart disease by magnetic resonance imaging.

Since 1987, the authors have examined 60 patients (21 girls, 39 boys) with a variety of congenital and acquired heart diseases by means of ECG-gated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using a multislice spin-echo technique. The patients' ages ranged from 10 days to 20 years (mean age 3.7 years), distributed as follows: 9 patients (15%) less than or equal to 4 weeks; 26 (43.4%) greater than 4 weeks less than or equal to 1 year; 9 (15%) greater than 1 year less than or equal to 6 years; 14 (23.3%) greater than 6 years less than or equal to 15 years; and 2 (3.3%) greater than 15 years less than or equal to 20 years. In 4 cases the quality of the images on the first study were of no diagnostic value and so a second investigation took place. Thus, 60 studies could be analysed, and the findings were compared with the previous diagnoses made on the basis of echocardiography (n = 60) and angiocardiography (n = 47). The 66 anomalies of the vessels included 6 that had been misdiagnosed (2, small patent ductus arteriosus (PDA); 1, pulmonary sling; 2, palliative shunt; 1, aortopulmonary collaterals). Amendment of the previous diagnosis was achieved in 8 cases. In 1 case an aorticopulmonary window was first detected by MRI and in another, a recoarctation of the aorta. The extent of an aortic aneurysm could be defined and a dissection of the aortic wall excluded. In 5 cases MRI gave more information on the pulmonary vascular status.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Effect of temperature, organic amendment rate and moisture content on the degradation of 1,3-dichloropropene in soil.

1,3-Dichloropropene (1,3-D), which consists of two isomers, (Z)- and (E)-1,3-D, is considered to be a viable alternative to methyl bromide, but atmospheric emission of 1,3-D is often associated with deterioration of air quality. To minimize environmental impacts of 1,3-D, emission control strategies are in need of investigation. One approach to reduce 1,3-D emissions is to accelerate its degradation by incorporating organic amendments into the soil surface. In this study, we investigated the ability of four organic amendments to enhance the rate of degradation of (Z)- and (E)-1,3-D in a sandy loam soil. Degradation of (Z)- and (E)-1,3-D was well described by first-order kinetics, and rates of degradation for the two isomers were similar. Composted steer manure (SM) was the most reactive of the organic amendments tested. The half-life of both the (Z)- and (E)-isomers in unamended soil at 20 degrees C was 6.3 days; those in 5% SM-amended soil were 1.8 and 1.9 days, respectively. At 40 degrees C, the half-life of both isomers in 5% SM-amended soil was 0.5 day. Activation energy values for amended soil at 2, 5 and 10% SM were 56.5, 53.4 and 64.5 kJ mol-1, respectively. At 20 degrees C, the contribution of degradation from biological mechanisms was largest in soil amended with SM, but chemical mechanisms still accounted for more than 58% of the (Z)- and (E)-1,3-D degradation. The effect of temperature and amendment rate upon degradation should be considered when describing the fate and transport of 1,3-D isomers in soil. Use of organic soil amendments appears to be a promising method to enhance fumigant degradation and reduce volatile emissions.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed2004

Agronomic and environmental impacts of a single application of heat-dried sludge on an Alfisol.

