Search

Drinking water bacteria are known to colonize commercial activated carbon block (ACB) point-of-use (PoU) drinking water filters. The breakthrough pattern of drinking water bacteria through these filters, however, is unclear. A manifold system was constructed with two of the most common filter brands in the U.S. and operated to simulate normal household diurnal use. The filters were fed tap water inoculated with two fluorescent-tagged bacterial species that were acclimated to drinking water conditions (GFP-Pseudomonas aeruginosaand mCherry-Escherichia coli). Separate breakthrough tests with abiotic fluorescent microspheres (1 μm) were also conducted. The fluorescent P. aeruginosaand E. colistrains were detected in filter effluent within the first 6 and 28 L processed, respectively. The fluorescent microspheres were also detected in the effluent within the first 6 L processed, indicating that preferential flow pathways with diameters larger than 1 μm allow influent particles to transit the entire thickness of the carbon block. P. aeruginosabroke through the filters more quickly than E. coli, possibly due to its smaller cell size. P. aeruginosaalso displayed greater colonization advantages over E. coli, and its effluent cell number plateaued at levels two times the influent level. This study provides evidence that some bacteria, including species known to include opportunistic and enteric pathogenic strains, can be readily transmitted through solid block activated carbon filters and that these filters can elevate the levels of effective colonizers in drinking water.

In April 2014, Flint, MI switched its drinking water source from water treated in Detroit to Flint River water without applying corrosion control. This caused lead and other metals to leach into drinking water. To mitigate lead exposure, Flint began to replace lead service lines and galvanized iron service lines in March 2016. In this study, the short- and long-term impact of service line replacement on Flint drinking water quality was investigated. In particular, lead and other metal concentrations, chlorine residual, and levels of select microbial populations were examined before and two and five weeks after SL replacement in water collected from 17 Flint homes. Overall, lead levels in premise plumbing water did not change significantly within five weeks of replacement, however, significant reductions were observed two weeks after service line replacement in flushed samples representative of distribution system water (pre-replacement median = 0.98 μg L−1; two-week post-replacement median = 0.11 μg L−1). Multiple sequential samplings from one Flint residence before and 11 months after service line replacement revealed large reductions in lead levels in all samples, indicating long-term benefits of service line replacement. Cadmium was also detected at levels at or above the federal maximum contaminant level. Microbial analyses established that 100%, 21%, and 52% of samples had quantifiable concentrations of total bacteria, Legionellaspp., and Mycobacteriumspp. as measured by quantitative PCR, while Legionella pneumophilawas not detected in any samples. Our results provide evidence that both lead service line and galvanized service line replacement benefit consumers in the long term by reducing drinking water lead concentrations, while short-term advantages of service line replacement in sites with prior lead seeding of in-home plumbing are less apparent.

ABSTRACTLoss of ovarian hormones is associated with increased adiposity, white adipose tissue (WAT) inflammation, and insulin resistance (IR). Previous work demonstrated ovariectomized (OVX) rats bred for high aerobic fitness (HCR) are protected against weight gain and IR compared to rats bred for low aerobic fitness (LCR) yet wheel running prevents OVX-induced IR in LCR rats. The purpose of this study was to determine whether adipose tissue immunometabolic characteristics from female HCR and LCR rats differs before or after OVX, and whether wheel running mitigates OVX-induced adipose tissue immunometabolic changes in LCR rats. Female OVX HCR and LCR rats were all fed a high fat diet (HFD) (n = 7–8/group) and randomized to either a running wheel or remain sedentary for 11 weeks. Ovary-intact rats (n = 7–12/group) were fed a standard chow diet with no wheel. Ovary-intact LCR rats had a greater visceral WAT inflammatory profile compared to HCR. Following OVX, sedentary LCR rats had greater serum leptin (p<0.001) and WAT inflammation (p<0.05) than sedentary HCR. Wheel running normalized the elevated serum leptin and reduced both visceral (p<0.05) and subcutaneous (p<0.03) WAT inflammatory markers in the LCR rats. Paradoxically, wheel running increasedsome markers of WAT inflammation in OVX HCR rats (p<0.05), which correlated with observed weight gain. Taken together, HCR rats appear to have a healthier WAT immune and metabolic profile compared to LCR, even following OVX. Wheel running improves WAT health in previously sedentary LCR rats. On the other hand, increased WAT inflammation is associated with adiposity gaindespite a high volume of wheel running in HCR rats.

