Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Extraction and Processing Industry”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 991 records · Page 55Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Hydrogeological research: beginning of the end or end of the beginning?

This paper uses citation data to assess whether articles published in key ground water journals such as Ground Water (GW) and Water Resources Research (WRR) are impacting research. Citation information was obtained from SCI Journal Citation Reports and The Web of Science--databases maintained by the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI). Information extracted from The Web of Science was processed further to remove corrections to papers, discussion/replies, and book reviews. Generally, there are many ground water papers published, but citations of these papers are limited. Approximately 10% to 15% of WRR articles, and 2% to 3% of GW articles attract more than 50 citations in their lifetimes. In both GW and WRR, the top 10% of papers eventually will contribute nearly half of the total yearly citations. Another emerging trend is a diminishing emphasis on citations to new work as compared to work more than 10 years in age. When articles in Ground Water or Journal of Hydrology cite papers in Water Resources Research, those papers cite work 10 or more years old half of the time. If one believes that citations are a measure of science impact, then there is cause for concern. Research is inefficient with much produced for little gain. On a typical industrial life-cycle curve, ground water research is likely ranked as mature and close to aging. At this stage, much work will have been completed and the number of truly impactful problems will have dwindled to just a few.

Diffusion of Innovation↗
PubMed2001

Removal of chromium from aqueous solution by complexation-ultrafiltration using a water-soluble macroligand.

A process for purifying waste waters containing heavy and toxic metal such as chromium has been studied. A batch complexation-ultrafiltration process was used to concentrate and recover chromium from sulphate solution. As the chromium ions are too small to be retained by the filter, they are first complexed with a water-soluble macroligand (polyethylene-imine). Factors affecting the rejection rate and permeate flux such as pH, concentration ligand, chloride and sulphate concentration, membrane pore size, applied pressure and extraction factor were investigated. Best operating conditions can be obtained in order to achieve high levels of removal (> 95%). Then, decomplexation is obtained so that metal can be separated from macroligand by a second ultrafiltration plant to reuse the macroligand.

Chlorides↗
PubMed2006

A process for solvent/detergent treatment of plasma for transfusion at blood centers that use a disposable-bag system.

BACKGROUND: Solvent/detergent (S/D) inactivates enveloped viruses in plasma. The current technology requires a plasma fractionation facility and is applied to large plasma pools, which increases the cost and risks of exposure to S/D-resistant pathogens and lowers the content of protein S and alpha2-antiplasmin. Two S/D treatment procedures for single donations or minipools of plasma have been developed with a single-use bag system. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Frozen plasma samples were thawed and treated in disposable bags with either 2 percent tri(n-butyl)phosphate (TnBP) at 37 degrees C or 1 percent TnBP and 1 percent Triton X-45 at 31 degrees C for 4 hours. Plasma samples were extracted three times with 7.5 percent sterile castor oil to remove TnBP and Triton X-45. The TnBP-treated plasma samples were further subjected to a clarifying centrifugation (3800 x g, 30 min). Final plasma samples were dispensed into individual bags and frozen at -30 degrees C. Plasma quality was assessed at each step of the procedures. RESULTS: Both processes yielded greater than 90 percent mean recovery of coagulation factors (clottable fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor, and factors VIII, V, VII, IX, X, and XI), anticoagulants (protein C, protein S), protease inhibitors (antithrombin, alpha2-antiplasmin), total protein, albumin, and immunoglobulins. Global coagulation tests of the treated plasma samples were normal. Final TnBP and Triton X-45 content was less than 10 and 50 ppm, respectively. CONCLUSION: S/D treatment of plasma can be performed in a closed-bag system under conditions that maintain plasma protein quality. The technology is simple, presents advantages over the industrial large-scale S/D plasma process, and could be performed in blood centers.

Blood Banks↗
PubMed2004

Ensilage of cardboard and date palm leaves.

Eight treatments of cardboard (CB) and date palm leaves (DPL) with or without alkali treatments plus molasses, dates, and ammonium sulfate were ensiled in laboratory silos. Latobacillus plantarum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae inoculants were added at an application rate of 10(5) cfu/g of silage to study their possible influence on the fermentation process. Silos were sealed and incubated at 30 degrees C. The anaerobic ensiling was evaluated for chemical and microbiological variables by opening the silos after 30, 60, and 90 days. After 90 days, significantly low pH values (5.2-3.5) were obtained. The percentages of hemicellulose, cellulose, lignin, and ash were determined. Concentrations of reducing sugars, ether extract, and crude protein tended to be acceptable among treatments. Silages showed a significantly high lactic acid concentration (up to 4.3%) and only traces of butyric acid (below 1%). Also changes in acetic and propionic acids concentrations were determined. Lactobacillus populations remained almost static while yeast and molds populations tended to be lower after 90 days of ensilage. Neither alkali treatment nor microbial inoculants showed a relationship with the ensiling process. Thus, overall, it was concluded that CB and DPL can be effectively ensiled and the resultant silages are acceptable to merit their use as ruminant feed in arid regions.