A field experiment was conducted on Alfisols in South-West France to assess the agronomic and environmental impacts of a single application of heat-dried sludge pellets at 11.1 Mg dry matter ha-1. The sludge pellets, with a moisture level of 9.5%, were spread on an irrigated crop of maize (Zea mays L.). This treatment was compared with inorganic fertilization (urea and diammonium phosphate mixed with KCl). Soil properties, yield and the composition of maize and the quality of drained water were monitored over 1 year to detect any changes resulting from sludge application. Amongst several determined soil properties, only two were significantly modified by the sludge application: The nitric nitrogen stock of the soil was higher in the inorganic fertilized plot, whereas Olsen-P soil content was higher in the sludge-amended plot. Agronomic recovery rates of N and P added by sludge were high: For the first crop following application, total amounts of N and P supplied by the sludge had the same efficiency as approximately 45% of the N and P amounts supplied by inorganic fertilizer. This ratio was 7% for the N uptake by the second maize crop. The quality and quantity of maize were equally good with both types of fertilization. During the 2 years following sludge spreading, N leaching remained as low in the sludged plot as in the inorganically fertilized one. The Cu, Zn, Cr, Cd, Pb and Ni composition of the drainage water was affected by neither of the types of amendment. From the heavy-metal contents of the soil, water and maize monitored over 1 year in the field experiment and from literature data for cow manure and atmospheric emissions, a theoretical balance between crop soil heavy-metal input and output over one century was drawn up. The long-term impact of cow manure on Zn, Ni and Cr in soil is higher than that of the studied heat-dried sludge. Obviously, sludge tended to cause a strong increase in soil Cu storage, valued for these soils, which are otherwise very Cu deficient.

Crops, Agricultural↗
PubMed1996

Health and welfare administration system in Japan.

The health and welfare administration system in Japan is based on the concept of "welfare nation" in the Constitution, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare has prime responsibility for general health and welfare administration. There are two levels of the prefectural governments and municipal governments with their own assemblies. The health centers and the welfare offices are special and first-line organizations for the health and welfare administration, and they are operated by the prefectures or large municipalities in principle. This system has now been experiencing the reform adapted to the aging of population, based on the amendment to the Health Service for the Aged Law and so on in 1990 and the amendment to the Health Center Law in 1994, which is now the Community Health Law. The municipal government is becoming a first-line organization for the health and welfare administration and its responsibility is growing especially in the personal service for the residents.

Health Services Administration↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Nitrogen availability from composts for humid region perennial grass and legume-grass forage production.

Perennial forages may be ideally suited for fertilization with slow N release amendments such as composts, but difficulties in predicting N supply from composts have limited their routine use in forage production. A field study was conducted to compare the yield and protein content of a binary legume-grass forage mixture and a grass monocrop cut twice annually, when fertilized with diverse composts. In all three years from 1998-2000, timothy (Phleum pratense L.)-red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and timothy swards were fertilized with ammonium nitrate (AN) at up to 150 and 300 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1), respectively. Organic amendments, applied at up to 600 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1) in the first two years only, included composts derived from crop residue (CSC), dairy manure (DMC), or sewage sludge (SSLC), plus liquid dairy manure (DM). Treatments DM at 150 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1) and CSC at 600 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1) produced cumulative timothy yields matching those obtained for inorganic fertilizer. Apparent nitrogen recovery (ANR) ranged from 0.65% (SSLC) to 15.1% (DMC) for composts, compared with 29.4% (DM) and 36.5% (AN). The legume component (approximately 30%) of the binary mixture acted as an effective "N buffer" maintaining forage yield and protein content consistently higher, and within a narrower range, across all treatments. Integrating compost utilization into livestock systems that use legume-grass mixtures may reduce the risk of large excesses or deficits of N, moderate against potential losses in crop yield and quality, and by accommodating lower application rates of composts, reduce soil P and K accumulation.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1990

Medicaid program; deadline for submitting moratorium state plan amendments--HCFA. Notice.

This notice announces the deadline for Medicaid State agencies to submit State plan amendments requesting moratorium protection under section 2373(c) of the Deficit Reduction Act of 1984, as amended by the Medicare and Medicaid Patient and Program Protection Act of 1987. Section 2373(c) initiated a moratorium period during which HCFA cannot take any compliance, disallowance, penalty or other regulatory action against a State agency whose State plan contains an income or resource methodology or standard for determining eligibility for medically needy and certain categorically needy groups that is less restrictive than the required standard or methodology. This notice provides formal notification to States that plan amendments requesting moratorium protection will not be accepted after the last day of the first full calendar quarter following publication of this notice in the Federal Register.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S.↗
PubMed1984

Mortgage insurance requirements for private and public hospitals--Office of the Assistant Secretary for Housing--Federal Housing Commissioner. HUD. Proposed rule.