Activated carbon block (ACB)-based point-of-use (PoU) drinking water filters are widely used to remove residual disinfectant, heavy metals, and disinfection by-products (DBPs) from household tap water. The filters are not designed to remove bacteria, which can grow in the filter. Based on previous research, we hypothesized that more biofilm would form in PoU filters due to the presence of chlorinated phenolic DBPs, resulting in higher bacterial concentrations in filtered water. Therefore, studies were conducted by operating a manifold system with three sets of ACB PoU filters that received chloraminated tap water spiked with (50 and 100 ng L−1added) and without (0 ng L−1added) pentachlorophenol (PCP) as a surrogate chlorinated phenolic DBP. After processing 85% of the manufacturer's recommended water volume, effluent heterotrophic plate counts plateaued at levels up to 100 times greater than influent counts. The upstream filter fabric developed a significant biofilm that lightened with increasing PCP concentration; however, the overall biofilm mass was not different between treatments. Influent, effluent, and fabric samples had distinct bacterial community structures, and the structure of effluent communities was more similar to that of fabric communities than that of influent communities. The bacterial community structure changed across the filter primarily due to the filter environment itself, while PCP effects were subtle yet significant. The relative abundance of Mycobacteriumincreased within fabric biofilms when PCP was added, and the absolute abundance was estimated to increase in the effluent relative to the influent. In conclusion, ACB PoU filters significantly alter the bacterial abundance and composition of drinking water.

Among professionals a need exists to compile benchmark data in all areas for the field of aquatics. To address this need, the questionnaire “Benchmarking Study for Campus Aquatic Programs” was created and distributed to NIRSA members. The questionnaire focuses on gathering data related to aquatic staff, facilities, and programs. Results indicate that the job responsibilities and certifications for hourly staff positions are similar across institutions. Pay rates for each hourly position are not unanimous for each position, but rather have a range that was common. Programming questions address available pool time and how it is divided among various activities. This article presents the collected data to establish benchmark statistics for the aquatics community with the intent that it be used as guidelines or benchmarks by aquatic professionals and decision makers in the development of recreational aquatics programs.

Latex particle deposition kinetics in granular quartz beds were compared with and without surface-active agents to evaluate the effects of surface heterogeneities. Hydrophobic regions or metal oxide impurities were masked with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) or phosphate, respectively. Deposition rates exhibited a remarkable ionic strength sensitivity in the presence of 10^-3 M SDS that was similar to unfavorable filtration predictions using DI,VO theory. The strong influence of SDS on particle deposition rates indirectly suggests that particle attachment is enhanced by uncharged, hydrophobic regions of the latex or quartz. Phosphate had little effect on either electrophoretic mobilities or particle deposition rates. Copyright 1994, 1999 Academic Press

Details the steps which were taken in the process of hiring a Director of Pastoral Care for a 274-bed acute care regional referral center in southern Alberta, Canada. Stresses the importance of anchoring the hiring process steps within a relevant context. Offers recommendations for hospitals and clergy faced with a similar project.

Within the past few years, considerable progress has been made in the understanding of the molecular genetics of methane and methanol oxidation. In order to summarize this progress and to illustrate the important genetic methods employed, this review will focus on several well-studied organisms. These organisms include the gramnegative faculative methylotrophsMethylobacterium extorquens, Methylobacterium organophilum andParacoccus denitrificans. In addition, the obligate methanotrophsMethylococcus capsulatus andMethylosinus trichosporium are discussed. We have chosen not to discuss the genetics of methanol oxidation in the yeasts or in gram-positive bacteria. Likewise, the genetics of related topics (for example, methylamine oxidation and carbon assimilation pathways) are not reviewed here. Broad host range conjugatable plasmids have enabled researchers to complement mutations and clone genes from gram-negative methylotrophic bacteria. More recently, ‘promoter probe’ derivative plasmids have been used to elucidate aspects of gene regulation. Also, alternative gene-cloning techniques are proving useful in circumventing problems in the genetic studies of the obligate methanotrophs, the group of bacteria that is the most refractory to traditional methods.

From 1900 to 1916, the demographic makeup of the United States changed radically due to the heavy influx of people from Southern and Eastern Europe, and the schools, in particular, felt the impact of this immigration. Many music educators, like their colleagues in general education, found themselves facing an increasingly multicultural classroom for the first time. As a result of their efforts to help Americanize their immigrant students, music educators gradually came to know and accept folk songs and dances from many European countries and to make use of musics from these countries in music appreciation classes. Also during this period, some of the musics of Native Americans and African Americans were introduced into the music curriculum. Including these folk musics in the American school music curriculum resulted in an increased musical diversity that perhaps marked the beginnings of multicultural music education in the public schools.

