Bioanalytical and chemical assessment of the disinfection by-product formation potential: Role of organic matter

Disinfection by-products (DBP) formed from natural organic matter and disinfectants like chlorine and chloramine may cause adverse health effects. Here, we evaluate how the quantity and quality of natural organic matter and other precursors influence the formation of DBPs during chlorination and chloramination using a comprehensive approach including chemical analysis of regulated and emerging DBPs, total organic halogen quantification, organic matter characterisation and bioanalytical tools. In vitro bioassays allow us to assess the hazard potential of DBPs early in the chain of cellular events, when the DBPs react with their molecular target(s) and activate stress response and defence mechanisms. Given the reactive properties of known DBPs, a suite of bioassays targeting reactive modes of toxic action including genotoxicity and sensitive early warning endpoints such as protein damage and oxidative stress were evaluated in addition to cytotoxicity. Coagulated surface water was collected from three different drinking water treatment plants, along with reverse osmosis permeate from a desalination plant, and DBP formation potential was assessed after chlorination and chloramination. While effects were low or below the limit of detection before disinfection, the observed effects and DBP levels increased after disinfection and were generally higher after chlorination than after chloramination, indicating that chlorination forms higher concentrations of DBPs or more potent DBPs in the studied waters. Bacterial cytotoxicity, assessed using the bioluminescence inhibition assay, and induction of the oxidative stress response were the most sensitive endpoints, followed by genotoxicity. Source waters with higher dissolved organic carbon levels induced increased DBP formation and caused greater effects in the endpoints related to DNA damage repair, glutathione conjugation/protein damage and the Nrf2 oxidative stress response pathway after disinfection. Fractionation studies indicated that all molecular weight fractions of organic carbon contributed to the DBP formation potential, with the humic rich fractions forming the greatest amount of DBPs, while the low molecular weight fractions formed more brominated DBPs due to the high bromide to organic carbon ratio. The presence of higher bromide concentrations also led to a higher fraction of brominated DBPs as well as proportionally higher effects. This study demonstrates how a suite of analytical and bioanalytical tools can be used to effectively characterise the precursors and formation potential of DBPs.     

Energy cultures: A framework for understanding energy behaviours

Achieving a ‘step-change’ in energy efficiency behaviours will require enhanced knowledge of behavioural drivers, and translation of this knowledge into successful intervention programmes. The ‘Energy Cultures’ conceptual framework aims to assist in understanding the factors that influence energy consumption behaviour, and to help identify opportunities for behaviour change. Building on a history of attempts to offer multi-disciplinary integrating models of energy behaviour, we take a culture-based approach to behaviour, while drawing also from lifestyles and systems thinking. The framework provides a structure for addressing the problem of multiple interpretations of ‘behaviour’ by suggesting that it is influenced by the interactions between cognitive norms, energy practices and material culture.     

The utility of intraindividual variability in selective attention tasks as an early marker for Alzheimer’s disease.

This study explored differences in intraindividual variability in 3 attention tasks across a large sample of healthy older adults and individuals with very mild dementia of the Alzheimer’s type (DAT). Three groups of participants (healthy young adults, healthy older adults, very mild DAT) were administered 3 experimental measures of attentional selection and switching (Stroop, Simon, task switching). The results indicated that a measure of intraindividual variability, coefficient of variation (CoV; SD/M), increased across age and early stage DAT. The CoV in Stroop discriminated the performance of ε4 carriers from noncarriers in healthy older controls and the CoV in task switching was correlated with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers predictive of DAT. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Modeling of an Unbonded CFRP Strap Shear Retrofitting System for Reinforced Concrete Beams

A retrofitting technique has been developed that uses carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) straps to increase the shear capacity of reinforced concrete beams. The vertical straps are not bonded to the beam but are instead anchored against the beam, which makes this technique potentially more effective than bonded FRP retrofitting techniques. However, it also means that models for bonded FRPs are not appropriate for use with the straps. Instead, a model based on a shear friction approach has been developed where the strain in the straps is calculated based on a term that accounts for the effects of prestress and additional strain in the strap due to shear crack opening. The model can either consider the shear reinforcement to be smeared along the length of the beam or discrete elements. The “smeared” model was checked against an experimental database consisting of rectangular, T-, and deep beams, both in terms of predicted capacity and predicted strain in the straps. Overall the smeared model predicted the capacity of the specimens and, with some adjustments, the strains quite accurately. There were, however, cases when it was more appropriate to use the “discrete” model such as when the transverse reinforcement ratio was low or when the transverse reinforcement spacing was high. Further experimental data are required to fully validate the models and to determine appropriate limits on the use of the smeared model and the discrete model. However, the initial results are promising.     

