RESUMEN
A study was performed based on the design of a new wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) to be built in Weesp, The Netherlands (about 46,000 Population Equivalents (PE)). The conventional activated sludge plant was considered among the alternatives, with and without primary sedimentation. This pre-treatment technique is considered a sustainability measure as it improves the energy balance of the WWTP. However, at the same time, the question arose about the cost effectiveness of this measure. The scope of the study was to assess whether other sustainability measures (like solar panels) can realise the same level of sustainability with lower costs. The outcome of the study indeed shows that, for a new WWTP, it is considerably cheaper to avoid primary sedimentation and focus on other measures like solar panels instead. This appeared not only to be the case for the scale of WWTP Weesp, but also for WWTPs with capacities higher than 500,000 PE. For existing WWTPs with primary sedimentation, the choice can be different as customisation is necessary.
Asunto(s)
Eliminación de Residuos Líquidos/métodos , Aguas Residuales/análisis , Países Bajos , Aguas del Alcantarillado , Eliminación de Residuos Líquidos/economíaRESUMEN
Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) is a soluble pentameric protein expressed in cartilage and involved in collagen organization. Tissue microarrays derived from two cohorts of patients with breast cancer (n=122 and n=498) were immunostained, revealing varying expression of COMP, both in the tumor cells and surrounding stroma. High levels of COMP in tumor cells correlated, independently of other variables, with poor survival and decreased recurrence-free survival. Breast cancer cells, MDA-MB-231, stably expressing COMP were injected into the mammary fat pad of SCID (CB-17/Icr-Prkdcscid/Rj) mice. Tumors expressing COMP were significantly larger and were more prone to metastasize as compared with control, mock-transfected, tumors. In vitro experiments confirmed that COMP-expressing cells had a more invasive phenotype, which could in part be attributed to an upregulation of matrix metalloprotease-9. Furthermore, microarray analyses of gene expression in tumors formed in vivo showed that COMP expression induced higher expression of genes protecting against endoplasmic reticulum stress. This observation was confirmed in vitro as COMP-expressing cells showed better survival as well as a higher rate of protein synthesis when treated with brefeldin A, compared with control cells. Further, COMP-expressing cells appeared to undergo a metabolic switch, that is, a Warburg effect. Thus, in vitro measurement of cell respiration indicated decreased mitochondrial metabolism. In conclusion, COMP is a novel biomarker in breast cancer, which contributes to the severity of the disease by metabolic switching and increasing invasiveness and tumor cell viability, leading to reduced survival in animal models and human patients.
Asunto(s)
Neoplasias de la Mama/etiología , Neoplasias de la Mama/metabolismo , Proteína de la Matriz Oligomérica del Cartílago/metabolismo , Transformación Celular Neoplásica/metabolismo , Animales , Apoptosis/genética , Biomarcadores de Tumor , Neoplasias de la Mama/mortalidad , Neoplasias de la Mama/patología , Proteína de la Matriz Oligomérica del Cartílago/genética , Adhesión Celular/genética , Línea Celular , Membrana Celular/metabolismo , Movimiento Celular/genética , Modelos Animales de Enfermedad , Retículo Endoplásmico/metabolismo , Estrés del Retículo Endoplásmico , Femenino , Expresión Génica , Perfilación de la Expresión Génica , Xenoinjertos , Humanos , Inmunohistoquímica , Metaloproteinasa 9 de la Matriz/genética , Metaloproteinasa 9 de la Matriz/metabolismo , Ratones SCID , Metástasis de la Neoplasia , Fosforilación Oxidativa , Pronóstico , Modelos de Riesgos Proporcionales , RecurrenciaRESUMEN
The (low loaded) biological nutrient removing activated sludge process is the generally accepted and applied municipal wastewater treatment method in the Netherlands. The hydraulical and biological flexibility, robustness and cost efficiency of the process for advanced removal of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus without (too much) chemicals results in a wide application of the activated sludge process within Dutch waterboards. Presumably, wastewater treatment plants will have to contribute to the improvement of the quality of the receiving surface waters by producing cleaner effluent. In this perspective, the Dutch research organisation STOWA initiated a research project entitled "The Boundaries of the Activated Sludge Process" to investigate the possibilities and limitations of activated sludge processes to improve the effluent quality. It is concluded that the activated sludge process as applied and operated at WWTP's in the Netherlands has the potential to perform even better than the current effluent discharge standards (10 mg Ntotal/l and 1 mg Ptotal/l). Reaching the B-quality effluent (<5mg Ntotal/l and <0.3 mg Ptotal/l) will be possible at almost all WWTPs without major adjustments under the conditions that: the sludge load is below 0.06 kg BOD/kg TSS.d the internal recirculation is above 20 the BOD/N ratio of the influent is above 3. Complying with the A-quality effluent (<2.2 Ntotal/l and <0.15 mg Ptotal/l) seems to be difficult (but not impossible) and requires more attention and insight into the activated sludge process. Optimisation measures to reach the A-quality effluent are more thorough and are mostly only achievable by additional construction works (addition of activated sludge volume, increasing recirculation capacity, etc.). It is furthermore concluded that the static HSA-results are comparable to the dynamic ASM-results. So, for fast determinations of the limits of technology of different activated sludge processes static modelling seems to by sufficient.
Asunto(s)
Aguas del Alcantarillado , Modelos TeóricosRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to identify possible differences between chronic pain patients (consumers) and persons with chronic pain lasting > 1 year who had not consulted a doctor because of the pain during the last year (nonconsumers). Group differences were studied from the perspective of a stress-response model and a taxometric approach to chronic pain. METHODS: Both samples were compared on data acquired through questionnaires. Data-reduction techniques were applied. RESULTS: Nonconsumers differ from patients who are still seeking a medical solution for their pain problem. These differences are reflected in lower levels of distorted cognition, less pain-related distress, higher activity levels, and higher levels of internal orientation. Furthermore, nonconsumers used fewer analgesics. CONCLUSIONS: Nonconsumers appear to lead a "better life" with pain than do chronic pain patients who still wish to lead a life without pain. The idea of having learned to live with pain can be very meaningful and could cause a change in quality of life (QOL). We suggest that this may be a very legitimate goal for interventions.
Asunto(s)
Dolor/psicología , Pacientes/psicología , Adaptación Psicológica , Adolescente , Adulto , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Análisis de Varianza , Cognición/fisiología , Femenino , Humanos , Control Interno-Externo , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Dimensión del Dolor , Psicometría , Calidad de Vida , Factores SocioeconómicosRESUMEN
The high-performance liquid chromatography of soybean trypsin inhibitor is re-examined by using simultaneous optical activity and ultraviolet absorption detection. Ratio plots of the two detector responses allow easy identification of impurities that are not related to the protein. The specific rotations of each of the separated components can be derived. We find that one denatured form has a distinctly lower specific rotation while another form shows no change in specific rotation. The on-column denaturation rate here was found to be slower than that from previous work. Column pretreatment may have resulted in milder column conditions through the elimination of irreversibly adsorbing sites.