Ammonium Sulfate↗
PubMed2002

Stimulation of alkaline phosphatase activity in Ishikawa cells induced by various phytoestrogens and synthetic estrogens.

Xenoestrogens, phytoestrogens and synthetic estrogens, are able to bind to estrogen receptors, and to mimic estrogenic activities in a cell and tissue specific manner. For the characterization of environmental estrogens mainly mammary derived and yeast based models have been used. The aim of this study was therefore to assess selected natural and synthetic compounds in an endometrial derived model. We measured the relative estrogenic potency of phytoestrogens (genistein, daidzein, coumestrol, some naringenins), synthetic estrogens (bisphenol A, octylphenol, nonylphenol, o,p'-DDT), mycoestrogen (zearalanone) as well as extracts of Cimicifuga racemosa on alkaline phosphatase (AlkP) activity in the endometrial derived adenocarcinoma cell line Ishikawa. We used a modified multiwell plate in vitro bioassay based on the estrogen-specific and dose-dependent enhancement of AlkP activity in this cell line. Estradiol, which induced AlkP at levels as low as 10(-8)M, was used as positive control. Most of the compounds studied showed a clear dose-dependent estrogenic effect. Compared to the vehicle control (ethanol) all phyto- and mycoestrogens, stimulated the AlkP activity 2-4-fold at a concentration of 10(-6)M. The synthetic chemicals bisphenol A and nonylphenol showed an effect at 10(-6)M, octylphenol at 10(-5)M. Effects of o,p'-DTT could not be measured. ICI 182,780, a pure estrogen receptor antagonist, significantly inhibited these effects. The latter result demonstrated the estrogen receptor dependency of this process. In summary, most of the phytoestrogens and industrial chemicals tested, behaved as estrogen receptor agonists in terms of the stimulation of AlkP activity.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗
PubMed1999

[Grape sugar manufacture assays under Premier Empire].

The Continental Blockade was established by the Decree of Berlin (1806). Scientists, manufacturers, and politicians were interested in grape sugar as a substitute for cane sugar. Grape sugar had been extracted and refined by Proust (1754-1826), in Spain, on a laboratory scale. He was invited by the Government to search a way of producing grape sugar on an industrial scale. As a scientist, he accompanied manufacturers in their assays. The matter is closed about 1811. It throws light on aspects of scientist's relationship, and part of authorities in the birth and failure of an agricultural industry. It signs the transition from an economic system directed by the Government to a system managed by manufactuers. This story forcasts the partition between scientists and manufacturers which will increase in France during all the century. As his compatriot Volney, Proust was an ideologue, searching for basic, general laws and useful science.

Food Supply↗
PubMed2005

Effect of household processing and unit-to-unit variability of pyrifenox, pyridaben, and tralomethrin residues in tomatoes.

Residue levels of pyrifenox, pyridaben, and tralomethrin were determined in unprocessed and processed tomatoes, grown in a experimental greenhouse, to evaluate the effect of three different household processes (washing, peeling, and cooking) and the "unit to unit" variability of these pesticides in tomatoes. The study was carried out on 11 greenhouse tomato samples collected during a 5 week period in which two successive treatments with the studied pesticides were applied. Residue levels in unprocessed and processed tomato samples were determined by means of ethyl acetate extraction and gas chromatography-electron capture detection determination. The washing processing factor results were 0.9 +/- 0.3 for pyridaben, 1.1 +/- 0.3 for pyrifenox, and 1.2 +/- 0.5 for tralomethrin, whereas the peeling processing factors were 0.3 +/- 0.2 for pyridaben and 0.0 +/- 0.0 for both pyrifenox and tralomethrin. The average loss of water in the tomato pure samples during the cooking process was approximately 50%; the cooking processing factors were 2.1 +/- 0.8 for pyridaben, 3.0 +/- 1.1 for pyrifenox, and 1.9 +/- 0.8 for tralomethrin. The unit-to-unit variability factors were determined on three different greenhouse samples analyzing 10 different units of unprocessed tomatoes from each sample. In all cases, the unit-to-unit variability factor results were within the range of 1.3-2.2.