In 1967, secretary-general of ISME Egon Kraus challenged music educators to become multicultural in their perspective, a challenge spurred on by the Tanglewood Symposium. Music educators in the United States have long been interested in the musics of other cultures. Often they have learned about these musics and how to implement them in the classroom through the pages of theMusic Educators Journal (MEJ). TheMEJ has covered multicultural perspectives in music through its articles, special issues, book reviews, and reports from MENC conferences and symposia. A study of theMEJ from 1967 to 1992 revealed the growth of multicultural music education. During the 1970s, a greater depth of interest in, and knowledge about, world musics developed. Throughout the 1980s, this initial interest grew steadily into a need for methods and materials for the implementation of multicultural music studies in the classroom, as did the need for teacher training in these musics. A formal declaration of commitment to multicultural music education was adopted at the MENC Multicultural Symposium in 1990, leading to a broad world perspective for music education. The threeMEJ special focus issues on multicultural music education epitomized each of these growth areas.

The article offers news briefs in the U.S. The 80-year-old McGraw-Hill financial journal Business Week is for sale due to its decreasing revenue. The comment of Rupert Murdoch that there will be no changes that will accompany with his purchase of Dow Jones & Co. Inc. is criticized. The Business Wire offers tips and tools for press release and feature writing.

The article provides business information on Brazil, one of the four countries of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China). Between January and August 2007, Brazil's central bank reported the growth of foreign portfolio investments by three times to $33.3 billion. Brazil ranks second, after the US, in terms of ethanol production. Ethanol is a biofuel that has accelerating demand all over the world. According to the author, factors that hinders the actualization of the nation's potential include fear of crime and corruption. Meanwhile, the "2007 Score Card," done by the Economist Intelligence Unit for the Latin American Venture Capital Association (LAVCA), notes that Brazil places second in the region when it comes to business environment.

The article presents an interview with John Ganly. When asked regarding his opinion on Science, Industry and Business Library (SIBL), he shares that it is probably the best accessible business information facility in the world. When asked about disclosure, he totally agrees on its rewards. When inquired on who uses SIBL, he reveals that the library serves 1700 people a day.

The surface-charge characteristics of viruses in water can strongly influence their behavior with respect to physicochemical processes like coagulation and filtration. In the past, characterization of this surface charge by whole-particle microelectrophoresis has been limited to relatively large viruses, primarily due to difficulties in visualizing the individual virus particles. Here, we demonstrate a new approach for performing microelectrophoresis measurements which permits the surface characterization of even very small viruses. Our approach differs from conventional microelectrophoresis measurements in that virus particles are visualized by light scattering, employing a green laser (wavelength = 544 nm) as the light source. We demonstrate this technique by characterizing the electrophoretic mobilities and isoelectric points of two viruses—bacteriophage MS-2 and lambda (λ strain cI47)—which differ in their shape and size. Copyright 1995, 1999 Academic Press

The article focuses on the increasing importance of mobile library services. It says that mobile business has recently become a lifestyle, wherein researchers through mobile platforms are regularly requesting assistance for reports on various topics including news, marketing and wireless advertising. It cites several internet services that provide useful information to researchers including MediaPost, MillennialMedia and the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau.

The article lists several real estate industry information that can be found in various web sites including www.bea.gov, www.ofheo.gov/, and www.europe-re.com.

A preface is presented to articles published in the January 2007 issue of "Business Information Alert" periodical.

Cites several ways offered for entrepreneurs in organizing their business in Ohio. Sole proprietorship; General partnership; Joint venture; Limited liability partnership; Corporation; Limited liability company.

Discusses the importance of title insurance for businesses. Information about title insurance; Contractual obligations in the part of the title insurer created by a title insurance policy; Overview on risks covered by the standard insuring provisions of a title insurance policy.

The clinical course of 55 back-transported (BT) infants was compared with that of 49 infants who remained at a regional peri natal center for convalescent care (NT). Although the mean birth-weight and mean gestational age of the BT infants was significantly less than that of NT infants (BT = 1614±522 gms and 32±2.7 wks, NT = 1902±626 and 33.1±2.5; p <0.05), the two groups did not differ in the incidence of respiratory disease, infectious complications, hyperbilirubinemia, patent ductus arteriosus, intraventricular hemorrhage, necrotizing enterocolitis, or days of assisted ventilation. The mean daily weight gain of the BT infants was significantly greater than that of the NT infants (BT=26±11 gms, NT=16.6±12, p<.001). Four BT infants were retransferred to NICUs prior to discharge. The BT infants exhibited a significantly greater number (p<.05) of new cardiovascular problems after transport. Following transfer, the BT infants did not demonstrate increased oxygen needs or increased incidence of feeding intolerance (emesis, abdominal distention, gastric residuals). No change in the frequency or nature of episodes of apnea and bradycardia occurred among the BT group. A comparison of the incidence of new respiratory, GI, metabolic, neurologic, infectious, and miscellaneous problems revealed no statistical difference between the two groups. We concluded that, when practiced within our regional perinatal system, back transport was safe.