The Department proposes to amend its regulations governing the insurance of mortgages for hospitals in two significant ways. First, this rule would provide for the eligibility of public hospitals to obtain federal mortgage insurance for rehabilitation or new construction. This revision comports with recently enacted legislation. Second, the rule would contain new provisions designed to protect the Department's General Insurance Fund with respect to the insuring of projects that would otherwise pose and added insurance risk. The Supplementary Information section of this preamble invites comment on alternative proposals that would achieve this latter goal, while permitting hospitals to obtain needed financing. The Department's final rule will reflect its consideration of public comments received, as well as the feasibility of implementing any of these alternative programs.

Financial Management↗
PubMed1985

Survival of Bacillus thuringiensis Spores in Soil.

Bacillus thuringiensis spores and parasporal crystals were incubated in natural soil, both in the laboratory and in nature. During the first 2 weeks, the spore count decreased by approximately 1 log. Thereafter, the number of spore CFU remained constant for at least 8 months. B. thuringiensis did not lose its ability to make the parasporal crystals during its residence in soil. Spore survival was similar for a commercial spore-crystal preparation (the insecticide) and for laboratory-grown spores. In contrast to these results, spores that were produced in situ in soil through multiplication of added vegetative cells survived for only a short time. For spore additions to soil, variations in soil pH had little effect on survival for those spores that survived the first 2 weeks of incubation. Also without effect were various pretreatments of the spores before incubation in soil or nutritional amendment or desiccation of the soil. Remoistening of a desiccated soil, however, caused a decrease in spore numbers. Spores incubated in soil in the field did not show this, but the degree of soil desiccation in nature probably never reached that for the laboratory samples. The good survival of B. thuringiensis spores after the first 2 weeks in soil seemed to be a result of their inability to germinate in soil. We found no evidence for the hypothesis that rapid germination ability for spores in soil conferred a survival advantage.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1994

Service provision under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act--Part H, as amended (IDEA--Part H) to children who are deaf and hard of hearing ages birth to 36 months. Joint Committee of ASHA and Council on Education of the Deaf.

Since positive family-child relationships are initially established during the first 3 years, it is imperative that service providers focus their efforts on the family unit, as well as on the child. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act--Part H, as amended (IDEA--Part H), supports this concept and has mandated development of an IFSP for each infant and toddler and his or her family eligible for early intervention services. The confirmed diagnosis of hearing loss for a child may have long-term effects on the family. Usually children who are deaf or hard of hearing are born into families with normal-hearing parents and siblings who have limited knowledge of the implications of hearing loss. In addition, parents may go through stages of grieving after learning that their child is deaf or hard of hearing (Luterman, 1979; Moses, 1985). Early experiences with adults who are deaf or hard-of-hearing parents who have deaf or hard-of-hearing children and other support services are essential. The effects of hearing loss on communication may interfere with parent-child interaction, especially when the primary communication system of the child and family are different. The following areas are those in which a family may benefit from consultation, information, and education: 1. Immediate and easy access to a professional who can help them understand the hearing loss and its potential effects, both long and short term 2. Immediate and ongoing access to deaf and hard-of-hearing adults and children and their families 3. Immediate and ongoing access to professionals who can help facilitate the development of effective parent-child interaction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association↗
PubMed2004

Early growth response of container-grown selected woody boreal seedlings in amended composite tailings and tailings sand.