Food Handling↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Analysis and evaluation of filter cartridge extractables for validation in pharmaceutical downstream processing.

This paper describes a comprehensive approach for the extractables analysis of filter cartridges used in pharmaceutical production processes. For the extraction of the cartridges, two model solvents (water and ethanol) and worst case conditions are used. The extracts of 8 cartridges from various filter manufacturers are analysed both in the original and the concentrated form to gain data about the high and low concentrated contaminants, implementing standard analytical techniques such as GC-MS, RP-HPLC, GPC and FT-IR. Degradation products and additives of the filter cartridge polymers are found to be the source of most of the extracted compounds. The concentrations of extractables are determined in the range of ppm to ppb per cartridge under the applied extraction conditions. The effect of rinsing the cartridges prior to use was studied, showing a reduction of the extractables even after small flush volumes.

Biocompatible Materials↗
PubMed1996

Bioprocessing of sweet sorghum with in situ-produced enzymes.

Enzyme-assisted ensiling (ENLAC), using in situ-produced enzymes from Gliocladium sp. TUB-F-498, preserved 80% of the sugar content of sweet sorghum, and facilitated its extraction by countercurrent diffusion. The in situ enzyme was produced on the extracted sweet sorghum pulp by an 8-d solid substrate fermentation (SSF) with a yield of 4.6 cellulase and 400 IU/g dry wt xylanase. Two percent of the fermented substrate had cellulase and xylanase levels equivalent or superior to levels found in the commercial enzymes Celluclast and Viscozyme Novo at the 0.025% application level in ENLAC. The in situ-production of enzymes on recyclable substrates may reduce bioprocessing costs significantly. In this ENLAC process, the cost of the in situ enzymes is estimated to be about $0.12/MT substrate, compared to $9.5/metric ton (MT) for the commercial enzymes, a cost reduction of nearly 80-fold.

Biotechnology↗
PubMed1993

The price of gold: mercury exposure in the Amazonian rain forest.

Concern has surfaced over the recent discovery of human mercury exposure throughout the tropical rain forest of South America's Amazon River Basin. The probable source of mercury has been traced to gold mines located within the interior. The mining process involves the extraction of gold from ore by burning off a mercury additive, resulting in vaporization of elemental mercury into the surrounding environment. The purpose of this case series is to document mercury levels in miners and local villagers presenting with a history of exposure, or signs and symptoms consistent with mercury toxicity. Over a five year period (1986-91), the whole blood and urine mercury levels of 55 Brazilian patients demonstrating signs and symptoms consistent with mercury exposure were collected. Thirty-three (60%) of the subjects had direct occupational exposure to mercury via gold mining and refining. Whole blood mercury levels ranged from 0.4-13.0 micrograms/dL (mean 3.05 micrograms/dL). Spot urine levels ranged 0-151 micrograms/L (mean = 32.7 micrograms/L). Occupational mercury exposure is occurring in the Amazon River Basin. Interventions aimed at altering the gold mining process while protecting the workers and surrounding villagers from the source of exposure are essential. The impact of the gold mining industry on general environmental contamination has not been investigated.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

[The progress of the concentration technology of extract of traditional Chinese medicine].

The concentration of extract of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is one of the important unit operations that affect the quality of the pharmaceutical products. However, there are some problems to be solved. The concentration process has the shortages of relatively high temperature, relatively long time or low efficient, some losses of active and volatile ingredients, more operation steps, easy fouling and emission of waste water. In order to solve these problems, many new technologies and installations have been developed in the past thirty years, including suspension freeze-concentration, progressive freeze-concentration, single- or multi-effect evaporation with an external natural circulating flow, on-line preventing fouling evaporation with vapor-liquid-solid flow, reverse osmosis concentration, membrane distillation, osmotic distillation, macro-porous resin adsorption etc. The system of the extract of TCM is very complex. The extract includes water and alcohol extracts. The composition of TCM is made of active and inactive ingredients. Hence, it is necessary to master the features of every concentration technologies and installations, including their merits and demerits, flexibilities, degree of maturations of techniques and so on to get a wise choice for the industry applications. New concentration technologies and installations of the extract of TCM developed recently are reviewed in this paper. The characteristics of each method are analyzed and discussed in order to guide the industry applications. At the same time, the further research directions of concentration techniques of extract of TCM are also given.

