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A combination of the suspended carrier biofilm process and the activated sludge process (biofilm-activated sludge -- BAS) has been shown to be very successful for the treatment of different types of pulp and paper mill effluents. The robust biofilm pre-treatment in combination with activated sludge results in a stable, compact and highly efficient process. Recent findings have shown that nutrient limited operation of the biofilm process greatly improves the sludge characteristics in the following activated sludge stage, while minimising sludge production and effluent discharge of nutrients. The nutrient limited BAS process was implemented at full scale at the Södra Cell Värö kraft mill and taken into operation in July 2002. After start-up and optimisation over about 5 months, the process meets all effluent discharge limits. The removal of COD is close to 70% and the removal of EDTA greater than 90%. Typical effluent concentrations of suspended solids and nutrients during stable operations have been 20-30 mg/L TSS, 0.3-0.5 mg/L phosphorus and 3-5 mg/L nitrogen. The sludge production was 0.09 kgSS/kg COD removed and the sludge volume index was 50-100 mL/g. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of neutrophil b-cytochrome translocation on the respiratory burst activation generated during phagocytosis of yeast particles was investigated. Secretion of neutrophil specific granules was induced by the calcium ionophore ionomycin prior to phagocytosis. The secretory process is associated with a translocation from the specific granules to the plasma membrane of the respiratory burst b-cytochrome. Respiratory burst activity was measured as release of hydrogen peroxide in the absence of azide (extracellular leakage) and in the presence of azide (total production). The subcellular localization of the b-cytochrome was found to affect the extracellular release of hydrogen peroxide in that a plasma membrane localization was associated with a significantly increased release during phagocytosis. It should be pointed out, however, that most of the hydrogen peroxide, both in control and in ionomycin-treated cells, is produced intracellularly, probably in the phagosomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fifty two serum samples from patients with Crohn's disease, 24 from patients with ulcerative colitis, and 12 from patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis were analysed for the presence of anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibodies (ANCA) of IgG and IgA class by means of enzyme linked immunosorbent assays using lactoferrin, myeloperoxidase, and antigen extracted from azurophil granules, 'alpha antigen' (that is, an antigen preparation containing proteinase 3) as substrates. A high frequency of positive tests for IgG anti-lactoferrin antibodies was found in sera from patients with ulcerative colitis (50%) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (50%). In Crohn's disease only 4 of 52 (8%) sera had anti-lactoferrin antibodies--in all four instances the sera belonged to patients with disease involving the colon. All patients with sclerosing cholangitis and positive tests for anti-lactoferrin had ulcerative colitis. Low levels of IgG antibodies against myeloperoxidase or alpha antigen were also found occasionally in sera from patients with ulcerative colitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis. IgA antibodies directed against lactoferrin and alpha antigen (but not myeloperoxidase) were seen in all three conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]