Explore the vast range of titles available.

VM202, a plasmid DNA that expresses two isoforms of hepatocyte growth factor, may elicit angiogenic effects that could benefit patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI). In a phase 2, double-blind trial in 52 CLI patients, we examined the safety and potential efficacy of intramuscular injections of low-dose ( n =21) or high-dose ( n =20) VM202 or placebo ( n =11) in the affected limb (days 0, 14, 28 and 42). Adverse events and serious adverse events were similar among the groups; no malignancy or proliferative retinopathy was seen. In exploratory efficacy analyses, we found no differences in ankle or toe-brachial index, VAS, VascuQuol or amputation rate among the groups. Complete ulcer healing was significantly better in high-dose (8/13 ulcers; P <0.01) versus placebo (1/9) patients. Clinically meaningful reductions (>50%) in ulcer area occurred in high-dose (9/13 ulcers) and low-dose (19/27) groups versus placebo (1/9; P <0.05 and P <0.005, respectively). At 12 months, significant differences were seen in TcPO 2 between the high-dose and placebo groups (47.5±17.8 versus 36.6±24.0 mm Hg, respectively; P <0.05) and in the change from baseline among the groups ( P <0.05). These data suggest that VM202 is safe and may provide therapeutic bioactivity in CLI patients.

The anaerobic ammonium removal from a piggery waste with high strength (56 g COD/L and 5 g T-N/L) was investigated using a lab-scale upflow anaerobic sludge bed reactor at a mesophilic condition. Based on the nitrogen and carbon balance in the process, the contribution of autotrophic and heterotrophic organisms was also evaluated in terms of the influent NO2-N/NH4-N ratio (1:0.8 and 1:1.2 for Phase 1 and Phase 2, respectively). The result of this research demonstrates that the anaerobic ammonium removal from the piggery waste, using the UASB reactor, can be performed successfully. Furthermore, it appears that by using granular sludge as the seed biomass, the ANAMMOX reaction can start more quickly. Average nitrogen conversion was 0.59 kg T-N/m3 reactor-day (0.06 kg T-N/kg VSS/day) and 0.66 kg T-N/m3 reactor-day (0.08 kg T-N/kg VSS/day) for Phase 1 and Phase 2. The NO2-N/NH4-N removal ratio by the ANAMMOX was 1.48 and 1.79 for Phase 1 and Phase 2. The higher nitrite contents (about 50%) in the substrate resulted in higher nitrite nitrogen removal by the partial denitritation, as well as the ANAMMOX reaction, implying higher potential of partial denitritation. However, the result reveals that the ANAMMOX reaction was influenced less by the degree of partial denitritation, and the ANAMMOX bacteria did not compete with denitritation bacteria. The colour of the biomass at the bottom of the reactor changed from dark gray to dark red, which was accompanied by an increase in cytochrome content. At the end of the experiment, red-coloured granular sludge with diameter of 1-2 mm at the lower part of the reactor was also observed.

The purpose of this study was to develop the Korean version of World Health Organization Quality of Life study assessment instrument (WHOQOL) and WHOQOL-BREF, an abbreviated version of WHOQOL and to identify contributing factors in the quality of life of Koreans. The WHOQOL and WHOQOL-BREF were translated into colloquial Korean according to instructions of the WHOQOL study group. Then the Korean questionnaire was applied to 538 subjects, composed of 171 medical patients and 367 healthy subjects who volunteered to rate the scale. Finally, 486 subjects completed the rating. Collected data were analyzed statistically. The Korean version of WHOQOL and WHOQOL-BREF domain scores demonstrated good test-retest reliability, internal consistency, criterion validity, content validity and discriminant validity. The physical, psychological, social and environmental domains made a significant contribution to explaining the variance in the quality of life while the independence and spiritual domains made a lesser contribution. The domain scores produced by the WHOQOL-BREF correlated highly with the WHOQOL. The physical health domain contributed most in overall quality of life, while the social domain made the least contribution. These results suggest that the Korean version of WHOQOL and WHOQOL-BREF are valid and reliable in the assessment of quality of life and that physical domain is contributing most and social and spiritual factors are contributing least to the quality of life in Koreans.

This study reports on 6 years of performance monitoring of stormwater hydrodynamic separators in Korean urban catchments. One hundred and thirty-seven storm events were monitored in four hydrodynamic separators of two different types from 2006 to 2012. Mean values of the event average removal efficiencies of total suspended solids (TSS) for the four hydrodynamic separators were 43.69, 8.54, 42.84, and 14.35% with corresponding mean values of the event average surface overflow rates of 28.62, 40.07, 16.02, and 38.81 m/h, respectively. The low TSS removal efficiency was due to the high instantaneous surface overflow rates frequently occurring throughout a storm event and the abundance of fine particle fractions in the inflow (median particle diameter <75 μm). The Weibull function was used to simulate particle size distribution (PSD) in the runoff and the simulated PSD functions were further applied to the discrete settling theory to develop curves of TSS removal efficiency, as a function of surface overflow rate and median particle size of the inflow. The developed curves should be useful in determining the design peak flow rate and the size of a hydrodynamic separator for a stated goal of TSS removal efficiency.