Drugs, Chinese Herbal↗
PubMed1986

Mutagenic properties of spent bleaching liquors from sulphite pulps and a comparison with kraft pulp bleaching liquors.

Parameters influencing the mutagenic properties of spent bleaching liquors from sulphite pulps have been studied. In addition a comparison has been made between the properties of spent liquors from sulphite and kraft pulp bleaching. In the sulphite process the cooking base had no influence on the mutagenicity of the chlorination stage. In contrast, removing the extractives before chlorination especially for dissolving pulp resulted in an increase in mutagenic activity. The mutagenicity decreased significantly after substituting 40% of the chlorine with chlorine dioxide. Sequential addition of chlorine and chlorine dioxide resulted in higher activity than simultaneous or premixed chlorination as observed for liquors from kraft pulp. Increasing the pH of the extracts or addition of sulphur dioxide decreased the mutagenicity. Expressed as 10(7) revertants per kappa number and ton pulp the mutagenicity varied between 10 and 40 for sulphite pulp while the corresponding figures for kraft pulp were 100-225.

Chlorine↗
PubMed1997

Biotechnology: a special case for health technology assessment?

Many substances produced naturally in a wide range of living organisms have been identified to be of benefit in the treatment of human disease. Current health biotechnologies recreate DNA-recombinant cellular processes in laboratory settings to produce 'natural' therapeutics: these are potentially a step forward from traditional pharmacology which has developed synthetic analogues or sought to extract products from donor material. However, with increasing financial pressures, decision makers require evidence that the benefits of biotechnologies justify their costs. The challenges experienced when evaluating the cost-effectiveness of biotechnologies are explored with reference to three examples: HA-1A human monoclonal antibody, erythropoietin and DNase. Difficulties in economic evaluation are similar to those experienced with conventional pharmaceuticals: use of short-term clinical endpoints rather than meaningful health outcomes, the artificial nature of clinical trial protocols, and uncertainty about the applicability of economic data. However, early clinical and economic assessments are required by decision-makers, particularly where biotechnology products fill major gaps in therapy. The financial structure of biotechnology companies may limit movement towards adequate clinical and economic research for health technology assessment. Governments should negotiate with the industry to promote more relevant studies, and develop policies for the managed introduction of products as evidence on effectiveness and cost expands. New technologies often present additional costs requiring reallocation of existing resources. Careful resource planning is required so that cost-effective innovation are not denied to patients.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed2005

Tracking sources of unsaturated zone and groundwater nitrate contamination using nitrogen and oxygen stable isotopes at the Hanford site, Washington.

The nitrogen and oxygen isotopic compositions of nitrate in pore water extracts from unsaturated zone (UZ) core samples and groundwater samples indicate at least four potential sources of nitrate in groundwaters at the U.S. DOE Hanford Site in south-central Washington. Natural sources of nitrate identified include microbially produced nitrate from the soil column (delta15N of 4 - 8 per thousand, delta18O of -9 to 2 per thousand) and nitrate in buried caliche layers (delta15N of 0-8 per thousand, delta 18O of -6to 42 per thousand). Isotopically distinctindustrial sources of nitrate include nitric acid in low-level disposal waters (delta15N approximately per thousand, delta 18O approximately 23%o) per thousandnd co-contaminant nitrate in high-level radioactive waste from plutonium processing (6'5delta1of 8-33 % o, per thousand18delta oO -9 to 7%0). per thousandThe isotopic compositions of nitrate from 97 groundwater wells with concentrations up to 1290 mg/L NO3- have been analyzed. Stable isotope analyses from this study site, which has natural and industrial nitrate sources, provide a tool to distinguish nitrate sources in an unconfined aquiferwhere concentrations alone do not. These data indicate that the most common sources of high nitrate concentrations in groundwater at Hanford are nitric acid and natural nitrate flushed out of the UZ during disposal of low-level wastewater. Nitrate associated with high-level radioactive UZ contamination does not appear to be a major source of groundwater nitrate at this time.

Bacteria↗
PubMed2006

Properties of steel foundry electric arc furnace dust solidified/stabilized with Portland cement.