The public health approach to youth violence and child maltreatment prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Millions of people in the United States suffer the consequences of violence, including physical injuries, psychological trauma, and death. Solutions to violence have traditionally been reactive. Through the lens of the public health perspective, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) views violence as predictable based on various contributing factors, and thus as preventable. Within CDC, the Division of Violence Prevention (DVP) leads efforts to prevent injury, death, and disability, and to reduce the suffering and medical costs caused by violence. DVP employs a multidisciplinary, public health approach to identify factors associated with violence, and to develop, evaluate, and disseminate preventive interventions. Psychology is one discipline that has contributed to our approach. The authors present a series of violence prevention initiatives funded by the CDC that are framed within a public health perspective, with attention to the contributions of psychology to youth violence and child maltreatment prevention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Recent reliability reporting practices in Psychological Assessment: Recognizing the people behind the data.

Helms, Henze, Sass, and Mifsud (2006) defined good practices for internal consistency reporting, interpretation, and analysis consistent with an alpha-as-data perspective. Their viewpoint (a) expands on previous arguments that reliability coefficients are group-level summary statistics of samples' responses rather than stable properties of scales or measures and (b) encourages researchers to investigate characteristics of reliability data for their own samples and subgroups within their samples. In Study 1, we reviewed past and current reliability reporting practices in a sample of Psychological Assessment articles published across 3 decades (i.e., from the years 1989, 1996, and 2006). Results suggested that contemporary and past researchers' reliability reporting practices have not improved over time and generally were not consistent with good practices. In Study 2, we analyzed an archival data set to illustrate the real-life repercussions of researchers' ongoing misconstrual and misuse of reliability data. Our analyses suggested that researchers should conduct preliminary analyses of their data to determine whether their data fit the assumptions of their reliability analyses. Also, the results indicated that reliability coefficients varied across racial or ethnic and gender subgroups, and these variations had implications for whether the same depression measure should be used across groups. We concluded that the alpha-as-data perspective has implications for one's choice of psychological measures and interpretation of results, which subsequently affect conclusions and recommendations. We encourage researchers to recognize the people behind their data by adopting better practices in internal consistency reporting, analysis, and interpretation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Genome and proteome annotation: organization, interpretation and integration

Recent years have seen a huge increase in the generation of genomic and proteomic data. This has been due to improvements in current biological methodologies, the development of new experimental techniques and the use of computers as support tools. All these raw data are useless if they cannot be properly analysed, annotated, stored and displayed. Consequently, a vast number of resources have been created to present the data to the wider community. Annotation tools and databases provide the means to disseminate these data and to comprehend their biological importance. This review examines the various aspects of annotation: type, methodology and availability. Moreover, it puts a special interest on novel annotation fields, such as that of phenotypes, and highlights the recent efforts focused on the integrating annotations.     

The Rocks and the Sydney Cove Redevelopment Authority 1970–88

The Rocks area has been settled since the day of the arrival of the First Fleet. It was not an easy area to settle because of the high rocky terrain and steep slopes which made the construction of proper roads and drainage a difficult task. It had one major attraction though, its proximity to the waterfront. The Rocks soon became a collection of unsanitary hovels and taverns catering for seafarers from all parts of the world. In 1810 the Judge Advocate listed some fifty taverns licensed in Sydney the majority of which were in The Rocks. Traffic went through narrow alleys and steps barely wide enough for two people to pass.     

放眼世界第一验证中心宜特布局效益展现

成立14年，已在资本市场公开发行的宜特科技，并没有像台积电或联发科那么出名，不过，只要置身电子行业中人，不管是做IC或做电子终端产品的．则几乎都认识这家电子验证及医学中心。展望未来，宜特将以“世界第一验证中心”为目标。     

Flash——电子产业最大推手

交通大学校友会在日前在台（11／6）举办的一场“劲竹论坛”演讲活动中，Flash发明人施敏教授及群联电子董事长潘健成针对Flash的发明发展与未来展望．做了精彩的分享。