by Jonathan Chun-kit Lau. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong. / Bibliography: leaves 56-66.

Berlin, Techn. Univ., Diss., 2002. / Computerdatei im Fernzugriff.

Berlin, Techn. Univ., Diss., 2002. / Computerdatei im Fernzugriff.

No description available.

No description available.

Techn. Hochsch., Diss., 2003--Aachen.

We investigated whether chronic administration of guanidinoethane sulfonate, an inhibitor of taurine uptake, could modify the antiepileptic actions of phenobarbital and phenytoin on maximal electroshock seizures in mice. Treatment with 1% guanidinoethane sulfonate decreased the taurine concentration in the brain to 76% of the control value. Under these conditions, neither the severity of tonic convulsions of maximal electroshock seizures nor the threshold for tonic extension caused by electroshock was altered. However, treatment with guanidinoethane sulfonate lessened the antiepileptic actions of phenobarbital and phenytoin on electroshock seizures. The brain concentrations of phenobarbital and phenytoin were unaltered by administration of guanidinoethane sulfonate. The brain concentrations of guanidinoethane sulfonate and total guanidino compounds were unchanged by the injection of either phenobarbital or phenytoin. It is suggested that the observed loss of anticonvulsive potency of phenobarbital and phenytoin may have been related to the decrease in taurine concentration produced by guanidinoethane sulfonate.

The current treatment of water contaminated with organic compounds includes adsorption, air stripping, and advanced oxidation processes. These methods large quantities of water and require excessive energy and time. A novel treatment process of concentrating and then electrochemically oxidizing compound would be a more feasible practice. This research investigated the oxidative destruction of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) and trichloroethene (TCE) at boron-doped diamond film electrodes and the adsorption of PFOS and PFBS on granular activated carbon and ion exchange resins.Experiments measuring oxidation rates of PFOS and PFBS were performed over a range in current densities and temperatures using a rotating disk electrode (RDE) reactor and a parallel plate flow-through reactor. Oxidation of PFOS was rapid and yielded sulfate, fluoride, carbon dioxide and trace levels of trifluoroacetic acid. Oxidation of PFBS was slower than that of PFOS. A comparison of the experimentally measured apparent activation energy with those calculated using Density Functional Theory (DFT) studies indicated that the most likely rate-limiting step for PFOS and PFBS oxidation was direct electron transfer. The costs for treating PFOS and PFBS solutions were compared and showed that PFOS is cheaper to degrade than PFBS.Screening studies were performed to find a viable adsorbent or ion exchange resin for concentrating PFOS or PFBS. Granular activated carbon F400 (GAC-F400) and an ion exchange resin, Amberlite IRA-458, were the best methods for adsorbing PFOS. Ionic strength experiments showed that the solubility of the compounds affected the adsorption onto solid phases. Regeneration experiments were carried out to determine the best method of recovering these compounds from the adsorbents; however, the compounds could not be effectively removed from the adsorbents using standard techniques.The electrochemical oxidation of trichloroethene (TCE) at boron-doped diamond film electrodes was studied to determine if this would be a viable degradation method for chlorinated solvents. Flow-through experiments were performed and showed TCE oxidation to be very rapid. Comparing the data from the DFT studies and the experimentally calculated apparent activation energies the mechanism for TCE oxidation was determined to be controlled by both direct electron transfer and oxidation via hydroxyl radicals.

Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis, although commonly isolated from sputum in patients with pneumonia, rarely causes bacteremia. Sodium polyanethol sulfonate is commonly added to routine blood culture media to increase the yield of Gram-negative bacilli. This anticoagulant also inhibits the growth of Neisseria meningitidis. We added strains f Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis to routine blood culture media supplemented with 0.03% SPS. No inhibitory effect could be demonstrated. The rare occurrence of bacteremic Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis pneumonia is not due to an inhibitory effect of routine blood culture media.

Thesis (DTech (Environmental Health))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. / This study represents the first monitoring campaign to assess the seasonal trend of nine perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in surface water and sediment from the Plankenburg and Diep Rivers in the Western Cape, South Africa. An analytical protocol was developed and validated for qualitative and quantitative routine determination of nine perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), in water and sediment samples using Ultra performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry quadrupole time of flight (UPLC-QTOF-MS). This method was applied to determine levels of PFOA and PFOS in environmental samples. Samples were collected along the Diep (Milnerton) and Plankenburg (Stellenbosch) Rivers respectively. Samples were pre-treated, cleaned-up and extracted using solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedures with hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) C-18 cartridges. Seasonal variation and distribution of PFCs in surface water and sediment was also investigated. Levels of PFCs were monitored in four seasons (summer, autumn, winter and spring) to establish their trend in the environment. The removal of PFOA and PFOS from aqueous solutions using agro-waste biomass of Vitis vinifera (grape) leaf litter was also studied. Activated carbons were produced from the biomass and chemical activation achieved with phosphoric acid (H3PO4) and potassium hydroxide (KOH) for the modification of the carbons’ (AC-H3PO4 and AC-KOH respectively). Activated carbons were characterized using Fourier Transform infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Brunauer- Emmett-Teller (BET) in order to understand the removal mechanisms of the contaminants by activated carbons. The effects of solution concentration, pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, and the temperature were optimized for evaluation of the removal efficiency of the activated carbons. Adsorption isotherm models were used to analyze the equilibrium data obtained and kinetic models were applied to study sorption mechanisms. A fixed bed column study was conducted using: AC-H3PO4 adsorbent. Experimental parameters such as initial concentration of the solution, column bed height, flow rate and initial concentrations of the influent were optimized to establish the best adsorption efficiency parameters of the column system. Breakthrough curve and exhaustion time were predicted using Adam-Bohart, Yoon-Nelson, and Thomas models for the fixed bed column under varying experimental conditions.