A Citrobacter sp., isolated from soil at an effluent treatment plant of a textile and dyeing industry, decolorized several recalcitrant dyes except Bromophenol Blue. More than 90% of Crystal Violet and Methyl Red at 100 mu M were reduced within 1 h. Gentian Violet, Malachite Green and Brilliant Green lost over 80% of their colors in the same condition, but the percentage decolorization of Basic Fuchsin and Congo Red were less than the others, 66 and 26%, respectively. Decolorization of Congo Red was mainly due to adsorption to cells. Color removal was optimal at pH 7-9 and 35-40 degree C. Decolorization of dyes was also observed with extracellular culture filtrate, indicating the color removal by enzymatic biodegradation.

In summer, wastewater treatment plant total phosphorus (TP) removal efficiency is low in South Korea. The reason is because of high temperatures or significant fluctuation of inflow characteristics caused by frequent rainfall. Hence, this study tried to raise TP removal efficiency by injecting fixed external carbon sources in real sewage. Polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs) and glycogen accumulating organisms (GAOs) compete to occupy microorganisms at high temperature. Propionate is known to restrain GAOs. Thus, acetate and propionate were chosen as the external carbon source in this study to find out the suitable volume and ratio of carbon source which ensured the dominance of PAOs. An external carbon source was supplied in the anaerobic reactor of the biological phosphorus removal process at high temperature (above 25 °C). TP removal efficiency was improved by injecting an external carbon source compared to that without an external carbon source. Also, it remained relatively stable when injecting an external carbon source, despite the variation in temperature. TP removal efficiency was the highest when injecting acetate and propionate in the proportion of 2:1 (total concentration as chemical oxygen demand (COD) is 12 mg/L in influent).

Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy to conserve the spleen is a beneficial operation for patients with benign and borderline malignancy in the pancreas. With this procedure, it is very desirable to preserve the splenic artery and vein as well. From May 2000 to July 2003, five laparoscopic distal pancreatectomies with preservation of the spleen and splenic vessels were performed for benign pancreas neoplasm at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital in Seoul, Korea. The postoperative pathologic diagnoses were two serous cystadenomas, two mucinous cystadenomas, and one solid and papillary epithelial tumor. The tumors ranged in size from 1.5 to 7 cm. Four trocars (10-15 mm) and a laparoscopic linear stapler were used for transection of the pancreas. The mean operation time was 348 min, and the mean length of the incision for extraction was 3.6 cm. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 10.4 days. There was no complication or mortality. Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy with preservation of the spleen and splenic vessels is a relatively safe and feasible option for the management of benign tumor or borderline malignancy in the distal pancreas.

Nitrogen removal in piggery waste was investigated with the combined SHARON-ANAMMOX process. The piggery waste was characterized as strong nitrogenous wastewater with very low C/N ratio. For the preceding SHARON reactor, ammonium nitrogen loading and conversion rates were 0.97kg NH4-N/m3reactor/day and 0.73kg NH4-N/m3 reactor/day, respectively. Alkalinity consumption for ammonium conversion was 8.5gr bicarbonate utilized per gram ammonium nitrogen converted to NO2-N or NO3-N at steady-states operation. The successive ANAMMOX reactor was fed with the effluent from SHARON reactor. Nitrogen loading and conversion rates were 1.36kg soluble N/m3 reactor/day and 0.72kg soluble N/m3 reactor/day, respectively. The average NO2-N/NH4-N removal ratio by ANAMMOX reaction was 2.13. It has been observed that Candidatus “Kuenenia stuttgartiensis” were dominated in the ANAMMOX reactor based on FISH analysis.

Small-scale wastewater treatment facilities play an important role in improving the aquatic environment in many countries. Although sludge treatment is essential for overall wastewater treatment, it is difficult for small-scale facilities to use mechanical equipment or other facilities. As the first step of the sludge treatment, it is important to develop a convenient sludge thickening process for small-scale facilities. In this work, we examined the sludge thickening performance of a mesh filtration system: the mesh opening sizes of 100-500 μm, and the sludge (3,000-9,000 mg-SS/L) was obtained from a domestic wastewater treatment facility. The filtration was carried out only under the hydraulic pressure between the water level and the effluent port connected to the mesh filter module. The sludge reduction rates were in the range of 85-95% for 6-7 h; the initial filtration rate was very high, but the rate decreased with a decrease in hydraulic pressure due to the reduction of the water level in the vessel. In addition, the effluents (passed through the mesh) contained very low SS and could be directly discharged into the environment.