Electric arc furnace dust from steel production is generated in considerable amounts worldwide and needs to be treated as hazardous waste. The aim of this study was to investigate the properties of electric arc furnace dust solidified/stabilized by using Portland cement. Mortar and paste samples were prepared with varying waste-to-binder ratios between 0% and 90%. A comprehensive experimental program was designed including XRF characterization, setting time, unconfined compressive strength, and toxicity characteristics leaching procedure (TCLP), synthetic precipitation leaching procedure (SPLP), and acid neutralization capacity (ANC) tests. The results were evaluated in order to determine if the solidified /stabilized product can be disposed of at a landfill site with domestic waste or at a segregated landfill. The effect of using sand on S/S performance was also investigated. The results indicated that the solidification /stabilization process using PC helps the heavy metals to be bound in the cement matrix, but the TCLP leaching results exceeded the EPA landfilling limits. The SPLP leaching results conformed to the limits implying that the waste or S/S products can be disposed of at a segregated landfill; however the low ANC of the S/S products reveals that there may be leaching in the long-term. The sand used in the mortar samples adversely affected the S/S performance, causing higher heavy metal leaching levels, and lower pH levels in the leachate after the TCLP extraction than those measured in the leachate of the paste samples.

Dust↗
PubMed1999

Clastogenicity of chromium contaminated soil samples evaluated by Vicia root-micronucleus assay.

Chromium compounds have been known to be highly toxic in biological systems and to some individuals act as strong allergens. A chromium processing plant in Tianjin city has been abandoned for many years and the chromium residue has been dispersed into the nearby soil. This study was designed to detect the genotoxicity of contaminated soil samples collected at various distances of 100 to 1000 m from the source using the Vicia faba root micronucleus test. Water solutions extracted from the soil samples were used to treat the roots of the Vicia beans. Micronuclei frequencies observed from the root meristems were used to determine the degree of genotoxicity. Micronuclei frequencies of the contaminated soil samples show linear dose responses to chromium contents in the soil, which were inversely proportional to the distance from the source.

Biological Assay↗
PubMed2006

Biodegradation of short-chain n-alkanes in oil sands tailings under methanogenic conditions.

The biodegradation of a mixture of low molecular weight n-alkanes (C6, C7, C8, and C10) was assessed under methanogenic conditions using mature fine tailings (MFT) produced by the oil sands industry in Alberta, Canada. Microorganisms present in the MFT mineralized the added n-alkane mixture, producing 16.2 (+/- 0.3) or 20.5 (+/- 0.1) mmol of methane in the headspace of microcosms spiked with 0.2% or 0.5% w/v n-alkanes, respectively, during 29 weeks of incubation. The spiked n-alkanes biodegraded in the sequence C10 > C8 > C7 > C6. Degradation of 100% C10, 97% C8, 74% C7, and 44% C6 occurred in a mixture of n-alkanes in the MFT spiked at 0.2% after 25 weeks of incubation. The same pattern of biodegradation was also observed in the MFT spiked with 0.5% n-alkanes. Stoichiometric calculations confirmed the mineralization of the degraded n-alkanes to methane. This study showed that the short-chain n-alkanes, which comprise a significant portion of the unrecovered naphtha used in bitumen extraction and released into the settling basins, can be biodegraded into methane. These findings may influence decisions regarding extraction processes and long-term management of MFT, and they suggest that intrinsic, methanogenic metabolism of these n-alkanes may occur in other anoxic environments.

Alkanes↗
PubMed1998

Purchasing population health: aligning financial incentives to improve health outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To review the concept of population health, including its definition, measurement, and determinants, and to suggest an approach for aligning financial incentives toward this goal. DATA SOURCE, STUDY DESIGN, DATA EXTRACTION. Literature review, policy analysis PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The article presents the argument that a major reason for our slow progress toward health outcome improvement is that there is no operational definition of population health and that financial incentives are not aligned to this goal. Current attempts at process measures as indicators of quality or outcome are not adequate for the task. It is suggested that some measure of health-adjusted life expectancy be adopted for this purpose, and that integrated delivery systems and other agents responsible for nonmedical determinants be rewarded for improvement in this measure. This will require the development of an investment portfolio across the determinants of health based on relative marginal return to health, with horizontal integration strategies across sectoral boundaries. A 20-year three-phase development strategy is proposed, including components of research and acceptance, integrated health system implementation, and cross-sectoral integration. CONCLUSIONS: The U.S. healthcare system is a $1 trillion industry without a definition of its product. Until population outcome measures are developed and rewarded for, we will not solve the twenty-first century challenge of maximizing health outcome improvement for the resources available.

Cost-Benefit Analysis↗