Successful reclamation of saline-alkaline sites may be enhanced by revegetating with species that are tolerant to factors that limit normal plant growth. Boreal woody plants tested in this study have shown promise for use in saline habitats. This study was conducted to assess the effects of amendment treatments (peat, pulp waste, agriboost, a combination of pulp waste and fly ash, and mineral fertilizer) on the early growth of three hybrid poplar clones and three coniferous species. Twelve-week and 18-week container-grown hybrid poplar clones and coniferous species, respectively, were monitored for 12 weeks in pot culture in both composite tailings (CTs) and tailings sand (TS) materials obtained from the oil sands plant, Syncrude Canada Ltd., Ft. McMurray, Alberta. These substrates with low nutrients, organic matter, and water-holding capacities, were amended with different organic materials at different rates. Growth, as assessed by the volume increment in both substrates, was generally better for the first 6 weeks than for the last 6 weeks. Growth was reduced during the last 6 weeks due to nutrient depletion over time in these impoverished substrates. Overall, for both substrates, the mineral fertilizer, 20%, 40% and 60% peat were the best amendments treatments for poplar clones with NM-6 being the most productive clone. For coniferous species, 20% and 40% pulp or peat appear to be the best amendment treatments, with lodgepole pine being the most productive species. The inflexion point of the regression functions were found around 30% rate of the amendment materials. The results also indicated that peat and pulp waste were the best amendment treatments for both hybrid poplars and coniferous species whereas the agriboost and mix (combination of pulp waste and fly ash) were the worst.

Canada↗
PubMed2004

Carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus mineralization in two soils amended with distillery yeast.

The possibility of using yeast from alcohol distilleries as a source of nutrients in soil was investigated. The following treatments were used: no fertilization (control), 0.5% (w/w) yeast, 1% (w/w) yeast, and NPK. The decomposition of yeast was monitored for 90 days in two soils. The CO2 production and the microbial biomass were increased by an average of 1- to 3-fold by yeast incorporation compared to control. Protease activity also was enhanced 3- to 8-fold in the soils supplemented with yeast compared to control. The phosphatase activities were higher than control only during the first days. While nitrate contents increased in all treatments compared to control, available P only increased in the soils amended with 1% yeast or NPK by 45-119% and 309-489%, respectively. These results indicate that there exists an excellent potential for the use of yeast in the soil as a source of nitrate and available P for plant nutrition.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2005

Fear of negative evaluation and eating attitudes: a replication and extension study.

OBJECTIVE: Preliminary research has found a link between restrictive eating attitudes and a fear of negative evaluation (FNE). However, such work has focused exclusively on these fears in relation to people in general. The current study sought to replicate and extend these findings by exploring links between restriction and FNE in relation to close friends and relatives. METHOD: Ninety-one young women completed two versions of the short Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale (FNE). First, they completed the standard scale (in relation to people in general), and then an amended version (in relation to close friends and relatives). Next, they completed the three eating-related subscales of the Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI). RESULTS: For the whole group, both general and close FNE were significantly and positively correlated with restrictive (drive for thinness and body dissatisfaction), but not with bulimic attitudes. However, only general FNE had significant individual predictive power on restrictive attitudes when these two forms of FNE were entered into a regression analysis. DISCUSSION: Among nonclinical populations, negative evaluation fears regarding people in general are linked with restrictive but not with bulimic psychopathology.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Bioaccumulation of trace elements in a wild grass three years after the Aznalcóllar mine spill (South Spain).

In this paper, we surveyed the concentration of nine trace elements (As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Tl and Zn) in bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) 3 years after the mine spill in Aznalcóllar (south Spain). The results were compared with those that had been obtained for the same species in a previous study, 18 months after the accident. Three types of soil condition were determined: i) unaffected soils (UN, control); ii) cleaned up and amended soils (A, amended); and (iii) non-amended soils, inaccessible to the clean-up and remediation operations (NA, non-amended). The trace element concentrations in the plants were lower than those reported in the first sampling for both washed (plant tissues) and unwashed plants (as consumed by herbivores). Apart from Cd, trace elements concentrations (plant tissues) were similar in the A and the UN soils. In the NA soils, the Cd, Fe, Mn, Zn and Pb levels in unwashed plants were excessive for animal consumption. This wild grass seems to be suitable as a soil stabilizer for spill affected soils and as a biomonitor for soil pollution by some trace elements (As, Cu and Zn); however, its potential for phytoextraction is negligible.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